Julio César Enciso Espínola (born 23 January 2004) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or striker for club Ipswich Town and the Paraguay national team.

Club career Early career Enciso started playing football at his local club in Caaguazú, Paraguay. At age 12 he was recruited by Libertad. Enciso made his senior debut for Club Libertad on 17 March 2019, aged 15, in a 4–0 home victory against Deportivo Santaní. He became the youngest player to debut with Libertad.

Brighton and Hove Albion On 17 June 2022, Enciso transferred to Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion for a transfer fee of £9.5 million plus future add-on fees, signing an initial four-year contract. He made his Brighton debut on 24 August, playing 80 minutes of the 3–0 away win over League One side Forest Green Rovers in the EFL Cup second round, where he claimed assist to Steven Alzate's long range goal.

Enciso made his Premier League debut on 29 October, coming on as a 65th minute substitute for Adam Lallana in Brighton's 4–1 home win over Chelsea. He scored his first goal for the club on 4 April 2023, in a 2–0 away win at Bournemouth. Nearly two weeks later, he scored in a 1–2 away win over Chelsea, helping the Albion secure a victory at Stamford Bridge for the first time in their history.

Enciso started in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on 23 April, playing 67 minutes as Brighton eventually lost 7–6 on penalties to Manchester United. Three days later, the 19-year-old made his first Premier League start for the Albion, in the 3–1 away loss at Nottingham Forest. Three days after that on 29 April, he made two assists in Brighton's 6–0 home victory over the Wolves, Brighton's biggest Premier League victory.

On 14 May, Enciso opened the scoreline with a header from a Pervis Estupiñán cross in an eventual 3–0 away win at Arsenal. He scored his first goal at Falmer Stadium on 24 May, scoring a 25-yard goal against Manchester City, with Brighton sealing a place in the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League. The goal was chosen as BBC Goal of the Season for 2022–23 and later chosen as Premier League Goal of the Season, beating out the likes of Brentford's Ivan Toney and Newcastle's Miguel Almirón in a vote decided by a panel of experts as well as the public's opinion. Enciso also went on win the Goal of the Season at Brighton's end of season awards.

On 19 August 2023, Enciso set up both of Solly March's goals in a 4–1 away win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brighton's second match of the 2023–24 season. However, the following week, the striker suffered a knee issue and was subsequently ruled out for "a long period", according to manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Loan to Ipswich Town On 23 January 2025, Enciso joined fellow Premier League club Ipswich Town on loan for the remainder of the 2024–25 season. He made his debut against Liverpool in a 4–1 loss, coming on as a substitute.

Strasbourg On 1 September 2025, Enciso joined Ligue 1 club Strasbourg on a deal worth £17 million, with Brighton retaining a sell-on clause.

Return to Ipswich Town On 17 August 2026, Enciso re-signed for Ipswich Town on an undisclosed fee, signing a five-year contract.

International career Enciso is a Paraguayan youth international, having played with the Paraguay U15 side at the 2019 South American U-15 Championship. He first represented the senior Paraguay national team in a 3–1 2021 Copa América win over Bolivia on 14 June 2021.

Enciso was selected in Paraguay's 26 player roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in June 2026. He scored a goal in the round of 32 match against Germany, which Paraguay ended up winning 4–3 on penalties.

Player profile

Enciso plays as a central forward and is right-footed. Agile in his movements, with a good sense of goal, a precise shot from mid-range, and skill in dribbling. In addition to his main position as a central forward, he can also play on the wings as an attacker or in a more central role, such as an attacking midfielder or false 9. In an interview with Infobae, Enciso expressed his willingness to occupy different positions within the team and his ability to adapt to the coach's requirements.

In another interview, Enciso mentioned that he drew inspiration from his compatriot Óscar Cardozo, with whom he shared a team at Club Libertad. He also spoke about his admiration for Ronaldinho, whom he considers his idol, and his attentive observation of Cristiano Ronaldo's plays.

In 2021, Enciso was included in the list of the top sixty footballers born in 2004, compiled by the British newspaper The Guardian. In June 2023, he was nominated for the Golden Boy Award, given annually by the Italian newspaper Tuttosport, ranking 48th among the 100 candidates. Both Enciso and Argentine Alejandro Garnacho were the only South American representatives selected for this recognition.

On 17 July 2024, Enciso was recognised as the second-best U-21 player in the world in terms of creativity and effectiveness in finishing plays, second only to French player Rayan Cherki. This recognition comes from an analysis by the Centre International d'Etude du Sport (CIES) and was shared through X. Enciso scored 78.7 out of 100, standing out for his ability to create goal-scoring opportunities and take shots on target, although the analysis did not evaluate the accuracy of his shots.

Career statistics Club

+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsLibertad2019Paraguayan Primera División3020—00502020Paraguayan Primera División8100—211022021Paraguayan Primera División30634—9242122022Paraguayan Primera División141100—301711Total551854—1437425Brighton & Hove Albion2022–23Premier League2043030—2642023–24Premier League1201000201502024–25Premier League1201130—161Total444516020575Ipswich Town (loan)2024–25Premier League132———132Strasbourg2025–26Ligue 127356—1034212Ipswich Town 2026–27Premier League 500000—50Career total1422715116026618944

International

+ Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsParaguay2021202022702023202024122202562202691Total385

Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first.

+ List of international goals scored by Julio EncisoNo.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition124 June 2024NRG Stadium, Houston, United States151–21–22024 Copa América219 November 2024El Alto Municipal Stadium, El Alto, Bolivia232–22–22026 FIFA World Cup qualification325 March 2025Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia252–22–22026 FIFA World Cup qualification45 June 2025Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay262–02–02026 FIFA World Cup qualification529 June 2026Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States 361–01–1 2026 FIFA World Cup

Honours Libertad División Profesional: 2021 Apertura, 2022 Apertura

Individual BBC Goal of the Season: 2022–23 Premier League Goal of the Season: 2022–23 Brighton & Hove Albion Goal of the Season: 2022–23 FIFA Puskás Award Nominee: 2023

Records Youngest player to score a goal on his debut in the Copa Libertadores (16 years and 307 days). Youngest player to score in the Copa Libertadores in the 21st century (16 years and 307 days). First Paraguayan footballer nominated for the Golden Boy Award. First Paraguayan footballer nominated for the Puskás Award, also the first as a finalist for the award. Fourth youngest footballer in history to debut for the Paraguay national team (17 years, 1 month, and 18 days). First Paraguayan footballer chosen as the Goal of the Season by BBC Sport, as well as the Premier League Goal of the Season. Second youngest player in history to score against Arsenal in their own stadium (19 years and 111 days).

References

External links

Julio Enciso at Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.