Uruguayan Legend Sebastian ‘Loco’ Abreu Sets New World Record By Signing For Audax Italiano, His 26th Professional Club

Chris Wright

27th, December 2017

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Uruguayan striker Sebastian Abreu is remembered primarily, at least by the wider world, as the lank-haired assassin who scored that ice-cold Panenka penalty against Ghana in the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup to settle the shootout and send La Celeste into their first semi-finals in over 40 years.

However, the veteran nomad also has another claim to fame after becoming the most well-travelled professional footballer in, well… ever.

Having started out in Montevideo with Defensor many moons ago, the man they call ‘Loco’ has enjoyed brief stints (usually one year at a time) all over the world, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Paraguay, El Salvador, Greece, Israel and Spain.

Now aged 41, Abreu is still keen to keep plugging away, having signed a short-term deal with Chilean top flight side Audax Italiano – the 30th transfer of his career…

Audax are the 26th professional club on Abreu’s curriculum vitae, which means that he is now the sole holder of the Guinness Record after surpassing the 25 amassed by Lutz Pfannenstiel during his famously esoteric career.

That said, German goalkeeper Pfannenstiel remains the only player to have played professional football on six continents and in every single FIFA confederation, so Loco still has some work to do on that front.