Joaquín Pereyra grew up with a soccer ball at his feet in the capital city of Argentina’s Entre Ríos province. Over eight hours northwest, Nicolás Romero was doing the same. They did not yet know that their paths would bring them together not once, but twice, across thousands of miles.
Pereyra grew up loving soccer, dedicating all of his time and energy to playing for local teams and honing his skills. It was only natural that at 13 years old, he set off to play for one of Argentina’s oldest clubs, Club Atlético Rosario Central in Rosario, Argentina. After trading the eastern banks of the River Paraná for the bustling province of Santa Fe, Pereyra worked his way up to a professional debut for Los Canallas in February 2016: an 80th-minute substitute appearance in a 3-0 road win against CA Colón.
“You live, you experience a lot of new things,” he said. “But the truth is that your debut is always something very beautiful and one of the happiest moments I’ve ever had.”
Pereyra played in 60 games across all competitions for Rosario, winning the 2017-18 Copa Argentina to qualify for the 2018 Copa Sudamericana and 2019 Copa Libertadores. He also played for Argentina’s U20 team at the national level in 2017. Though the currently top-ranked Rosario didn’t have the best run in the later 2010s, first division play in any capacity is a rigorous experience. Pereyra was navigating the game at a professional level alongside much older, more experienced players, fast-tracking his development as a young talent.
For the 2020-21 season, Pereyra was loaned out to Famalicão in the Portuguese first division. Still a teenager, he found himself alone in a country whose language he didn’t speak. “I think it made me grow and mature a lot as a person and a player,” he said. He faced several injuries while with the club, leading him to search for an Argentinian side to return to and finding success with another loan, this time to Atlético Tucumán in 2021.
“My time in Tucumán was one of the happiest times of my career, and one of the most positive because it was obviously the club that opened the door for me and gave me the opportunity to be here in Minnesota today,” Pereyra said. It’s also where he met Romero.
Romero was born in Chumbicha in the Catamarca province of Argentina. He started playing for Tucumán’s youth teams at age 12, traveling about 180 miles from home — imagine moving from Saint Paul all the way up to Grand Rapids, alone, before even becoming a teenager. But Romero wasn’t put off by the distance. He worked his way up to the reserve team and made his first-division debut at just 17, subbing on late and helping the team secure a road victory, much like Pereyra in his own debut. Nico became a fixture at Tucumán, playing alongside Pereyra, who Tucumán officially signed after his season on loan.
The pair played together for Tucumán from 2021 to 2024. Pereyra made 117 appearances in the midfield across all competitions, scoring four goals and adding fourteen assists. Romero made 78 appearances, logging two goals as a center back. And in 2024, Minnesota United signed Pereyra as a DP in a high-impact summer transfer window that also brought striker Kelvin Yeboah and centerback Jefferson Díaz to the Loons.
Growing up in Argentina, Major League Soccer wasn’t really on the radar for Pereyra or Romero — at least, until Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi signed with Inter Miami in 2023. The signing came as a milestone in a long-standing trend of Argentinian players in MLS, from Luciano Acosta to Alan Velasco and, for a time with Minnesota United, Emanuel Reynoso.
Since 2014, Argentina has been the largest group of foreign players in MLS. Currently, that stat comes in at 35 players from Argentina, or 6.9 percent of MLS players from outside of the United States. Even Canada, a part of MLS, represents only 9.3 percent. Messi’s signing caused a surge in MLS viewership by Argentinians, and that attention has extended to the large number of Argentinian players already in MLS and, later, Pereyra and Romero themselves.
“The truth is that although I didn’t think about it, I was pleasantly surprised,” Pereyra said about his move to Minnesota. “It’s really a city that I like, a very calm city where you can be at peace. Beyond the extreme cold that there is — in Argentina it’s impossible for it to be that kind of cold — the club is very well organized, a very calm club that gives you everything so you can improve.”
Romero echoed the sentiment, finding himself comfortable in the Midwest despite the drastic shift in weather. “I think it was a bit easier for me because, well, Joaquín took me under his wing, and that helped me a lot. I’m alone, my family is far away, and I think having an Argentinian here to help me with everything is nice for me.”
In large part, the smooth transition from Argentina to Minnesota has been aided by a head coach and several teammates who are fluent in Spanish. Even those who don’t speak the language make an effort to learn key phrases. “They want to make you feel welcomed,” Pereyra said. “They want you to easily adapt and fit in with the group, and it makes things a lot easier. Honestly, it feels really good.”
Pereyra was thrilled when Minnesota signed Romero just before the start of the 2025 season, both from an athletic perspective and a personal one. The two drink mate together every morning, and having played together for nearly three years at Tucumán, Romero’s signing brought a preexisting chemistry to the field that has served the Loons well in a strong start to the season. Romero has settled in quickly, securing his spot in the starting lineup of one of the league’s most disciplined defensive systems only a month into the season. Pereyra has come through as an impact playmaker this season, leading the club in assists and forming a dynamic left side of the pitch with Romero and Joseph Rosales.
Another major shift has come not from the game itself but from the supporters, who have helped both players feel more comfortable on the pitch.
“In Argentina, football is lived with a very, very passionate atmosphere,” Pereyra explains. “There's a lot of emotion. There's also a lot of pressure. Fans experience it in a very particular way. If you do well, they make you feel like you're the best in the world. And if you do poorly, obviously you have to put up with a lot of bad things.” He’s found that MLS, with its avid fans and relentless support, looks a bit different. “It’s a league that allows you a little more peace of mind, a little more enjoyment of playing football, of enjoying the moment.”
Though their early years saw Pereyra and Romero follow unique paths through the beautiful game, they've now seen their stories intersect in two very different places. Wherever their careers take them, they’ll always have that connection that can only come from years of playing alongside one another. Right now, they’re enjoying this chapter of their respective stories, and for both of these Boys in Black and Blue, that’s what it’s all about — the love of the game.
