We often hear about Brazilians who shine around the world, but it"s been a while since we"ve heard about a representative from the five-time world champion country in Argentine football. Lenny Lobato has changed this, and his name could make even more noise in his homeland in the coming hours.
The Vélez Sarsfield player will have the chance to become a champion in Argentina today (5), when his team faces Estudiantes de La Plata in the final of the 2024 Copa de la Liga Profesional final.
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Born on February 3, 2001, in Búzios, the 23-year-old player recently scored the decisive penalty in Vélez"s shootout win against Argentinos Juniors in the semifinals.
How did Lobato end up in Argentina?
Lobato moved to Argentina when he was 16. After playing for Madureira in Rio de Janeiro, he tried his luck at All Boys, but eventually found his place in Liniers.
“I used to live there with my mom; my dad died when I was a kid, and I barely have any memories of him. At one point, my mom and I came to Buenos Aires, spent eight months here; she returned to Brazil, and I decided to stay with some uncles," he told TyC Sports.
His father, Adrián, was the son of Nélida Lobato, an Argentine actress who became famous before her passing in 1982 at just 42 years old. “Many tell me she"s very well known here. I don"t grasp it because I was born in Búzios and stayed there until I was 16," Lenny admitted to ESPN.
[#CopaLigaProfesional🇦🇷] Así definió Lenny Lobato el último penal para darle el triunfo al "Fortín" y el pase a la Final del campeonato argentino.
▶️ El conjunto de Liniers espera por el "Pincha" o el "Xeneize" en el partido definitorio. #CAVS
📹 @juanicarducci pic.twitter.com/Z6H9izTiOh
— Gambeta (@GambetaLP) April 28, 2024
The forward made his professional debut on February 17, 2021, in a 3-0 victory against Camioneros in the Copa Argentina. Since then, he continued to be part of the professional squad until he settled in the first team in 2023. His first goal also came in the domestic cup against San Martín de San Juan, who ended up winning on penalties.
This year, Lobato played 12 games in the regular phase of the Copa de la Liga and scored twice. Now, he aims to join the list of Brazilian champions in Argentine football, which includes Paulo Silas (San Lorenzo), Jadson Viera (Lanús), Mário Jardel (Newell"s), and Pedro Iarley (Boca Juniors).
Remembering Zagallo
Sambafoot Series launched a new documentary about the football legend Zagallo. Known as ‘Velho Lobo‘ and as superstitious as it gets, Zagallo helped shape what Brazilian football is nowadays — as a player and as a coach.
Binge the first four episodes available on Sambafoot’s Youtube channel. Stay tuned for upcoming releases as we keep telling this legend’s life story.
