Thiago Ayala

Thiago Ayala grew up in Villa Ángela, Chaco, and came through the youth system at Sarmiento de Junín, spending time with the club's U20 side before earning a place in the first-team squad. His chance arrived on 18 August 2024, when Sarmiento faced Tigre in the Liga Profesional. With first-choice goalkeeper Lucas Acosta suspended and backup Jerónimo Pourtau unavailable, Ayala was handed his professional debut between the posts. He started the match and kept a clean sheet as Sarmiento held Tigre to a goalless draw. Local media picked up on the performance, describing the young goalkeeper as a "pleasant surprise" who took control of his area in an unfamiliar setting.

That debut opened the door to a regular role at the club. Ayala has continued to feature for Sarmiento through the 2025 and 2026 seasons, established as part of the goalkeeping group rather than a one-off fill-in.

Standing 188 cm and playing with his right foot, Ayala is a young goalkeeper coming through the ranks. There is often confusion around his name: another footballer called Thiago Ayala, a Paraguayan centre-forward from Asunción who has played for Independiente FBC and Olimpia at under-23 level, shares an almost identical name. The two are unrelated — Sarmiento's goalkeeper is Argentine, born in Chaco, and has built his career entirely within the club that developed him.