Fabricio Díaz, the young Uruguayan talent who has been linked with FC Barcelona, led Uruguay to a glorious victory in the U-20 World Cup final against Italy, securing a 1-0 win. The midfielder delivered yet another exceptional performance. He kept his status as one of the tournament’s standout players. Therefore, he’s attracting the attention of many football enthusiasts.
A few weeks ago, SPORT spoke with Diego Lugano, a Uruguayan national team legend with 95 caps. Lugano shared his insights on Fabricio’s talent and confirmed the widespread talk of Barcelona’s interest in the youngster. Fabricio’s potential has garnered significant recognition in his home country. Marcelo Bielsa also called him to participate in friendly matches against Nicaragua and Cuba later this month.
Undoubtedly, the 20-year-old Liverpool de Montevideo player has made the most of his opportunity. Many have already praised his outstanding performance. They noted his offensive prowess despite playing in a defensive midfield role throughout the tournament.
Fabricio has completed the highest number of key passes in the entire championship, totaling 31. Meanwhile, he’s also leading the tournament in chances created with 20. He has started in every match but didn’t score in the competition, unlike his impressive five-goal tally in the South American U-20 Championship, where Uruguay finished as runners-up after a defeat against Brazil in the final.
In the final against Italy, Fabricio showcased his danger from long-range strikes. His shooting ability from outside the box came close to opening the scoring as his powerful shot narrowly missed the crossbar. He made another attempt later in the game. But he couldn’t cap off a remarkable night that ultimately saw him lift the trophy as the team’s captain.
Barcelona will try to sign Fabricio Díaz this summer
Regarding Barcelona’s interest, Fabricio expressed his excitement, stating, “It’s a dream for a club as big as Barcelona to take notice of me; it’s fantastic.” Discussions have taken place between the player’s representatives and the Barcelona sporting management, but with a busy summer expected at the club, no significant progress has been made thus far.
Previously, reports indicated that the transfer fee for Fabricio would not be lower than €6 million. But this figure may change following his impressive performances in the international tournament.
