El Flaco

Argentine striker for Palmeiras and the Argentina national team.

José Manuel Alberto López (born 6 December 2000), also known as Flaco López, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Palmeiras and the Argentina national team.

Quick Facts

Born: 6 December 2000
Club: Palmeiras
National team debut date: 14 October
World cup selection year: 2026

Lore & Background

López started his career at the age of seven with Club El Progreso in Saladas. Six months later, soon before a trial in front of their scouts, the player was signed by Boca Juniors. At the age of nine, López joined Independiente; remaining until 2016, he notably trained with Ariel Holan's first-team squad at one point. 2017 saw López head to Lanús, initially featuring at youth level before being called up mid-season ahead of the 2018–19 Primera División resumption.

However, in that period, López was loaned to Liga Tresarroyense side Colegiales de Tres Arroyos in 2019. He finished his stint there as the club's top scorer. López was promoted into Luis Zubeldía's senior squad in late-2020, appearing on the substitute's bench for Copa de la Liga Profesional encounters with Aldosivi and Defensa y Justicia. López, in the aforementioned competition, made his professional debut on 3 January 2021 during a draw on the road against Patronato, after he was substituted on in place of Gonzalo Torres with twenty-five minutes left. On his second appearance, López scored his first goal during a win over Rosario Central on 9 January.

Reader's Guide

In August 2025, López received his first call-up for the senior Argentina side by manager Lionel Scaloni for the matches against Venezuela and Ecuador on September 4 and September 9 respectively. He made his debut for the national team on 14 October when he started in a 6–0 friendly win over Puerto Rico. On 27 May 2026, López was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.