Get To Know Facundo Torres 

Orlando City made major waves in the transfer market this week, signing Uruguayan international forward Facundo Torres to a Young Designated Player contract. Let’s get to know Orlando City’s newest star:

1. Torres comes to Orlando from Peñarol, the most storied club in the history of Uruguayan football. Since 1900, los Carboneros have won the Uruguayan league title a staggering 51 times and have never once been relegated from the top flight. Peñarol has also won Copa Libertadores, South America’s top club competition, on five occasions, the third-most of any club on the continent.
2. Peñarol added their 51st league title in 2021 in large part thanks to Torres, who had a magnificent season for los Carboneros. Torres scored 10 goals and added eight assists in all competitions, including the opening goal in Peñarol’s championship game victory over Plaza Colonia.
3. Torres was named to the Uruguayan league’s Team of the Season for his performance in 2021, the second Orlando City signee of this window to be honored by the league’s postseason awards (midfielder César Araújo made the Team of the Season bench).
4. Torres is nicknamed “El Cuervo,” which translates to “the crow” in English, so you can add Torres to the Orlando City Zoo with Júnior Urso (the Bear), Pedro “El Pulpo” Gallese (the Octopus), and Alexandre Pato (the Duck).
5. Torres broke into the Uruguayan national team in 2021, appearing 10 times with two starts between the 2021 Copa America and CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup Qualifying. Though Torres has yet to score his first senior international goal, he notched his first assist for Uruguay against Bolivia in the Copa America group stage.
6. Before reaching the senior team, Torres had a storied run with the Uruguay U17s, scoring 14 goals in 28 appearances. El Cuervo is the all-time top scorer in the history of the Uruguay U17 national team.
7. In an interview conducted with ESPN last December, Torres credited his sports psychologist for helping him break through to the Peñarol first team. That psychologist was none other than the mother of former Peñarol and LAFC star, and MLS Golden Boot winner, Diego Rossi.
8. Torres has a close relationship with Uruguayan legend Diego Forlán, who was the Peñarol manager in 2020 and helped bring Torres into the first team. Torres has spent time training with Forlán this offseason.