Mateo Baltasar Barcia Fernández

Baltasar Barcia's path to Club Nacional began with a fee, not a promotion. Independiente had bought half of the midfielder's rights for 500,000 dollars during his time there, and when Nacional moved for him, the deal to take full ownership of his rights was struck at 700,000 dollars — a sign of the value the club placed on a player they beat Peñarol to sign.

Barcia started out at Rentistas, where he made his professional debut and went on to play more than thirty matches for the club, scoring twice, before Independiente signed him in 2023. His time there brought limited playing minutes, a single goal and a couple of assists, and two loan spells that shaped him more than his parent club did. At Criciúma in Brazil, he was part of the squad that won the Recopa Catarinense and the Campeonato Catarinense in 2024, even though his own game time was modest. It was at Boston River, on loan in 2025, that he found real rhythm, playing well over thirty matches and contributing three goals and four assists — his most productive season yet.

That form persuaded Nacional to make their move. Barcia has since featured regularly for the club, though appearances have so far outpaced end product, with one goal to his name in the shirt. He has yet to be capped by the Uruguay national team.

Born in Pando, in the Canelones department, Barcia is a right-footed midfielder who has now worn the colours of three Uruguayan clubs and one Brazilian one before turning twenty-five, with Nacional the biggest stage of his career to date.