The Curious Case of Federico Viñas

The rise of Federico Viñas who arrived at Las Aguilas as virtually an unknown player has been tremendous.

From the moment he made his debut against Pumas in 2019, scoring within 30 seconds of stepping on the pitch The Americanistas knew this kid had something special. It is not easy to please an America fan base that is so big but the more I searched for opinions on Viñas the more I realized we have in our hands a special case.

America having such a massive fan base leaves a lot of room for divided opinions. For example, the America fans are currently divided between those who think Miguel Herrera’s era at America is over some believe he’s still the man for the job and can become the most winning coach in America history.

When it comes to players the opinions are also very divided, many Americanistas don’t rate players like Andres Ibarguen, Gio Dos Santos, and even a player who others consider a gem Nicolas Benedetti.

The one thing that the fan base can agree on is everybody loves Federico Viñas. “The best #24 in Club’s history” is what so many refer to him as, and although this could be seen as a shot to former Club America Captain and former #24 Oribe Peralta, it is no secret that Federico Viñas is already a cult hero.

In a time where despite the success Las Aguilas have had the lack of an idol is evident. The fans want somebody that represents them, somebody who understands where they are and who they play for and who want to be at the club in the long run. Federico Viñas checks all those boxes.

Federico Viñas made a name for himself in the 2019 season after having one of the best Liguilla displays I have seen by an America Striker. Viñas scored on every single round of the away legs for the 2019 Apertura. Vinas was one of the reasons why America was able to go on that Liguilla run that saw them fall just short of the title.

In this player, Americanistas see the present and the future, a player that has the talent and the age to shatter records if he decides to have a long stay at Coapa. A player that can fill the void that was left by strikers like Salvador Cabañas or Christian Benitez, a difference-maker, the player that will step up when nobody else will. In Viñas, Americanistas see the making of a legend.

Days after signing his permanent deal with Las Aguilas Federico Viñas was asked about a possible move to Europe and his response was “For now I am not thinking about Europe. I think that America doesn’t have a reason to envy any European club.”

In recent years we saw the rise of players like Agustin Marchesin, Edson Alvarez, Matheus Uribe, Diego Lainez, and Guido Rodriguez only for them to leave to Europe at the peak of their success. You can’t blame the players for wanting to chase the European dream and try play at the highest level possible but the case with Viñas feels different.

It’s not just the goals or the interviews, it’s everything Viñas does that have made this fan base fall head over heels for him. It’s him reciprocating the love he receives. Whether it is praising the club or sitting on the beach drinking mate with his water jug displaying the America crest on it, Viñas gets it. Viñas understands he plays for one of the most important clubs in the continent and he values the opportunity he has received.

The 21-year-old Uruguayan will be one of the strikers to keep in an eye on ahead of the new Liga MX season and it will be interesting to see how his cult following rises as the years go by