Nicolás González (footballer, born 1998)

Nicolás Iván "Nico" González (born 6 April 1998) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Argentina national team.

Argentinos Juniors
After over ten years in the club's youth system, González made his professional debut for Argentinos Juniors in a 2015–16 Copa Argentina defeat to Deportivo Laferrere of Primera C Metropolitana in July 2016. He made his Primera B Nacional debut on 28 August against San Martín prior to scoring the first of his four goals in 2016–17 on 23 April 2017, getting the winner against Atlético Paraná. In total, González made twenty appearances in 2016–17, a season which ended with Argentinos winning promotion to the Argentine Primera División. He scored on his first top-flight start, scoring the opening goal in a defeat to Belgrano.

VfB Stuttgart
On 10 July 2018, González signed a five-year contract with VfB Stuttgart. He scored twice on his unofficial debut for the club, netting in a friendly victory over FV Illertissen on 18 July. His first competitive goal arrived during a home loss to Schalke 04 on 22 December. They were relegated at the end of 2018–19, with González subsequently scoring the winner on his 2. Bundesliga bow against FC St. Pauli on 17 August 2019. He scored consecutive braces in June 2020 against Sandhausen and Nürnberg, the latter of which was his 100th league appearance for Stuttgart.

On 25 November 2020, González extended his contract with VfB Stuttgart until June 2024.

Fiorentina
On 23 June 2021, González signed a five-year contract with Serie A club Fiorentina until 2026. On 13 August, González made his debut for Fiorentina in a 4–0 win against Serie B side Cosenza in the first round of Coppa Italia scoring the second goal in the 37th minute. On 18 May 2023, González scored a brace in Fiorentina's second leg UEFA Europa Conference League semi-final victory against Basel, sending his side to the final against West Ham United.

International career
In July 2019, González received a call-up from the Argentina Olympic Team for said year's Pan American Games in Peru. After receiving a red card on his debut against Ecuador, he played again in the semi-final and the gold medal match when Argentina won the tournament. Months later, González was selected by Lionel Scaloni's senior team for the first time ahead of October friendly matches against Germany and Ecuador. He did not feature in the matchday squad against Germany, but appeared for his international bow during a 6–1 victory over Ecuador at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero in Elche on 13 October.

González scored his first goal for Argentina on 12 November 2020 in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Paraguay that ended in a 1–1 draw. He netted again days later against the same opponent.

González was a member of the 2021 Copa América winning side, making five appearances in the tournament, four as a starter and one as substitute in the final against Brazil. He was also called up to Argentina's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad, but was forced to withdraw with a muscular injury three days before the start of the tournament, being replaced by Ángel Correa.

International

 * Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each González goal.

Honours
Argentinos Juniors
 * Primera B Nacional: 2016–17

Fiorentina
 * Coppa Italia runner-up: 2022–23
 * UEFA Europa Conference League runner-up: 2022–23, 2023–24

Argentina Olympic
 * Pan American Games: 2019

Argentina
 * Copa América: 2021, 2024
 * CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions: 2022

Individual
 * Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: January 2019
 * UEFA Europa Conference League Team of the Season: 2022–23