Matias Fernandez-Pardo


Matías Fernández Picogna, known as Matias Fernandez-Pardo, is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Lille.

Early life

Matias Fernandez-Pardo was born on 3 February 2005 in Brussels, Belgium within a family of Spanish and Italian descent. He started playing football at Anderlecht and Mechelen, and then joined French Ligue 1 club Lille academy in 2014. He stayed in Northern France until 2020 when he chose to come back in Belgium and join Gent youth system.

Club career

Gent

During the 2022–23 season, he was selected for Jong KAA Gent, the promising team of Gent, where he managed to score two goals in 26 appearances. On 9 March 2023, he made his official debut with Gent's first team: in a Conference League match against Istanbul Başakşehir, coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck brought him on as a substitute for Hugo Cuypers in the 85th minute. On 1 April 2023, he joined the first team in his first league appearance against Seraing in a match that ended 5–0 for Gent. His first professional goal came in a 5–0 win against Charleroi.
Fernandez-Pardo signed a contract extension with Gent in June 2023 until mid-2026. In the 2024 winter transfer window, he was linked with a move to Lecce or Real Valladolid. After Gent managed to secure a ticket to the Conference League, it was reported that Bayer Leverkusen was interested in recruiting him. During the 2023–24 Belgian Pro League play-offs, he played in each of the 10 matches and scored 7 goals, as well as providing two assists.

Lille

On 30 August 2024, Fernandez-Pardo officially returned to Ligue 1 club Lille, signing a five-year contract for the club he left as an academy player four years ago. According to various columnists and reporters, the financial details of the transfer include an initial and base fee of €10 million and a maximum of €2 million add-ons depending on sporting conditions. On 10 November, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal in a 2–2 draw at Nice after a rush on the left wing. On 6 January 2025, Lille revealed that Fernandez-Pardo had suffered a torn ligament in his left ankle in a 1–1 draw against Nantes two days prior.

International career

Born in Belgium, Fernandez-Pardo was also eligible to represent Spain, Italy, or Belgium. In November 2023, he was called up by the Belgium under-19 team for the 2024 UEFA Euro Under-19 qualifying matches, and scored the winning brace against Albania.
On 26 February 2025, Fernandez-Pardo's request to switch allegiance to Spain was approved by FIFA. On 14 March, he was called up by the Spain national under-21 team. In August 2025, he was called up to the Spain national under-20 team for a training in camp in France ahead of the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but he withdrew from the squad before the beginning of camp.

Honours

Individual