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What religion is Darwin Núñez?
Darwin Núñez is a Uruguayan professional footballer who is widely identified as a Christian by background and cultural upbringing.
Darwin Núñez plays as a striker for Saudi Pro League club Al-Diriyah, on loan from Al-Hilal, and the Uruguay national team. A product of the Club Atlético Peñarol youth academy, he joined Spanish Segunda División club Almería in 2019, before moving to Benfica the following year for a club-record fee. Liverpool then signed him in 2022 for an initial €75 million. He spent three seasons at Anfield, making 143 appearances and scoring 40 goals across all competitions, before transferring to Al-Hilal in August 2025 for €53 million. Following a brief and turbulent spell in Riyadh, he signed with newly promoted Al-Diriyah on a season-long loan in August 2026.
Núñez’s club achievements include winning the 2024–25 Premier League, the 2024 EFL Cup, and the 2022 FA Community Shield with Liverpool. Individually, his finest accolades came during his tenure in Portugal, where he won the Bola de Prata as the Primeira Liga’s top scorer and was named the Primeira Liga Player of the Year for the 2021–22 season.
Early life
Born on 24 June 1999 in Artigas, Uruguay, Núñez is the son of Bibiano Núñez, a builder, and Silvia Ribeiro, a recycling collector. He grew up in poverty in El Pirata, a working-class neighborhood prone to flooding, where his family frequently struggled to afford basic necessities and football equipment. His older brother, Junior, chose to abandon his own football aspirations to financially support the family and subsequently aided Darwin through early career difficulties, including a major knee injury.
Núñez began his youth development with local clubs La Luz and San Miguel. After being scouted during a local match, he relocated to Montevideo to enter the youth academy of Peñarol in 2013 at age 14.
Club career
Núñez made his senior professional debut for Peñarol on 22 November 2017, appearing as a second-half substitute for Maxi Rodríguez during a 2–1 Primera División defeat to River Plate Montevideo. He made over 20 competitive appearances for the club, helping Peñarol secure consecutive Uruguayan Primera División titles in 2017 and 2018. On 29 August 2019, Spanish Segunda División club UD Almería announced the signing of Núñez on a five-year contract for a reported fee of €4.5 million. He made his debut on 3 October 2019 as a half-time substitute against Sporting Gijón and recorded his first goal for the club on 27 October 2019, scoring a penalty in a 3–2 victory over Extremadura UD. Núñez made an immediate impact during his solitary season in Spain, finishing as the league’s joint-fourth top scorer with 16 goals in 32 appearances as Almería reached the promotion play-offs.
Benfica
On 4 September 2020, Núñez transferred to Benfica from Almería for a club-record fee of €24 million, which marked the most expensive acquisition in Portuguese football history at the time. Following an initial adaptation period, he experienced a breakout 2021–22 campaign, winning the Bola de Prata as the Primeira Liga’s top scorer with 26 goals in 28 matches. His domestic performances earned him the Primeira Liga Player of the Year award and a selection in the league’s Team of the Year.
Núñez replicated this form on the continental stage, scoring six goals during Benfica’s run to the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. His European campaign was highlighted by a brace against Barcelona in the group stage, the decisive winning goal against Ajax in the round of 16, and individual strikes against both Bayern Munich and eventual finalists Liverpool.
Across his two-season tenure with the Lisbon club, Núñez scored 48 goals in 85 appearances across all competitions, helping the side reach the Taça de Portugal final in 2021 and the Taça da Liga final in 2022.
Liverpool
In June 2022, Benfica officially announced an agreement for Núñez to join Liverpool for an initial fee of £64 million, with performance-related add-ons potentially increasing the total transfer value to a club-record £85 million. During his debut 2022–23 campaign, he recorded 15 goals in 42 appearances across all competitions while dealing with multiple injuries, including hamstring issues that sidelined him for several weeks. His statistical peak at the club arrived during this opening season, where he registered 19 direct goal contributions, including 4 goals in 8 UEFA Champions League fixtures.
Across his three-season tenure at Anfield, Núñez recorded 40 goals and 22 assists in 143 appearances across all competitions. During this period, he helped Liverpool secure the Premier League title, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the FA Community Shield. His profile even drew praise from Cristiano Ronaldo, who publicly cited Núñez alongside Erling Haaland, Karim Benzema, and Harry Kane as one of the standout forwards in modern football, highlighting his distinct combination of pace, physical strength, and athleticism.
Al-Hilal and Al-Diriyah (loan)
On 9 August 2025, Núñez joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal. The fee was reported to be €53 million without bonuses. In 2026, he moved on a loan to fellow Saudi Pro League club Al-Diriyah while remaining under contract to Al-Hilal.
International career
Núñez represented Uruguay at the youth level, helping the Under-20 side finish third at the 2019 South American U-20 Championship and reach the round of 16 at that year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup, while also featuring for the Under-22 squad that placed fourth at the 2019 Pan American Games. He made his senior international debut in 2019 and has since represented his country at both the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and multiple editions of the Copa América.
Personal life
Núñez and his partner, Lorena Mañas, joyfully welcomed their first child in January 2022.
Outside football, Núñez enjoys fishing, often joining teammates on trips, and hosts barbecues featuring traditional Uruguayan asado, reflecting his cultural roots.