Adrían Martínez: who is the player competing with Messi and Arrascaeta for the King of America 2025?

Adrían Martínez: quem é o jogador que concorre com Messi e Arrascaeta pelo Rei da América 2025? image

Adrían Martínez, from Racing, is among the finalists for the 2025 King of America award, granted by the newspaper “El País”, from Uruguay. The Argentine player competes with names such as midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta, from Flamengo, and Lionel Messi, from Inter Miami. The winner will be announced on December 31st. THE Sporting News provides details about the attacker.

Adrián Maravilla Martínez: quem é?

An idol of the Avellaneda club, Martínez was important in winning the 2024 Copa Sudamericana, against Cruzeiro. In the title campaign, he scored 10 times, finishing the championship as top scorer. In 2025, he finished Libertadores 2025 as the top scorer, tied with Flaco López, who scored seven goals.

The player has a story of overcoming and love for football. In 2014, Adrián Martínez’s brother was shot three times in the chest, a crime that was never clarified by the courts. Accused of leading a revenge against the alleged shooter, “Maravilla” was detained and it took him six months to prove his innocence.

Racing’s top scorer managed to establish himself in professional football even without having played at youth level. Before gaining opportunities in the sport, however, he had other jobs outside the four lines, such as a bricklayer and garbage collector, which helped him shape his personality.

His professional career began in 2018, at the age of 25, with Sol de América (PAR). By scoring 13 goals in 20 games, he caught the attention of Libertad, also from Paraguay, where he stayed for three years. He scored 24 goals in 87 matches, being loaned to Cerro Porteño in 2021. The loan did not go well, going blank on 12 occasions.

Having played for small clubs in Argentina (Defensores Unidos and Atlanta), for Paraguayan football and even for Coritiba, “Maravilla” is experiencing the best moment of his career precisely at Racing.

The player arrived at the club in 2024 and soon became a fan idol. In 2025, he had a special year at the Argentine club. The Racing striker played 45 games for the team, scored 22 goals and provided three assists. His team won the Recopa Sul-Americana title, reached the semi-finals of the Libertadores and reached the final of the Clausura Tournament of the Argentine Championship.

MORE: King of America: all the winners of the traditional award

Adrián Maravilla Martínez: value and salary

According to “Diário Olé”, the club Racing Club renewed Martínez’s contract until December 2028. The athlete’s new contract has the largest termination fine in the history of Argentine football: 122 million euros, around R$786 million, at the current price.

According to the website “Salary Sport”, Adrián “Maravilla” Martínez’s estimated annual salary for Racing Club is US$2,327,000 per year, with an estimated weekly salary of US$48,500. A total of R$13,263,900 per year.

MORE: King of America: what is the prize that pits Arrascaeta against Messi



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