Nicolas de la Cruz

Nicolás de la Cruz is a Uruguayan central midfielder who spent six influential seasons at River Plate, winning the Copa Libertadores and multiple Argentine titles, before joining Flamengo in 2024 where he continued to add major honours. He captained Uruguay's Under-20 team to the 2017 South American Championship and has since accumulated over 30 senior caps.

De la Cruz came through Liverpool Montevideo's academy and joined River Plate in 2017. In six seasons at the Buenos Aires club he made 137 appearances, won the 2018 Copa Libertadores, two Argentine league titles, and two Copa Argentina trophies, cementing his status as one of the continent's top midfielders.

Flamengo signed him in December 2023, and he quickly contributed to further silverware — the Copa do Brasil in 2024 and the Copa Libertadores and Brasileirão in 2025.