Rosario’s Estadio Marcelo Bielsa is the next stop in Nico Marcipar’s steady international rise, with Barcelona’s 18-year-old left-footed centre-back set to represent Argentina at the South American Under-19 Games.
Nico Marcipar carries Barcelona development into Argentina Under-19 squad
SEO Title: Barcelona defender Nico Marcipar joins Argentina for Under-19 South American Games
Meta Description: Barcelona Juvenil A centre-back Nico Marcipar will play for Argentina Under-19 in Rosario, where Diego Placente’s side face Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Marcipar, who plays for Barcelona’s Juvenil A side, has already appeared for Argentina at Under-15 and Under-17 level. The tournament in the city of Rosario gives him a first involvement with the Under-19 group, coached by former Argentina international Diego Placente, whose club career included spells at River Plate, Bayer Leverkusen and Celta Vigo.
Argentina begin their Group B programme against Paraguay on Thursday, before meeting Uruguay on Saturday and Venezuela on Monday. Colombia, Peru, Panama and Chile make up Group A, while Brazil will not take part. The Brazilian Football Confederation has chosen to give its young players a break, with the aim of avoiding further club-versus-country strain during a congested Brasileirao calendar.
The two leading teams in each section will progress to the semi-finals. The semi-final winners will contest the gold-medal match, while the beaten sides will play for bronze, with every fixture staged at Rosario’s Marcelo Bielsa Stadium.
Although born in Catalonia, Marcipar has deep family ties to Argentina. His parents, originally from Santa Fe, moved to Castelldefels for work before the family settled in Sant Cugat del Vallès. He began playing locally with FC Sant Cugat Esports and joined Barcelona in the 2018-19 season, at Alevín level.
His football loyalties have long reflected those two worlds. Marcipar has described himself as a childhood supporter of Barcelona and Unión de Santa Fe, the latter inherited from his father and ever-present in the family home. Now, in Rosario, the Barcelona defender has the chance to add another stage to that Argentine connection.
