Leonardo Balerdi

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Balerdi and the second or maternal family name is Rosa.

Leonardo Julián Balerdi Rosa (born 26 January 1999) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Ligue 1 club Marseille and the Argentina national team.^[3]

Leonardo Balerdi

Balerdi with Marseille in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Leonardo Julián Balerdi Rosa[1]
Date of birth	(1999-01-26) 26 January 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth	Villa Mercedes, Argentina
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Marseille
Number	5
Youth career
2005–2013	Sportivo Pueyrredón
2013–2018	Boca Juniors
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2019	Boca Juniors	5	(0)
2019–2020	Borussia Dortmund II	12	(1)
2019–2021	Borussia Dortmund	7	(0)
2020–2021	→ Marseille (loan)	21	(2)
2021–	Marseille	87	(2)
International career‡
2018–2019	Argentina U20	9	(0)
2019	Argentina U23	1	(0)
2019–	Argentina	5	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Argentina South American U-20 Championship 2019 U-20 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:47, 8 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Club career

Boca Juniors

Balerdi made his debut for Boca Juniors in the Argentine Primera División starting against Club Atlético Huracán on 27 August 2018.^[4] Although only appearing 5 times for Boca Juniors (a total of 450 minutes on the pitch^[5]), Balerdi's performances took Argentinian football by storm and he has rapidly been hailed^{[by whom?]} as Argentina's best upcoming defender.

Borussia Dortmund

In January 2019, Balerdi agreed to a four-and-a-half-year contract with Borussia Dortmund.^[6] According to several Argentine reports, Dortmund has agreed to pay €15 million for the central defender. An additional €2 million might need to be paid due to agreed add-ons.^[7][8]

Balerdi made his Dortmund and Bundesliga debut on 7 December 2019 against Fortuna Düsseldorf coming onto the pitch as a substitute in the 78th minute.^[9] After a few substitute appearances, Balerdi made his first start against 1899 Hoffenheim in the last Bundesliga fixture of the 2019–20 season. He was substituted in the 65th minute as Dortmund trailed 4–0.^[10]

Marseille

In July 2020, Balerdi signed with Olympique de Marseille on a year loan with an option to buy for €15 million.^[11] On 3 July 2021, he joined Marseille permanently, signing a five-year contract with the club.^[12]

International career

Balerdi holds both Argentine and Italian nationality, but chose to represent his place of birth.^{[13][better source needed]} He debuted for the Argentine senior squad on 10 September 2019 in a friendly match against Mexico, replacing Lucas Martínez Quarta in the 83rd minute.^[14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 8 November 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup[a]		Continental[b]		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Boca Juniors	2018–19	Argentine Primera División	5	0	0	0	0	0	—		5	0
Borussia Dortmund II	2018–19	Regionalliga West	4	1	—		—		—		4	1
	2019–20		8	0	—		—		—		8	0
	Total		12	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	1
Borussia Dortmund	2019–20	Bundesliga	7	0	0	0	1	0	—		8	0
Marseille (loan)	2020–21	Ligue 1	21	2	1	0	3	0	0	0	25	2
Marseille	2021–22	Ligue 1	17	0	3	0	4	0	—		24	0
	2022–23		35	0	3	0	6	1	—		44	1
	2023–24		27	2	2	0	13	0	—		42	2
	2024–25		8	0	0	0	—		—		8	0
	Marseille total		108	4	9	0	26	1	0	0	143	5
Career total			132	5	9	0	27	1	0	0	168	6

1. Includes Coupe de France
2. Includes UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League

International

As of match played 19 November 2024^[15]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Argentina
	2019	2	0
	2024	3	0
Total		5	0

Honours

Boca Juniors

• Copa Libertadores runner-up: 2018

Marseille

• Trophée des Champions runner-up: 2020

Argentina U17

• South American U-20 Championship runner-up: 2019

References

1. "Player profile".
2. "Leonardo Balerdi". Olympique de Marseille. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
3. "L. Balerdi". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
4. "Huracán vs. Boca Juniors". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
5. Horn, Gregory. "Leonardo Balerdi to Borussia Dortmund Finalized". Fear the Wall. Vox Media Inc. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
6. Bahl, Tushar (14 January 2019). "Borussia Dortmund sign highly rated centre back Leonardo Balerdi". Fansided.
7. Smith, Jamie. "Balerdi on verge of Dortmund switch, admits Boca president". Goal. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
8. Ambrose, Lewis (14 January 2019). "Borussia Dortmund confirm signing of Leonardo Balerdi". OneFootball.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
9. "Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho star as five-star Borussia Dortmund dismantle Fortuna Düsseldorf". Bundesliga. 8 December 2019. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
10. "Andrej Kramaric hits all four as Hoffenheim humble Borussia Dortmund to secure sixth spot". Bundeskiga. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
11. "Leonardo Balerdi agrees to join Olympique Marseille from Borussia Dortmund". Mundo Albiceleste. 20 July 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
12. "Leonardi Balerdi completes permanent transfer with OM". Olympique de Marseille. 3 July 2021.
13. "Leonardo Balerdi". Ligue 1 (in French). Retrieved 11 August 2023.
14. "Leonardo Balerdi y Adolfo Gaich debutaron en la Selección Argentina" [Leonardo Balerdi and Adolfo Gaich debuted in the Argentine National Team]. TyC Sports (in Spanish). 11 September 2019.
15. "Leonardo Balerdi". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 24 November 2023.

External links

• Profile at the Olympique de Marseille website
• Leonardo Balerdi – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French
• Leonardo Balerdi – UEFA competition record (archive)