Álvaro Pereira

Early years

Born in Montevideo, Pereira began his career with Miramar Misiones in 2003, moving to Argentina with Quilmes Atlético Club two years later. After the latter's relegation from the Primera División at the end of the 2006–07 season he joined Argentinos Juniors, finishing as the team's top goalscorer in the 2007 Apertura. In the middle of 2008, Pereira signed with Romania's CFR Cluj for a €2.5 million fee. He started in all the club's matches in its debut campaign in the UEFA Champions League.

Porto

Pereira joined FC Porto on 4 June 2009 for a reported €4.5 million, with the Portuguese acquiring 80% of the player's rights. In his first year he mostly operated as a left-back, as the northerners finished third and won the Taça de Portugal. He scored his first goal for the club on 21 February 2010, netting the second in a 5–1 home win over S.C. Braga. In Pereira's second season at the Estádio do Dragão, he featured in 21 Primeira Liga games (all starts), adding 12 UEFA Europa League appearances as Porto won the treble. He also started in that campaign's Portuguese Cup final against Vitória de Guimarães on 22 May 2011, scoring an own goal in the 21st minute to bring the sides level in an eventual 6–2 victory. After Porto rejected an offer from Premier League side Chelsea in the summer for Pereira, he signed a new contract on 3 October 2011 running until 2016, with his release clause remaining at £25.7 million. In late December, he heavily criticised…

Pereira made his debut for Uruguay against France, on 19 November 2008. He scored his first international goal in his next match, another friendly, with Libya in Tripoli (3–2 win).

Pereira was an undisputed starter for the nation during the second half of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, also starting in both legs of the successful playoffs against Costa Rica as the Charrúas returned to the FIFA World Cup. In the finals in South Africa he played all the matches except two, scoring through a rare header in a 3–0 group stage victory over the hosts. Pereira was selected to the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, being first-choice and scoring two goals in the group stage, including the game's only against Mexico as Uruguay won its 15th continental tournament. In 2013, he represented La Celeste at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup as the nation reached the semi-finals, and also participated in the team's successful World Cup qualifying campaign. On 2 June 2014, Pereira was named in Uruguay's squad for the 2014 World Cup finals. On 19 June, in the second group game against England, he was struck unconscious after being kneed in the head by Raheem Sterling, but refused to be replaced after recovering and went on to feature the full 90 minutes in the 2–1 win. At the 2015 Copa América in Chile, Pereira was suspended for the quarter-final against the hosts, and his team lost by a single goal. The following year, at the next edition in the United States, he only played the first group…

Club

As of 12 March 2017

International

CFR Cluj

Cupa României: 2008–09 Porto

Primeira Liga: 2010–11, 2011–12 Taça de Portugal: 2009–10, 2010–11 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2009, 2010 UEFA Europa League: 2010–11 Taça da Liga runner-up: 2009–10 Cerro Porteño

Paraguayan Primera División: 2017 Clausura Nacional

Supercopa Uruguaya: 2019 Uruguay

Copa América: 2011