# Joaquín Correa
**Joaquín Correa** (Carlos Joaquín Correa, known as "el Tucu") is an Argentine professional footballer, a forward or second striker who has played for Estudiantes, Sampdoria, Sevilla, Lazio, Inter Milan, Marseille, and Botafogo, and won the 2021 [Copa América](https://www.edgepedia.org/copa-america) with Argentina. He was born in 1994 in [Juan Bautista Alberdi](https://www.edgepedia.org/juan-bautista-alberdi), in the province of Tucumán, and began his career at his hometown club Deportivo Marapa before joining the youth ranks of River Plate at age 11.[1](https://www.afa.com.ar/_blank/posts/joaquin-correa)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1994, Juan Bautista Alberdi, Tucumán, Argentina[1](https://www.afa.com.ar/_blank/posts/joaquin-correa) |
| Position | Forward / second striker[2](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/joaquin-correa-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics) |
| Senior clubs | Estudiantes (2012–2014), Sampdoria (2015–2016), Sevilla (2016–2018), Lazio (2018–2021), Inter (2021–2025), Marseille on loan (2023/24), Botafogo (2025–2026), Estudiantes again (2026–)[3](https://test-prf27k.estudiantesdelaplata.com/correa-de-nuevo-en-casa/) |
| Lazio record | 92 Serie A appearances, 22 goals, 11 assists; 117 appearances and 30 goals in all competitions[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/career) • [5](https://www.inter.it/en/news/2021-08-26-joaquin-correa-profile) |
| Major transfer fees | Sampdoria to Sevilla about €10 million (2016); Sevilla to Lazio €17.9 million (2018); Lazio to Inter €27.3 million (2022)[6](https://as.com/futbol/2016/07/11/primera/1468229209_857553.html) • [7](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/carlos-joaquin-correa/transfer-history) • [8](https://www.aiscore.com/es/player-joaquin-correa/jr7owijzlvueq0e) |
| Argentina | 19 caps, 4 goals; Copa América 2021 and Finalissima 2022 winner[3](https://test-prf27k.estudiantesdelaplata.com/correa-de-nuevo-en-casa/) |
| Honors at club level | Six trophies in Italian football, four with Inter and two with Lazio[3](https://test-prf27k.estudiantesdelaplata.com/correa-de-nuevo-en-casa/) |
## Youth and Estudiantes
Correa's path through youth football involved early moves away from home. After a season at River Plate he returned to Tucumán, then joined the Renato Cesarini school in Rosario at about age 12, and at 14 moved to [Estudiantes de La Plata](https://www.edgepedia.org/estudiantes-de-la-plata), where he mostly played in midfield.[1](https://www.afa.com.ar/_blank/posts/joaquin-correa)
He made his Primera División debut on 19 May 2012 at 17 years old, coming on for [Duván Zapata](https://www.edgepedia.org/duvan-zapata) in a 3-0 away win over Banfield, which made him a teammate of [Juan Sebastián Verón](https://www.edgepedia.org/juan-sebastian-veron).[3](https://test-prf27k.estudiantesdelaplata.com/correa-de-nuevo-en-casa/) • [5](https://www.inter.it/en/news/2021-08-26-joaquin-correa-profile) He stayed in the Estudiantes first team until December 2014, leaving with 64 matches and 5 goals for the club.[3](https://test-prf27k.estudiantesdelaplata.com/correa-de-nuevo-en-casa/)
## Italy and Spain: Sampdoria, Sevilla, Lazio
Sampdoria signed him at the end of 2014, paying Estudiantes slightly more than €10 million for his registration.[6](https://as.com/futbol/2016/07/11/primera/1468229209_857553.html) After about 18 months in Genoa, he moved to Sevilla in July 2016, signing a five-season contract and joining [Jorge Sampaoli](https://www.edgepedia.org/jorge-sampaoli)'s squad for preseason in Orlando.[6](https://as.com/futbol/2016/07/11/primera/1468229209_857553.html) His Sevilla spell yielded 47 league appearances and 5 goals across two seasons, most of them as a substitute.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/career)
**The Lazio years were his most productive.** Lazio signed him on 1 August 2018 for €17.9 million.[7](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/carlos-joaquin-correa/transfer-history) His league goal return improved each season: 5 in 2018/19, 9 in 2019/20, and 8 (plus 3 assists) in 2020/21, for a total of 92 [Serie A](https://www.edgepedia.org/serie-a) appearances, 22 goals, and 11 assists.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/career) Across all competitions he made 117 Lazio appearances and scored 30 goals, including the second goal in the 2-0 [Coppa Italia](https://www.edgepedia.org/coppa-italia) final win over Atalanta in 2019.[5](https://www.inter.it/en/news/2021-08-26-joaquin-correa-profile) A tactical analysis of his 2019/20 season under [Simone Inzaghi](https://www.edgepedia.org/simone-inzaghi) described his role as a second striker who contributed across the defensive, middle, and attacking thirds, with particular strength in passes into the penalty area and key passes, defined as passes leading directly to a teammate's shot.[2](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/joaquin-correa-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
## Inter, Marseille, and Botafogo
Inter signed Correa in August 2021, reuniting him with [Lautaro Martínez](https://www.edgepedia.org/lautaro-martinez), his fellow scorer in the October 2020 World Cup qualifier in [La Paz](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-paz) where Correa's goal sealed a 2-1 win over Bolivia, Argentina's first win there in 15 years.[5](https://www.inter.it/en/news/2021-08-26-joaquin-correa-profile) His first Inter season, on loan, brought 26 Serie A appearances and 6 goals; the move was made permanent on 30 June 2022 for a fee of €27.3 million.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/career) • [8](https://www.aiscore.com/es/player-joaquin-correa/jr7owijzlvueq0e) His playing time then declined: 26 league appearances with 3 goals in 2022/23, a 2023/24 season spent on loan at [Marseille](https://www.edgepedia.org/marseille) with 12 Ligue 1 appearances and no goals, and 19 appearances with 2 goals in 2024/25.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/career)
In June 2025, with his Inter contract expiring, he joined Botafogo, the reigning [Copa Libertadores](https://www.edgepedia.org/copa-libertadores) and Brasileirão champion, as a free agent on a two-season contract through 2027, arriving on the final day of the squad-registration window for the [FIFA Club World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-club-world-cup).[9](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/correa-amenaza-de-botafogo-contra-el-atletico-n/) Botafogo was drawn in [Group B](https://www.edgepedia.org/group-b) with PSG, Atlético de Madrid, and Seattle Sounders.[9](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/correa-amenaza-de-botafogo-contra-el-atletico-n/) He made 26 Botafogo appearances with 3 goals across the 2025 and 2026 seasons, then terminated his contract in August 2026.[4](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/career) • [10](https://ge.globo.com/google/amp/futebol/futebol-internacional/noticia/2026/08/07/atacante-ex-botafogo-reforca-estudiantes-para-sequencia-da-libertadores.ghtml)
## Return to Estudiantes
In August 2026 Correa returned to Estudiantes de La Plata as a free agent, signing a two-season contract to 2028 under coach Alexander Medina, nearly twelve years after his departure, and was registered for the Copa Libertadores knockout stage.[3](https://test-prf27k.estudiantesdelaplata.com/correa-de-nuevo-en-casa/) • [10](https://ge.globo.com/google/amp/futebol/futebol-internacional/noticia/2026/08/07/atacante-ex-botafogo-reforca-estudiantes-para-sequencia-da-libertadores.ghtml) Estudiantes had shown interest earlier in that window but could not act until a FIFA transfer ban was lifted through the sale of Mikel Amondarain to Bologna.[11](https://ge.globo.com/google/amp/futebol/times/botafogo/noticia/2026/07/29/venda-de-joia-deve-fazer-estudiantes-avancar-na-contratacao-de-joaquin-correa-do-botafogo.ghtml)
## Argentina
Correa won his first Argentina cap while at Sevilla and was a regular call-up during his Lazio years.[5](https://www.inter.it/en/news/2021-08-26-joaquin-correa-profile) He finished his international career to date with 19 appearances and 4 goals, and was part of the squads that won the 2021 Copa América, beating Brazil at the Maracanã, and the 2022 Finalissima.[3](https://test-prf27k.estudiantesdelaplata.com/correa-de-nuevo-en-casa/) • [9](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/correa-amenaza-de-botafogo-contra-el-atletico-n/) In 2022 World Cup qualifying he made 9 appearances, 7 of them as a substitute, scoring 2 goals in 345 minutes.[12](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/national/career)
## Style of play
Correa has played most often as a second striker operating behind a main forward, using the spaces created by the defense on second balls, and he has also been deployed in a three-man attack and occasionally as a false 9.[2](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/joaquin-correa-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics) His 2019/20 analysis highlighted his ball progression into the penalty area and his ability to create shots for teammates rather than acting primarily as a finisher.[2](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/joaquin-correa-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
## References
1. [Joaquín Correa, Sitio Oficial de la Asociación del Fútbol Argentino](https://www.afa.com.ar/_blank/posts/joaquin-correa)
2. [joaquin correa 2019/20 – scout report | tfa](https://totalfootballanalysis.com/player-analysis/joaquin-correa-2019-20-scout-report-tactical-analysis-tactics)
3. [Correa, de nuevo en casa, Estudiantes de La Plata (7 August 2026)](https://test-prf27k.estudiantesdelaplata.com/correa-de-nuevo-en-casa/)
4. [Joaquín Correa Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/career)
5. [From Estudiantes to the Copa America: how 'el Tucu' became an Inter player, Inter.it (26 August 2021)](https://www.inter.it/en/news/2021-08-26-joaquin-correa-profile)
6. [Los argentinos Kranevitter y Correa ya están en Sevilla, AS (11 July 2016)](https://as.com/futbol/2016/07/11/primera/1468229209_857553.html)
7. [Joaquín Correa Transfer History, FootballTransfers](https://www.footballtransfers.com/en/players/carlos-joaquin-correa/transfer-history)
8. [Joaquín Correa estadísticas e historial de transferencias, AiScore](https://www.aiscore.com/es/player-joaquin-correa/jr7owijzlvueq0e)
9. [Correa, amenaza de Botafogo contra el Atlético, AS (10 June 2025)](https://as.com/futbol/internacional/correa-amenaza-de-botafogo-contra-el-atletico-n/)
10. [Atacante ex-Botafogo reforça Estudiantes para sequência da Libertadores, ge.globo (7 August 2026)](https://ge.globo.com/google/amp/futebol/futebol-internacional/noticia/2026/08/07/atacante-ex-botafogo-reforca-estudiantes-para-sequencia-da-libertadores.ghtml)
11. [Venda de joia deve fazer Estudiantes avançar na contratação de Joaquín Corrêa, ge.globo (29 July 2026)](https://ge.globo.com/google/amp/futebol/times/botafogo/noticia/2026/07/29/venda-de-joia-deve-fazer-estudiantes-avancar-na-contratacao-de-joaquin-correa-do-botafogo.ghtml)
12. [Joaquín Correa International Career History, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/players/4659/joaquin-correa/national/career)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of South America › Argentine men's footballers › Argentine forwards*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license