Martín Ligüera

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Martín Ligüera

| image =

| fullname = Martín Ricardo Ligüera López

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1980|11|9|df=y}}

| birth_place = Montevideo, Uruguay

| height = {{Height|m=1.72|precision=0}}

| position = Attacking midfielder

| currentclub = Nacional (coordinator)

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Nacional

| years1 = 1996–1999

| years2 = 2000

| years3 = 2001

| years4 = 2002–2003

| years5 = 2003–2004

| years6 = 2004

| years7 = 2004–2005

| years8 = 2005–2006

| years9 = 2006–2007

| years10 = 2007–2008

| years11 = 2009–2010

| years12 = 2010–2011

| years13 = 2012–2013

| years14 = 2013

| years15 = 2014–2016

| years16 = 2016–2017

| clubs1 = Nacional

| clubs2 = Cerro

| clubs3 = Defensor Sporting

| clubs4 = Fénix

| clubs5 = Mallorca

| clubs6 = → Grasshoppers (loan)

| clubs7 = Nacional

| clubs8 = San Luis

| clubs9 = Alianza Lima

| clubs10 = Nacional

| clubs11 = Olimpia

| clubs12 = Unión Española

| clubs13 = Athletico Paranaense

| clubs14 = Joinville

| clubs15 = Fénix

| clubs16 = Nacional

| caps1 = 2

| caps2 = 33

| caps3 = 34

| caps4 = 53

| caps5 = 1

| caps6 = 0

| caps7 = 34

| caps8 = 20

| caps9 = 39

| caps10 = 33

| caps11 = 40

| caps12 = 58

| caps13 = 27

| caps14 = 13

| caps15 = 63

| caps16 = 41

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 14

| goals3 = 10

| goals4 = 33

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| goals7 = 14

| goals8 = 1

| goals9 = 8

| goals10 = 3

| goals11 = 10

| goals12 = 16

| goals13 = 5

| goals14 = 1

| goals15 = 14

| goals16 = 9

| nationalyears1 = 1995

| nationalteam1 = Uruguay U15

| nationalyears2 = 1999

| nationalteam2 = Uruguay U20

| nationalyears3 = 2002–2005

| nationalteam3 = Uruguay

| nationalcaps3 = 15

| nationalgoals3 = 7

| manageryears1 = 2017–2021

| managerclubs1 = Nacional (youth)

| manageryears2 = 2021

| managerclubs2 = Nacional (interim)

| manageryears3 = 2021

| managerclubs3 = Nacional

| manageryears4 = 2022–2024

| managerclubs4 = Nacional (youth)

| manageryears5 = 2024

| managerclubs5 = Rentistas

| manageryears6 = 2025

| managerclubs6 = Nacional (interim)

}}

Martín Ricardo Ligüera López (born 9 November 1980) is a Uruguayan football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. He is the current coordinator of Nacional.

Club career

Born in Montevideo, Ligüera made his first division debut in 1997 for Uruguayan power Nacional.{{cite web |title=Ligüera, Martín |url=https://atilio.uy/jugador:1026 |website=Atilio Software |publisher=COMISIÓN DE HISTORIA Y ESTADÍSTICA C.N.de F. |access-date=10 October 2024 |language=es}} However it was his play with Fénix in which he scored 33 goals in 53 first division matches, which started to draw him interest from European clubs. While at Fénix his play helped convert the small Montevideo side into the revelation of the Uruguayan First division. They qualified for the 2003 Copa Libertadores, in which they had a famous 6-1 victory over Mexican side Cruz Azul with Ligüera tallying 3 goals.{{cite web |title=Se quedaba a ver a O’Neill, llevaba a Suárez a entrenar a Nacional, lo golpeó la pobreza de Nigeria y se salvó en un terremoto: la vida de Martín Ligüera |url=https://www.elobservador.com.uy/nota/se-quedaba-a-ver-a-o-neill-llevaba-a-suarez-a-entrenar-a-nacional-lo-golpeo-la-pobreza-de-nigeria-y-se-salvo-en-un-terremoto-la-vida-de-martin-liguera-2024532030 |website=El Observador |access-date=10 October 2024 |language=es |date=4 May 2024}}

Ligüera's contract was purchased by La Liga side Mallorca.{{cite news |title=Uruguay: Ligüera se incorpora al Mallorca de España |url=https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/uruguay-lig-252-era-se-incorpora-al-mallorca-de-755524.php |access-date=10 October 2024 |work=www.beaumontenterprise.com |date=31 August 2003 |language=es}} His stay at the club was short-lived due to foreign player restrictions. Ligüera played one game in La Liga for Mallorca, against Sevilla FC, on 21 September 2003. He also scored in the Copa del Rey, and appeared in three UEFA Cup matches for Mallorca, starting in two of those matches. In January 2004, due to the arrival of Andrija Delibasic, he was loaned out to Grasshopper Club Zürich in order to free the non-EU seat.{{cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=139423.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619055837/http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=139423.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 June 2009|title=Delibašic makes Mallorca move|date=2004-01-21|access-date=2008-01-05|publisher=UEFA}}

After the 2004 campaign, Ligüera returned to Uruguay and Nacional to help lead the club to a league title. His play once began to draw the interest of other South American clubs, resulting in stints with San Luis in Mexico and Peruvian powerhouse Alianza Lima. While at Alianza, Martin helped the club win a Peruvian League title and participated in the Copa Libertadores.

In 2009, he signed for Olimpia of Paraguay.{{cite web |title=Jugó un año en Olimpia y fue ídolo; ahora lo quieren como entrenador |url=https://www.elfutbolero.com.py/primera-division-de-paraguay/jugo-un-ano-en-olimpia-y-fue-idolo-ahora-lo-quieren-como-entrenador-20240208-3983.html |website=El Futbolero Paraguay |access-date=10 October 2024 |language=es |date=8 February 2024}}

International career

A Uruguay full international, he also played at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. He has represented his country 15 times and scored seven goals including a hat-trick on 15 August 2003 in a 5–2 victory over Iraq.{{cite web|title=Uruguay vs. Iraq|url=https://www.auf.org.uy/amistosouruguay-vs-irak2003-08-15/|access-date=21 February 2022}}

Career statistics

=International=

National team	Year	Apps
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year
rowspan="4"\|Uruguay{{cite web\|title=Martín Ligüera - AUF\|url=https://www.auf.org.uy/martin-ligueera/\|access-date=21 February 2022}} \|2002	1	0
2003	11	7
2004	2	0
2005	1	0
colspan="2"\|Total\|\|15\|\|7