Miguel Ángel Benítez celebrates his goal against Gremio in the 2002 Libertadores semifinals (Photo by Última Hora)
“But how the world turns. One day cock of the walk, next a feather duster.”
Tina Turner’s words from the 1985 post-apocalyptic dystopian action film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome could just as easily be used to describe the career of a footballer. A footballer’s career is bedecked with glamorous pinnacles and gut-wrenching nadirs, a turbulent rollercoaster ride where the euphoria of a goal can be just as easily dissipated by the anguish of an own goal or penalty miss. It can take two decades of hard work and commitment to reach the top level of the sport, but all it takes is one poorly timed scissors tackle to erase your progress and send you back to square one. You can start your morning situated at the apex of world football, and by the time night falls, you might be hurtling toward rock bottom at an uncontrollable pace.
Perhaps nobody understands this volatility better than Miguel Ángel Benítez.
Humble Beginnings in Paraguay
Born in Santísima Trinidad, an unassuming barrio located in the Paraguayan capital of Asunción, Benítez was raised by his paternal grandparents after his parents divorced when he was six months old. It didn’t take long for him to fall in love with Paraguay’s national pastime of fútbol, honing his trade on the local neighborhood pitches and eventually joining Cerro Corá de Campo Grande at the age of eight.
“I didn’t have a tough childhood, but I did have to sacrifice,” stated Benítez in an exclusive RG interview. “I’ve always been a humble player who has achieved everything through hard work – nobody has gifted me anything. My grandparents raised me well, which helped me reach my goals because I was very focused.”
Caught in football’s mesmerizing sway, Benítez initially wanted to become a goalkeeper, but his short stature made him focus on becoming a forward instead. He grew accustomed to having to make sacrifices to pursue his footballing dreams: in order to make it to practice at Cerro Corá, he’d have to walk 10 kilometers to training before walking another 10 to return home. As far as he was concerned, it could have been 100 kilometers—he still would’ve made the trek.
“It didn’t feel like it was such a long distance because I had fun… it was like a game to me.
I was skilled from an early age because I practiced a lot and played football with adults, so I quickly gained liveliness and aggression,” said Benítez. “I loved football, and oftentimes, I’d escape from my naptime to go and play. When I returned home, I’d have to pay the price because I didn’t get permission from my grandparents, but when you’re a kid, this doesn’t matter. The important thing is playing, being happy, and having a very good group to play with.”
Benítez immediately stood out from his teammates thanks to his speed, close control, and aggression, and at 14, he made the move to second-tier Club Atlético Juventud Loma Pytã. He banged in the goals for fun for their Cadetes, causing one first-team player to take notice and inform his manager that Benítez was already prepared to play at the top level. Ten days before the season was set to end, the 15-year-old Paraguayan was called up, jumping three categories, skipping past the Infantil and Juvenil tiers, and going straight to the first team. He made his debut vs. Zeballos Cué, eluding two opponents and winning a penalty, which he then converted. It was clear that Benítez wasn’t just an average talent—he was destined for the brightest stage in world football.
These impressive displays drew the attention of Paraguay’s U-20 side, and despite being far younger than his teammates, he quickly emerged as their top scorer. Capable of creating something out of nothing, Benítez was an ingenious, unpredictable winger who combined style with substance, boasting the speed and positional awareness to make piercing runs in behind the defense and wriggle out of tight situations with his stellar ball control. He was nicknamed ‘Chiqui’ for Chiquito and “Peque” for Pequeño, two words that mean “small” in Spanish. But apart from his 5’7” stature, there was absolutely nothing small about his game.
Rapid Rise and Bureaucratic Issues
He could bewilder opponents with a slew of stepovers, shifting direction several times whilst keeping the ball glued to his feet. His velocity and ball manipulation were matched only by his unpredictability and ball-striking. Miguel had the audacity to take on shots from 30 or 40 yards out and fire in a rocket into the back of the net—whenever he did find the back of the net, it was, more often than not, a jaw-dropping golazo. He was the complete package in attack, a player who had the patience to time his runs to perfection, the alertness to capitalize on an errant pass or poor touch, and the both-footedness and technical acuity to leave his opponents in his dust and get just the right amount of pace and power behind his shots to beat the goalkeeper.
Benítez quickly made a name for himself as one of Paraguay’s most electrifying attackers, but he was soon exposed to the ugly side of football: one filled with red tape and bureaucratic issues. Miguel was called up for the 1985 South American U-20 Championship in Argentina and was given special permission to terminate his mandatory military service ahead of time in preparation for the tournament.
Up until that point, Benítez had only played domestic matches for Paraguay in his seven months representing his nation—he was finally going to get the chance to suit up for La Albirroja away from his home country. However, two days before heading to Argentina, he was purchased by Club Atlético Villa Elisa. Villa Elisa didn’t belong to the Asociación Paraguaya de Fútbol—they didn’t play in the professional leagues, but the regional leagues. It meant that, even if he did enjoy a breakout tournament in Argentina and earn a lucrative transfer, Paraguay’s footballing federation wouldn’t see any of that profit. As such, just when Benítez looked set to compete in the Sudamericano against the continent’s best young prospects, he was removed from the Paraguay squad at the last second.
Benítez didn’t take long to bounce back and scored six goals on his Villa Elisa debut—after just a few weeks, he was sent out on loan to Deportivo Recoleta and then Humaitá F.B.C. Despite never playing in Paraguay’s top flight, his goal-scoring numbers spoke for themselves, and one person who took notice was Paraguayan legend Carlos “Lobo” Diarte, who had won the Copa del Rey with Valencia after joining for a club-record fee.
When vacationing in Paraguay, Diarte spotted Benítez in a match and quickly recognized his talent. He had a discussion with him and asked if he’d like to try his luck in Spain—where Diarte had recently transitioned from playing into coaching. Despite not yet playing in Paraguay’s top flight, Benítez’s extraordinary abilities were sufficient for him to move across the Atlantic Ocean in 1987 and join Calpe FC, who were playing in Valencia’s regional leagues.
Benítez was initially given a 90-day tourist visa and started to train in a local park with Diarte in order to stay fit. Two weeks later, “El Lobo” invited Benítez and several other players to test their skills in a friendly match with Calpe’s U-23s and former Valencia players, where Benítez stood out thanks to his speed, aggression, and hunger for goals. Diarte was convinced that Benítez was ready to make an impact in Europe, and he pulled some strings to process his documents and extend his visa—nine months later, Benítez finally played for the first team after turning 18.
Adjusting to Life in Spain
Benítez gradually built a reputation for himself and impressed in Spain’s lower divisions, and in 1993, he earned his just rewards: a permanent transfer to Atlético Madrid. His first season in the Spanish top flight was a turbulent one; Atleti went through six different managers and ended up finishing 12th in the table.
“The president at the time, Jesús Gil, was very strict. He’s a born winner who always wants to win matches, and whenever a coach lost 1–2 games in a row, he was already gone,” explained Benítez. “With him, it was win or win. That’s why coaches’ heads would roll, because he was constantly demanding results. If he didn’t see results after a couple of games, he’d change managers—that’s how he did business.”
It was here in Madrid where Benítez crossed paths with Diego Simeone, then a young Argentine midfielder. Fast-forward three decades, and Simeone is the most successful manager in Atlético Madrid history, having led them to two league titles since taking charge in December 2011.
“Simeone was an idol in the Argentine national team, but in Atlético, he couldn’t triumph in his first season because of the ‘sacred cows,’ players who had a lot more weight in the squad.
He triumphed in his second year because he’s a born winner with a lot of character and who’s very focused, and because of this, he reached his objectives,” said Benítez. “That’s why he’s gone very far in football. Ever since Simeone came, Atlético is always fighting at the top. He’s a coach who psychologically prepares his players well, he’s very demanding, and he’s already won a lot of trophies with Atlético. He’s one of the best coaches in the world, and he’s also the best paid. I think he’s doing a very good job. We’re going to see him at Atleti for a lot longer because he’s doing things well.”
El Peque struggled to make an impact in the Spanish capital, registering just 10 appearances and even being demoted to the reserves before deciding to head out on loan to Almería. After a brief sojourn in Andalucía, Benítez made the move to CP Mérida on loan in January 1995. It was here at the Estadio Romano that Benítez announced himself on the scene in European football, racking up 10 goals in 23 appearances as Mérida finished atop the table and became the first team from the autonomous community of Extremadura to reach the top division.
“I went to Mérida because I wanted to play, so I dropped down a division to the Segunda. I arrived and did my work, and the people loved me for it. They brought me in as a boost for the team, and that’s what I did—I made the difference,” said Benítez. “I wanted to play, and I achieved this objective, so it was a complete success. Thanks to this loan, I was able to play in the Primera again. I had experienced teammates and a great team, and I scored some very important and beautiful goals in Mérida.”
Representing La Albirroja on the Global Stage
Sometimes, you’ve got to take one step back to take two steps forward, and that was certainly the case for Benítez. His stellar campaign in Extremadura provided the platform for him to join RCD Espanyol in the summer of 1995, where he excelled in the Spanish top flight. Benítez proved instrumental in what was a dream season in Catalunya; Espanyol finished fourth in the table and reached the Copa del Rey semifinals thanks in large part to Benítez’s six goals in 39 appearances.
That same year would see Belgian player Jean-Marc Bosman win a landmark legal battle that changed the course of football history forever; clubs were no longer able to prevent their players from joining a foreign club after their contract had expired, whilst European football leagues could no longer impose quotas on foreign players to the extent that they discriminated against nationals of EU states. Benítez, who had gained Spanish citizenship after nearly a decade in the country, was able to finally represent Paraguay’s senior team without occupying a foreign spot on Espanyol’s roster. He made his debut on April 24, 1996, in a World Cup qualifier in Colombia, racking up 10 goals in 28 appearances between 1996 and 2000.
“Undoubtedly, the best chapter of my career came at Espanyol. I achieved everything there, I became a Paraguay international thanks to the things I did at Espanyol. I was very consistent, disciplined, and collegial, and thanks to my statistics and my individual plays that were broadcast across Paraguay, I was able to finally get called up,” explained Benítez. “I had double citizenship with Spain and Paraguay, but I always said I’d play for my country and not Spain. I waited for the moment and my debut was spectacular, being able to play in front of my family and friends and make a name for myself.”
Benítez would score six goals and three assists over the next two seasons as Espanyol finished 12th and 10th, respectively, but his biggest feat would come at the international level. After missing out on a trip to the 1997 Copa América, Benítez returned to the squad in September and opened the scoring in a 2–1 win vs. Bolivia; the following month, he played the full 90 in a 1–0 victory against Venezuela. For the first time in 12 years, Paraguay were going to be competing in a World Cup.
La Albirroja prepared for the World Cup by competing in friendlies against a number of top international sides like Poland, USA, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Romania, Belgium, and Italy, where Benítez faced off against one of the greatest defenders of all time: Paolo Maldini.
“Maldini was the toughest opponent I’ve faced. He tackled me twice from behind during our friendly match in Rome, but those are things that happen. I didn’t react, but I managed to return the favor afterwards,” said Benítez. “He’s a tough, strong, intelligent player, and I had the chance to play against one of the best defenders in the history of the Italian national team and Serie A.”
Playing in the World Cup
Paraguay were drawn in the ‘Group of Death’: few gave them any chance against top seed Spain or Bulgaria, who had reached the semifinals in the 1994 World Cup, or Nigeria, who were coming off a gold-medal finish in the 1996 Summer Olympics. Instead, Paraguay punched above their weight and drew 0–0 in their first two matches before facing Nigeria in an all-important final group stage match.
Celso Ayala opened the scoring within seconds for Paraguay, but Wilson Oruma would level proceedings immediately in Toulouse. The Super Eagles continued to mount the pressure and push for the go-ahead goal, only to be thwarted by José Luis Chilavert, whose imperviousness between the sticks was matched only by his growing incandescence at his defenders for allowing these chances to develop for the opposition. The match appeared to be getting away from Paraguay until the hour mark, when Benítez received the ball from 30 yards out, carefully taking two touches to steady himself before detonating a rocket launcher of a shot. The ball sailed off his right foot, careened off the outstretched glove of Nigerian goalkeeper Peter Rufai and onto the top post, before ricocheting over the line. As he celebrated the most important goal of his career, Benítez lifted his jersey and revealed an undershirt that stated, “Felicidades Mamá.”
Paraguay withstood the pressure and held on for a 3–1 victory against Nigeria, with José Cardozo doubling the lead in the 86th minute to secure their passage to the knockout round. But if Paraguay were to advance to the quarterfinals, they’d need to eliminate the tournament hosts France. The stage was set for an enthralling showdown in Lens.
Stay tuned for Part Two.
Zach Lowy is a freelance football journalist who has written for leading outlets like FotMob, BetUS, Apuestas Deportivas, and who has appeared as a radio and television guest for BBC, SiriusXMFC, and various other platforms. After pursuing a global sports journalism degree at George Washington University, Zach has been able to tap into his multilingual background and interview major footballing figures in Spanish and Portuguese as well as operate the weekly podcast 'Zach Lowy's European Football Show' on BET Central.
