Sebastián Abreu

Early career

Born in Minas, Lavalleja Department, Abreu played in numerous clubs throughout America (Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil). He also had an unsuccessful stint with Spain's Deportivo de La Coruña, which loaned him several times for the duration of his contract. In his sole season in La Liga, which started in January 1998, having been signed from San Lorenzo, Abreu scored for the Galicians in a 3–1 home defeat of Barcelona on 25 January.

River Plate and Beitar Jerusalem

After having joined Mexico's Tigres UANL in 2007, Abreu was able to rescind his contract with them in order to join River Plate – the Mexican Football Federation stalled on recognising the transfer because of an imposed moratorium between the clubs. He became the only foreigner to score in the Clásico Regiomontano (Tigres vs. Monterrey, which he represented the previous year) against each team. In the middle of 2008, after exhausting negotiations, Abreu signed a deal with Israeli League champions Beitar Jerusalem. He appeared in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League, but his team was quickly eliminated. Additionally, he could not play in the domestic front due to lack of payment. Abreu re-signed with River Plate in September 2008 after terminating his link with Beitar, with a deal lasting until June 2009. Due to being a late addition, he was not able to play for the side in the Primera División, only featuring in the Copa Sudamericana. The next year, he was…

Abreu played for Uruguay at the 2002 FIFA World Cup – three matches – and the 1997, 2007 and 2011 Copa América editions, netting twice in the latter. He made his debut for the national side on 17 July 1996 in a friendly with China, going on to earn 70 caps. On 27 May 2010, Abreu stood only five goals short of Uruguayan all-time goalscoring record, held by Héctor Scarone for 79 years. He was selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where he appeared three times as a substitute; in the quarter-finals against Ghana he scored the decisive penalty shootout attempt (1–1 after 120 minutes), a Panenka to send his team to the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years.

On 26 April 2019, Abreu was announced as the interim manager of Santa Tecla on an initial one-and-a-half month spell, with the parties holding the option open of keeping him as a player-coach or just as a player afterwards. He won the Copa El Salvador four days later, defeating Audaz 1–0 in the final. In December 2019, Abreu was appointed player-coach at Boston River ahead of the upcoming campaign in the Uruguayan Primera División. He resigned from the last-placed club the following 9 November. Abreu was named manager of Bolivian Primera División side Always Ready on 30 January 2022. On 1 March, he left by mutual consent. On 25 May 2022, Abreu was appointed at Paysandú in the Uruguayan Primera División Amateur. On 30 May 2024, Abreu became the head coach of Dorados. On 30 April 2025, Liga MX club Tijuana announced Abreu as their new head coach.

Abreu's son, Diego, played for Mexico at under-16 level. From October 2019 to August 2020 he hosted Trato Hecho, the Uruguayan version of Deal or No Deal, being replaced by Maximiliano de la Cruz.