Gabriel Fernández (footballer, born 1994)

For other people named Gabriel Fernández, see Gabriel Fernández (disambiguation).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Leites.
Gabriel Fernández
Personal information
Full name Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites
Date of birth (1994-05-13) 13 May 1994
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward[2]
Team information
Current team
 Cruz Azul
Number 21
Youth career
Club Atlético Pablan
Bella Vista
Defensor Sporting
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 Defensor Sporting 4 (0)
2013 → Cerro Largo (loan) 12 (2)
2014–2018 Racing Club 49 (15)
2018–2019 Peñarol 40 (17)
2019–2023 Celta 20 (1)
2020–2021 → Zaragoza (loan) 30 (0)
2021–2023 → Juárez (loan) 47 (12)
2023 UNAM 20 (7)
2024– Cruz Azul 28 (8)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:48, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites (born 13 May 1994), commonly known as "Toro Fernández", is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX club Cruz Azul.

Career

Fernández had youth stints with Club Atlético Pablan, Bella Vista and Defensor Sporting, featuring for the latter at the 2012 U-20 Copa Libertadores in Peru; where they finished as runners-up to Argentina's River Plate.[3] On 8 January 2013, Fernández completed a loan move to fellow Primera División team Cerro Largo.[1] He made his bow on 23 February against Montevideo Wanderers, which preceded his first goals arriving in March versus Progreso and Racing Club.[1] Fernández returned to his parent club for 2013–14, making four appearances before leaving to join Racing Club.[1][4] Braces followed in season one over Atenas and Sud América.[1]

After spending three further seasons with Racing Club, participating in forty-nine matches and netting fifteen goals, Fernández switched teams in January 2018 by agreeing to sign for Peñarol.[1][5] He scored his first goal on 24 February during a win over Liverpool, a club he later notched his first career hat-trick against in the following August on the way to Peñarol's fiftieth league title.[1]

On 26 January 2019, Fernández secured a transfer to La Liga side Celta; effective from the following July, pending the outcome of his court case.[1][6][7] The deal was confirmed on 4 July by Celta.[8] His debut arrived in a home defeat to Real Madrid on 17 August.[1] He got his opening goal for them on 24 August, scoring with a backheel flick to earn Celta a 1–0 win over Valencia in La Liga.[9]

On 11 September 2020, Fernández was loaned to Segunda División side Real Zaragoza for the 2020–21 season.[10]

In 2023, Fernández joined Universidad Nacional (the Pumas) for the 2023 Apertura tournament.[11][12]

Personal life

On 29 December 2018, Fernández was involved in a traffic collision in Montevideo which left Romina Fernández, 18, in a vegetative state, he had allegedly been speeding at 60 km/h in a 45 speed limit zone.[7][13][14][15] After testifying in court in May, the judge prohibited him from leaving the country without permission; with a work-dependent curfew also being set.[7][13][14][15] Celta, who Fernández signed a pre-contract agreement with in the subsequent January, added a clause to the transfer that would see it cancelled if he was found guilty.[7] In June 2019, his passport was returned and a settlement was reached with Romina's family which allowed Fernández to travel to officialise his transfer to Celta.[16]

Career statistics

As of match played 1 May 2025[1]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Defensor Sporting 2012–13 Primera División 0 0 — 0 0 0 0 0 0
2013–14 Primera División 4 0 — 0 0 0 0 4 0
Total 4 0 — 0 0 0 0 4 0
Cerro Largo (loan) 2012–13 Primera División 12 2 — — 0 0 12 2
Racing Club 2014–15 Primera División 14 5 — — 0 0 14 5
2015–16 Primera División 16 0 — — 0 0 16 0
2016 Primera División 15 8 — — 0 0 15 8
2017 Primera División 4 2 — — 0 0 4 2
Total 49 15 — — 0 0 49 15
Peñarol 2018 Primera División 28 12 — 7[b] 1 1[c] 0 36 13
2019 Primera División 12 5 — 5[b] 0 1[d] 0 18 5
Total 40 17 — 11 1 2 0 53 18
Celta 2019–20 La Liga 20 1 2 0 — 0 0 22 1
Zaragoza (loan) 2020–21 Segunda División 30 0 2 0 — 0 0 32 0
Juárez 2021–22 Liga MX 15 4 — — — 15 4
2022–23 Liga MX 32 8 — — — 32 8
Total 47 12 — — — 47 12
UNAM 2023–24 Liga MX 20 7 — — 3[e] 2 23 9
Cruz Azul 2023–24 Liga MX 6 2 — — — 6 2
2024–25 Liga MX 21 5 — 8[f] 2 0 0 29 7
Total 27 7 — 8 2 0 0 35 9
Career total 249 61 4 0 19 3 5 2 277 66
  1. ^ Includes Copa del Rey
  2. ^ a b Appearance(s) in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana
  3. ^ Appearance(s) in the Primera División play-offs
  4. ^ Appearance(s) in the Supercopa Uruguaya
  5. ^ Appearances in Leagues Cup
  6. ^ Appearances in CONCACAF Champions Cup

Honours

Peñarol[1]

Cruz Azul

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Uruguay – G. Fernández". Soccerway. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  2. ^ "Gabriel Fernández". "World Football. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  3. ^ "Gabriel Fernández: de no ser tenido en cuenta en Defensor a un soñado debut con Peñarol". Fútbol. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Ficha Estadistica de GABRIEL FERNANDEZ". BDFA. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Toro aurinegro: la historia del llanto a la ilusión". El Observador. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  6. ^ "España: Gabriel Fernández firmó contrato y posó con la camiseta del Celta de Vigo". Fútbol. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d "Cláusula del Celta de Vigo puede jaquear el pase del Toro Fernández si va a prisión". El País. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  8. ^ "El RC Celta enriquece su ataque con el talento y los goles del uruguayo Gabriel Fernández". Celta. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  9. ^ "Fernandez Puts RC Celta In Front Of Valencia". beIN SPORTS USA. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  10. ^ "'El Toro' Fernández jugará cedido en el Real Zaragoza" ['El Toro' Fernández will play on loan at Real Zaragoza] (in Spanish). Celta Vigo. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  11. ^ Rosa, Erick De la; Hall, Andy (3 July 2023). "Pumas complete Gabriel Fernández signing". Diario AS. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  12. ^ Sánchez, Mariano (22 June 2023). "Who is Gabriel 'El Toro' Fernandez, the striker targeted by Pumas?". Diario AS. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Toro Fernández no podrá salir de Uruguay tras atropellar a una joven". La Voz de Galicia. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  14. ^ a b "El fiscal pide la imputación del Toro Fernández por atropello". La Voz de Galicia. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  15. ^ a b "La situación procesal de Gabriel Fernández hace peligrar su llegada al Celta". La Voz de Galicia. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  16. ^ "Gabriel Fernández recupera el pasaporte y viajará el lunes a España". Marca. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
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