Fernando Forestieri, who once shared the pitch with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, is now aiming to inspire Oxford City to an FA Cup upset against Leicester City. The 36-year-old Argentine forward, whose career has spanned continents and leagues, joined the non-league club this season and will be a key figure when they host the League One side this Friday.
It is a remarkable journey for Forestieri, from the bright lights of Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A to the relative intimacy of England’s sixth tier. His path to Oxford City began after a spell in Malaysia and Cyprus, and was prompted by the birth of his third son, Luciano. He now lives in north London with his family, seeking to reignite his career while being close to them.
A Career Forged in Football’s Crucible
Forestieri’s footballing journey began on the streets of Rosario, the same city in Argentina where Messi was born. Growing up poor, he idolized Diego Maradona, a hero who was imitated by every child on the corner. “Growing up in Argentina, everyone pretended to be Diego,” Forestieri said. “He was a hero to everyone. On every corner of every street someone painted his face on a wall.”
His childhood was marked by hardship. “I was born poor, born nothing,” he reflected. “I lived with my mum and dad and two brothers. The five of us slept in one room.” The area was dangerous, and his brother, Maximiliano, was shot and wounded, though he thankfully survived.
At 16, Forestieri moved to Italy, qualifying to play for the Azzurri at youth levels through his grandfather. He quickly made his senior debut for Genoa and began a career that would take him to some of Europe’s top clubs. His CV includes a memorable goal against Inter Milan for Siena in 2008, and a move to Malaga, where he faced a Barcelona lineup featuring Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the 2009-10 season.
Sharing the Pitch with Legends
As recently as five years ago, he shared the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo when Juventus played his Udinese team in Serie A. “You never forget being on the same pitch with these big players,” he said. “Messi, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic… unbelievable skills. I’m very lucky. Being that close to them you remember their first touch, their vision.”
When the 1986 World Cup winner died in 2020, Forestieri paid a poignant tribute by writing Maradona’s name on the back of his Udinese shirt.
From the Bernabeu to Hebburn Town
On his debut for Oxford City, in October at the Hebburn Sports and Social Ground, he stepped onto the pitch in front of 873 supporters. “It was like a tennis match, the ball going one way one second, then the other way the next,” he told BBC Sport after the Hoops’ 3-0 win.
The move to Oxford City came about through connections from his time at Watford, where Hoops boss Ross Jenkins and assistant manager Paul Robinson were also former Hornets players. After training with the PFA, he received a call from Robinson. “Robbo said: ‘why you don’t come here to help us? We’ll help you to become fit’,” explained Forestieri. “For me this is a big change. But I’m so happy to be at Oxford City. They are an ambitious club and I want to help them as much as I can.”
The FA Cup Dream
Twenty years after making his senior debut for Genoa, Forestieri is still playing and embracing the unique romance of the FA Cup. Oxford City, sitting third in the National League North, will host Leicester City in the first round on Friday. The Argentine forward believes the non-league club can cause an upset, saying, “Why can’t Oxford City cause an upset? This is what the FA Cup is all about.”
He noted the gulf between Leicester’s past glory—the Foxes famously won the Premier League title 10 years ago—and their current status in League One. “There’s a big gap between what Leicester did 10 years ago and where they are now,” he said.
