Leandro Emmanuel Martínez

Tandil is not the usual starting point for an Argentine footballer's career, but it is where Leandro Emmanuel Martínez came from before working his way through River Plate, and the road since has taken him further than most of that generation's teammates — through Argentine second-tier sides San Martín de San Juan and Chacarita Juniors, then across the continent to Ecuadorian and Brazilian football.

The clearest marker on his record came in Ecuador. Playing for Barcelona SC, he won the Serie A title in 2020, the peak result of a career built more on movement between clubs than on long spells settling into one place. Deportivo Cuenca, América Mineiro and Fortaleza all followed, spreading his football across three countries before he arrived at Vitória.

He has not collected individual awards, and there is no record of him being called up to the Argentine national team — his story is one of steady club football rather than personal accolades or international recognition. At 1.69 metres, he has made his way in midfield relying on positioning and range across leagues rather than physical presence.

Now at Vitória, wearing the number 6 shirt, he continues a career that has taken in seven clubs across three countries, anchored by that 2020 championship in Ecuador as its high point.