Imanol Machuca
Updated: 12/11/2025, 4:12:35 PM Wikipedia source
Imanol Javier Machuca (born 15 January 2000) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Fortaleza. He represented Malaysia at international level; however, he is currently suspended from all football related activities after being sanctioned by FIFA in September 2025.
Infobox
2025
Malaysia
Full name
Imanol Javier Machuca
Date of birth
(2000-01-15) 15 January 2000 (age 25)
Place of birth
Roldán, Argentina
Height
1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position
Winger
2018–2020
Unión Santa Fe
Years
Team
2020–2023
Unión Santa Fe
2023–2025
Fortaleza
2023–
Fortaleza
Current team
Fortaleza
Tables
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition · Career statistics › Club
Division
Division
Club
Division
Season
Apps
League
Goals
League
Apps
League
Goals
National cup
Apps
National cup
Goals
League cup
Apps
League cup
Goals
Continental
Apps
Continental
Goals
State league
Apps
State league
Goals
Unión Santa Fe
Unión Santa Fe
Club
Unión Santa Fe
Season
2019–20
League
Primera División
League
—
League
—
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
—
League cup
—
Continental
0
Continental
0
2020–21
2020–21
Club
2020–21
Season
Primera División
League
1
League
0
League
—
National cup
—
National cup
1
League cup
0
League cup
—
Continental
2
Continental
0
2021
2021
Club
2021
Season
Primera División
League
21
League
2
League
—
National cup
—
National cup
—
League cup
—
League cup
21
Continental
2
2022
2022
Club
2022
Season
Primera División
League
33
League
3
League
2
National cup
0
National cup
—
League cup
8
League cup
0
Continental
—
Continental
43
State league
3
2023
2023
Club
2023
Season
Primera División
League
22
League
4
League
1
National cup
1
National cup
—
League cup
—
League cup
—
Continental
23
Continental
5
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
77
League
9
League
3
League
1
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
9
League cup
0
Continental
0
Continental
0
State league
81
State league
10
Fortaleza
Fortaleza
Club
Fortaleza
Season
2023
League
Série A
League
16
League
2
National cup
—
National cup
—
League cup
8
League cup
1
Continental
0
Continental
0
State league
24
State league
3
2024
2024
Club
2024
Season
Série A
League
15
League
1
League
4
National cup
0
National cup
—
League cup
6
League cup
0
Continental
16
Continental
0
State league
41
State league
2
Total
Total
Club
Total
Season
31
League
3
League
4
League
0
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
14
League cup
1
Continental
16
Continental
0
State league
65
State league
4
Vélez Sarsfield
Vélez Sarsfield
Club
Vélez Sarsfield
Season
2025
League
Primera División
League
8
League
0
National cup
2
National cup
0
League cup
—
League cup
1
Continental
0
Continental
0
State league
0
State league
11
Total
0
Career total
Career total
Club
Career total
Season
116
League
12
League
9
League
1
National cup
0
National cup
0
League cup
24
League cup
1
Continental
16
Continental
0
State league
165
State league
14
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | State league | Total | |||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Unión Santa Fe | 2019–20 | Primera División | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Primera División | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | Primera División | 21 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 2 | |||||
| 2022 | Primera División | 33 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 43 | 3 | |||
| 2023 | Primera División | 22 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 23 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 77 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 10 | ||
| Fortaleza | 2023 | Série A | 16 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
| 2024 | Série A | 15 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 41 | 2 | ||
| Total | 31 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 65 | 4 | ||
| Vélez Sarsfield | 2025 | Primera División | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Career total | 116 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 165 | 14 | ||
Appearances and goals by national team and year · Career statistics › International
Malaysia
Malaysia
National team
Malaysia
Year
2025
Apps
1
Goals
0
Total
Total
National team
Total
Year
1
Apps
0
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
| Malaysia | 2025 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
References
- Includes Copa Argentina, Copa do Brasil
- Includes Campeonato Cearense
- Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana.
- Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores.
- Soccerway counts Copa de la Liga Profesional appearances as league appearances.
- AFAhttps://www.afa.com.ar/upload/boletines/boletin%20jugadores%2011-2018.pdf
- Fibranethttp://www.nettv.com.ar/imanol-machuca-union/
- inside.fifa.comhttp://web.archive.org/web/20250930134103/https://inside.fifa.com/legal/judicial-bodies/news/fifa-sanctions-football-association-of-malaysia-and-seven-players
- El Roldanensehttps://elroldanense.com/quien-es-el-proximo-futbolista-roldanense-que-podria-debutar-en-primera-division-11048
- El Roldanensehttps://elroldanense.com/imanol-machuca-fue-fichado-por-union-de-santa-fe-y-se-suma-al-plantel-de-reserva-18863
- SOL 91.5https://www.sol915.com.ar/reserva-jugada-maradoniana-machuca-union/
- Santa Fe Deportivohttps://web.archive.org/web/20210412073858/http://www.santafedeportivo.com/noticia/24285-union-firmo-contrato-con-cuatro-jovenes-valores-de-inferiores.html
- El Roldanensehttps://elroldanense.com/el-roldanense-machuca-firmo-su-primer-contrato-como-jugador-profesional-48497
- Soccerwayhttps://int.soccerway.com/players/imanol-machuca/606686/
- Fortaleza Esporte Clubehttps://fortaleza1918.com.br/dia-1-imanol-machuca-chega-ao-fortaleza-e-faz-primeiro-treino-com-o-elenco/
- Globo Esportehttps://ge.globo.com/ce/futebol/times/fortaleza/noticia/2023/07/28/fortaleza-anuncia-atacante-argentino-imanol-machuca.ghtml
- "Resumo da Central: Palmeiras quer destaque do Cruzeiro, Grêmio de olho em sueco e adeus a Gatito"https://ge.globo.com/pe/futebol/noticia/2024/12/26/resumo-da-central-palmeiras-quer-destaque-do-cruzeiro-gremio-de-olho-sueco-e-adeus-a-gatito.ghtml
- C. A. Vélez Sarsfieldhttps://velez.com.ar/futbol/notas/2025/01/13/135653_bienvenido-imanol
- New Straits Timeshttps://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2025/09/1283196/argentine-club-sideline-machuca-following-fifa-ban
- The Starhttps://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2025/06/05/big-lift-for-our-boys
- NST Onlinehttps://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2025/06/1225848/new-heritage-blood-ready-fire-harimau-malaya-watch
- "Match Report of Malaysia vs Vietnam - 2025-06-10 - AFC Asian Cup Qualification - Global Sports Archive"https://globalsportsarchive.com/match/soccer/2025-06-10/malaysia-vs-vietnam/3587614/
- Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/malaysian-players-banned-after-using-forged-documents-play-qualifier-v-vietnam-2025-09-26/
- The Straits Timeshttps://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/malaysian-footballers-banned-after-using-forged-documents-to-play-qualifier-against-vietnam
- OneFootballhttps://onefootball.com/fr/news/poor-advice-who-represents-imanol-machuca-and-facundo-garces-41723195
- Free Malaysia Today | FMThttps://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2025/09/27/forgery-fraud-and-football-fam-has-shamed-the-nation
- Reutershttps://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/malaysian-players-banned-after-using-forged-documents-play-qualifier-v-vietnam-2025-09-26/
- National Football Teamshttps://www.national-football-teams.com/player/100030.html