Mateo Caballero

Salto raised him and then let him go, over and over. Before he turned eighteen, Mateo Caballero had passed through Sol de América, Universitario, Atenas de San Carlos and Danubio, and had represented the Salto youth selection. Trials at Aldosivi in Argentina and a spell at Deportivo Colonia followed.

In January 2025 he joined Independiente de Avellaneda as a free agent for their youth and reserve sides. The move did not go smoothly: regulatory hurdles with the AFA held things up before he could settle. No fee was disclosed.

The return home came on 3 October 2025, when he signed permanently for Defensor Sporting on a contract running to 31 July 2028. Again, no fee was made public. He made his senior debut in the 2026 season, playing in the Liga AUF Uruguaya and the Copa Sudamericana, and has since made around 13 senior appearances. He has yet to score or set up a goal, and has picked up two yellow cards.

In August 2026 Diego Forlán named him in a Uruguay under-20 squad for training camps. Caballero has not yet won an official cap at that level, and has no individual awards or team titles to his name.