Argentine soccer player who makes beautiful drawings

He was a promise of the Argentine National Team, played in Europe and now dedicates himself to painting

Source: Ámbito – Who is this player who abandoned football and found another passion that keeps him linked to the beautiful game: the details in the note.

A dribble, a cue, a shot, a goal... all actions that in the world of football are often interpreted by an artist. It makes no sense to make a list of the great architects who passed through a field because this note would have no end if we had to list all of them. However, within the same world there are other types of artists; Today we tell you the story of one of them.

Perhaps the name Matías Fondato does not sound so familiar to you. Born on September 19, 1984 in General Gerli, Santa Fe, he is a former player who did not have an outstanding career on the playing field, but is nevertheless a soccer artist.

Based in England, the one who knew how to wear the Argentine National Team shirt is dedicated to taking portraits of different baseball stars. Do you remember where he played?

What was Matías Fondato's football career like?
Matías Fondato's football career began promisingly. He was part of the Argentina Under-17 National Team under the direction of José Pekerman that participated in the 1999 South American Championship in Uruguay. In this tournament he shared the squad with other stars such as Fabricio Coloccini and Germán Lux.

During his time in clubs, Matías debuted in the first division with Newell's Old Boys de Rosario. His talent on the field led him to play for several teams in America and Europe, including Guaraní in Paraguay, América de Cali in Colombia, Ionikos in Greece and Antwerp in Belgium.

However, his career was cut short by an injury that forced him to retire from professional football. This was a difficult time for him, but he did not let adversity stop him. He decided to redirect his energy and passion towards another of his great hobbies: art.

The life of Matías Fondato after his retirement from football
Despite having moved away from his great passion due to an injury, his path in the world of football gave Fondato great friendships that helped the former midfielder follow the path he has traveled as an artist. Since the under 17s, Matías has a great friendship with Coloccini, who played in Newcastle for a long time and who encouraged him to move to the English city. From there he began a success story in the art world. "The best thing for me is to mix my two great passions," said the former player in an interview with Uno Santa Fe.

His entry into the art world was almost accidental. He began by painting a portrait for a Newcastle United player friend (DeAndre Yedlin), which gained attention on social media and opened doors in the art community. “When I went to visit him and saw a couple of paintings in his house, I asked him if he liked art, and he told me that he loved it. Then I told him I was going to take a portrait of him and he took it seriously. When I brought him the drawing he went crazy. I posted it on Instagram and it exploded. I started having custom orders. That was in 2017, and from that point on it's like I began to evaluate devoting myself to art,” commented Fondato for TyC Sports.

Today, his works include portraits of football icons such as Lionel Messi, Raheem Sterling, Eric "Coco" Lamela, N'Golo Kante Ronaldinho, Maradona among others. After publishing his great works on networks, Fondato was asked if he commissioned other celebrities that had nothing to do with football. This is how he began selling works of basketball players, musicians, celebrities, among others.

Likewise, the midfielder said that painting is something that he has always liked and that luckily it was what helped him mix both passions. “It is a strange situation, it is a hobby that I have had all my life, especially drawing, and I had always been curious about painting…obviously I am aware that I am privileged, that my past as a player has helped me, "It has opened doors for me because maybe former teammates or former coaches always give you a hand."

Fondato primarily uses acrylic on canvas, although he has also experimented with other techniques such as oil, watercolor, and painting on clothing. “I am a very curious and very self-demanding person,” he says, underscoring his commitment to continuous improvement. "I make a painting and the next one I want it to be 10 times better than the previous one, so I watch a lot of videos, I ask questions, I talk a lot with artists, I go to galleries to then give it a little touch and make it my own," added the former soccer player.

Matías Fondato is a clear example of how passions can open new paths. From his career in professional soccer to his success as a painter, Fondato has shown that it is possible to reinvent oneself and find new forms of expression.

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