Hernán Galíndez #1

Profile

After being released as a youngster by Rosario Central, his hometown club in Argentina, Galíndez rebuilt his life in Quito and embraced Ecuador as his new home and identity. Now, with more than 300 domestic matches played and unforgettable moments such as sealing World Cup qualification against Argentina, he stands as a national icon, but he doesn’t like to boast. “I’m not a superhero, I’m just a football player and nothing more,” he says. As a seven-year-old in Rosario, testing himself out as a keeper for the first time after the regular No1 was injured, he came up against a lively young rival. “I played in this tournament and only conceded one goal. To this day, my mom has a plaque from that day'. That goal was scored by a certain Lionel Messi.” Now, at 38, Galíndez is a figurehead for the side.

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