Juan Fernando Quintero
Juan Fernando Quintero Paniagua (born 18 January 1993) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Argentine side Racing Club and the Colombian national team.
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Quintero during his time with Rennes in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Juan Fernando Quintero Paniagua | ||
| Date of birth | 18 January 1993 | ||
| Place of birth | Medellín, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Racing Club | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2008 | Envigado | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2011 | Envigado | 43 | (5) |
| 2011–2012 | Atlético Nacional | 15 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Pescara | 17 | (1) |
| 2013–2019 | Porto | 42 | (6) |
| 2015–2016 | → Rennes (loan) | 12 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | → Independiente Medellín (loan) | 25 | (13) |
| 2018–2019 | → River Plate (loan) | 32 | (2) |
| 2019–2020 | River Plate | 21 | (6) |
| 2021–2022 | Shenzhen | 21 | (1) |
| 2022 | River Plate | 29 | (5) |
| 2023 | Atlético Junior | 6 | (1) |
| 2023– | Racing | 26 | (8) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2013 | Colombia U20 | 13 | (8) |
| 2016 | Colombia U23 | 4 | (2) |
| 2012– | Colombia | 33 | (4) |
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 06:44, 7 December 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024 | |||
He had been mentioned among the more coveted young players in European football by The Times of London. At the age of 19, Quintero already started to receive praise for his impressive performances during his time in Italy. During his time of the 2013 South American Youth Championship, he had been recognized as not only one of the most promising youth prospects from South America, but the world.
Quintero has represented Colombia since he was 19, making his official debut in 2012 against Cameroon. At the 2013 South American Youth Championships, he led Colombia to their third title while voted as the tournament's MVP for contributing more than any other player for his respective nation. He also took part in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey where he gained more praise for his talents after creating a huge impact in the tournament. Quintero went on to represent Colombia in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where he scored his first world cup goal against Ivory Coast in a group stage match on 19 June 2014. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup he scored against Japan, becoming the first Colombian to score in two FIFA World Cup competitions.
His overall size and style of play as well as his left-foot has led him to be compared to Lionel Messi.