Although European football is full of foreign players, things are still totally different in South America. It’s very rare to see footballers from other continents playing in Argentina, Brazil or Chile, especially in academies.
That’s why Noah Toribio is such a special case. The Chelsea born 19-year-old is currently playing for Boca Juniors’ youth ranks, and is highlighted by Argentine newspaper Olé today.
The youngster may be English, but he’s already played for the United States at youth level. That’s because he went to North America at the age of 11. Four years later, he moved to Argentina.
Now at Boca Juniors, the defender is happy to be at such a big club, and works to find a place in the first team squad.
“This is my first year at the club. Vivas brought me, who had met me in Banfield. I’m a left-footed centre back. I look a lot at Sergio Ramos,” Toribio told Olé.
He claims that he’s a good Spanish speaker, even though some teammates disagree: “Some say I speak well, others say no. After almost four years in the country, I handle the language quite well (laughs).”
Now besides being an Englishman who played in the United States and lives in Argentina, Toribio also has an Italian passport. That’s why he’s asked what his preference is if he needs to choose a national team to play for.
“I can play for several countries. I would like to do it for England or Argentina.”
But first, there’s a long way to go to succeed at Boca.
