Sergio Aguero, the striker for the Malaysia national team and Sri Pahang FC, recently shared his thoughts on the FIFA website about his namesake, the former Argentina and Manchester City star, and his aspirations for Malaysian football.
“Wherever I go, people talk about it,” said the 30-year-old Aguero, referring to the coincidence of sharing a name with the famous Argentine forward. Both were born in Argentina and have played as forwards for their respective teams. However, their career paths diverged significantly, with one becoming a global superstar and the other making a name for himself in Asia.
Sergio Fabian Ezequiel Aguero, now a naturalized Malaysian international born in La Rioja, Argentina, often faces playful comments from fans about his name.
“It happens all the time with people joking with me about my namesake,” he said.
Growing up in Argentina, Aguero idolized two of the country’s biggest football stars: Juan Roman Riquelme and Lionel Messi. “My two biggest idols, role models, and sources of inspiration are Juan Roman Riquelme and Lionel Messi. I’m constantly studying their playing styles and trying to imitate all their moves. But it’s definitely not easy because we’re talking about two giants of the game,” he added with a laugh.
Aguero’s journey has been unique. He played youth football with River Plate and All Boys before signing his first professional contract in 2015 with Hungarian club Tatabányai. After one season in Eastern Europe, he moved to Malaysia, where he has lived and played for nearly eight years. In 2022, he became a Malaysian citizen.
“I’ve been living and playing in Malaysia for almost eight years, and my wife and I have two children who were born here,” said Aguero. “We’re happy here and love Malaysia and its people. So when the opportunity arose to become a Malaysian citizen and represent the national team, it was a dream come true and a very easy decision to make.”
Aguero’s debut for the Malaysia national team, Harimau Malaya, was an emotional moment. He made his first appearance in a friendly against Cambodia on December 9, 2022, and scored his first goal for Malaysia 15 days later in an AFF Championship game against Laos.
In the second round of AFC qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, Malaysia narrowly missed advancing, finishing third in Group D. Despite the disappointment, Aguero sees this as a valuable experience.
“It was a great experience for the team to discover our current level and to identify what we need to improve in the future,” said Aguero. “We had an excellent campaign. Some teams [from the other groups] managed to progress with just seven or eight points, so we were unfortunate not to do the same with ten points. Still, our performance showed that we have progressed a lot and have good potential.”
With the World Cup expanding to 48 teams, Aguero is optimistic about Malaysia’s future opportunities. “Certainly this [format change] is a great thing for developing countries,” he said. “It opens up additional avenues and possibilities for countries that have never qualified for the World Cup, and it is all thanks to FIFA for giving countries whose football is still developing more opportunities.”
At 30, Aguero hopes to contribute to the development of football in Malaysia. He has played in Argentina, Italy, Hungary, and Malaysia, and is now pursuing coaching licenses in both Malaysia and Argentina. “I have benefited from playing in Argentina, Italy, Hungary, and Malaysia. Hopefully, in the future, I can help this country to develop its football with the experience I’ve gained from players, coaches, and staff with their own World Cup experience,” he said.
Aguero’s short-term goal is to help Sri Pahang win trophies, while his long-term aim is to elevate Malaysian football in the FIFA Rankings and achieve significant milestones like winning the Asian Cup and qualifying for the World Cup.
Credit Photo : Simon Yap/SNE-Photo
