Giorgian Daniel de Arrascaeta Benedetti (; born 1 June 1994) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Flamengo and the Uruguay national team.
De Arrascaeta played for Uruguay U20 and has been a member of the senior team since 2014. He represented the nation at the Copa América in 2015, 2019 and 2021, as well as the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and 2022.
Club career
Defensor Sporting
De Arrascaeta debuted for Defensor Sporting in the Uruguayan Primera División in October 2012, four months after his 18th birthday. He was a member of the team as it won the 2013 Clausura championship, and played in the Championship play-off, a 3–1 loss to Peñarol.
Cruzeiro
De Arrascaeta's performances for Defensor in its run to the semi-finals of the 2014 Copa Libertadores attracted the Brazilian champions Cruzeiro. On 17 January 2015 Cruzeiro secured de Arrascaeta signing by agreeing to pay €4 million (R$12 million) to acquire 50% of his economic rights.
In Cruzeiro, de Arrascaeta formed what became known as "La Banda", along with former Vélez Sarsfield stars Lucas Romero and Ariel Cabral. This trio, along with fellow stars Thiago Neves and Robinho helped Cruzeiro win the 2017 Copa do Brasil, 2018 Campeonato Mineiro, and 2018 Copa do Brasil, scoring decisive goals in all three finals.
On 4 February 2018 Cruzeiro won 1–0 against América Mineiro at Mineirão, in a 2018 Campeonato Mineiro match. De Arrascaeta scored the only goal of the match with a volley kick, later that year he received his first nomination to the FIFA Puskás Award for that goal.
Flamengo
During 2019 preseason Flamengo began to show interest in de Arrascaeta. On 3 January 2019, he didn't show up on training sessions after the summer break trying to force his exit from Cruzeiro. Claiming to receive thousands of insults, on 7 January 2019, Cruzeiro's and Flamengo's representatives went to Uruguay to resolve the problem: on 8 January, the transfer was completed for a record €15million, or R$63 million, the biggest transfer in Brazilian football history. On 12 January he was announced as a new player, becoming Flamengo's biggest transfer fee paid at that time, signing a five year deal.
Against Goiás in the second match under Jorge Jesus management de Arrascaeta scored a hat trick, with all of his goals scored in the first half, in the 6–1 win at Maracanã Stadium on 14 July 2019.
On 25 August 2019 de Arrascaeta scored on beautiful bicycle kick, after a Rafinha cross, in a 3–0 win against Ceará at Castelão. With that goal he won the 2019 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A goal of the season award and also has been nominated to the FIFA Puskás Award for the second time in his career.
On 23 November 2019 de Arrascaeta assisted Gabriel Barbosa on Flamengo's first goal in the 2019 Copa Libertadores Final, Flamengo won 2–1 over River Plate. Less than 24 hours later, Flamengo became champions of the 2019 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, with de Arrascaeta netting 14 assists and leading the league for the second time in his career.
On 25 February 2022 de Arrascaeta extended his contract with Flamengo until 31 December 2026.
De Arrascaeta finished the 2022 season in high level being named to Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year for the second time in his career and to the Bola de Prata for the third time.
On 28 February 2023, the second leg of the 2023 Recopa Sudamericana was played at the Maracanã Stadium with a season record attendance of 71,411. Flamengo won 1–0, de Arrascaeta scored the winning goal on the last play of the match on the 96th minute. The score forced extra time which remained scoreless. Ironically de Arrascaeta missed the only penalty kick in the shootout as Independiente del Valle won 5–4 and lifted the trophy for the first time.
On 22 July, in a 1–1 draw against América Mineiro, de Arrascaeta became the first non-Brazilian player in Flamengos's history to reach 100 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A matches.
International career
After scoring twice for Uruguay as they finished runners-up at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup, De Arrascaeta made his debut for the Uruguay senior team in a friendly match against South Korea in September 2014. He assisted the only goal of the game, scored by José Giménez, in the 1–0 win in Goyang.