Manuel Ugarte Family – Father, Mother, Brothers, Sister, & Girlfriend

Manuel Ugarte Ribeiro is a Uruguayan professional player known for his defensive prowess in midfield. Ugarte began his football journey at Fénix. He had quite an adventurous career as he progressed through their youth academy.

Like many others, he eventually earned a promotion to the first team in 2016. Since then, his career has only skyrocketed beyond his family’s imagination. Before we proceed to talk about his meteoric rise to stardom, let’s first take a deep dive into his family and acquaintances.

Manuel Ugarte Family & Ethnicity:

The defensive midfielder was born on the 11th of April 2001 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He was born into a humble and hard-working family. His mother, Mabel, was a school teacher, and his father, Miguel Ugarte, was a manual laborer.

Both his parents worked hard to care for the family. However, their hard work wasn’t enough to liberate them from financial hardships after the economic crisis of 2008. In a feat to try and sustain the home, Ugarte’s parents sold their home to make some money.

Their situation soon improved, thanks to the support of relatives and their son’s emerging football talent. Ugarte’s dad, Miguel, reflected on these difficult years in an interview with Referí:

“They were difficult years in Uruguay. We had to sell the house and leave El Pinar because the economic situation was complicated. My wife’s sister lent us a house in Paso Carrasco for a while. She gave us a big hand to raise money and start over. Mabel and I dreamed of living on the coast because it was an ideal place to raise children. The family helped us a lot.”

By 2009, the Ugarte family had rebuilt their lives and constructed a new home in San José de Carrasco. Miguel summed up their experience:

“Just as El Pinar was a great loss, returning to the coast was like a family triumph.”

From an early age, Ugarte showed his willingness to work hard. Of course, he learned from his parents to toughen up and give his best in whatever he does. This trait also rubbed off in his gameplay as he continued to improve in soccer.

Looking into his ethnicity, the athlete’s family origin is most likely of European descent. This is because almost 88% of Uruguayan citizens are of European ancestry. Now, let’s discuss every member of his family starting with his dad.

Manuel Ugarte Father – Miguel:

Just like most parents in the early 2000s, Ugarte’s dad was hesitant when he heard about his son moving up in football. He told Fénix academy coordinator Marcelo Mas, “But he’s only a kid, they’re going to destroy him!”

However, not long after, Manuel became the youngest debutant in Uruguay’s league in the 21st century. He achieved this feat when he was substituted during a 4-1 win over Danubio.

On one occasion, Ugarte’s father took him to the AUF Complex for a football match as usual. It was a friendly game against Juventud de Las Piedras. The youngster who wanted to impress his dad ended the match in disappointment.

Apparently, he didn’t have many touches on the ball during the game. In anguish, Ugarte turned to his father and pleaded to be allowed to train at Capurro daily from 8 a.m. to 5 pm. He also requested that his dad bring him something to eat at 12 noon when he will be on break.

At that moment, Miguel realized how much his son had matured. He recalled, “I remember thinking: this kid is looking much further ahead than I could see as a father.”

The Father-Son Sacrifice

For the next year and a half, the two followed this grueling routine. It was an exhausting routine to maintain as Miguel had to strike a balance between his work life and his son’s training.

During this period, he worked at a company that kept him on the road all day. However, he always managed to take Ugarte to his training sessions and bring him back. His brother, who was also pursuing a football career, was also involved. Reflecting on these efforts, Miguel said;

“That was one of the milestones Manuel wanted for his career. Just like when he was three years old, he focused and didn’t stop until he achieved it.”

Miguel often refers to an old family story to illustrate Manuel’s determination. When Manuel Ugarte was three years old, he was fixing his bike when he accidentally got his finger stuck in the sprocket. Despite his father’s warning to stop, he insisted on repairing it.

Eventually, Miguel heard a scream. Manuel had fractured his finger, and they had to rush to the hospital, where the boy spent a month with his finger in a splint.

Manuel Ugarte Mother – Mabel:

The talented athlete was raised with so much love by his mom. She and her husband, Miguel had moved to El Pinar in search of a better life in 1999. Soon after, their children were born, and their lives as a married couple became a lot busier.

Raising two boys was indeed a lot of work but Mabel proved that she was up to the task. Her caring nature made her a formidable teacher at Santa Elena School. While she maintained her teaching job, her husband, Miguel, worked as a van driver for a kindergarten.

Due to their work commitments, both children started attending kindergarten when they were just three months old. However, Mabel often spent so much time with her kids after working hours.

Ugarte’s Family During the Uruguay vs. Colombia Incidents:

The athlete’s family members were among those attacked by Colombian fans during the 2024 Copa América semi-final at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Apparently, the incident happened in the last game, which had the largest crowd (70,500 attendees).

As a result, there were no security checks—no scanners, nothing. Everyone entered together, and fans of both national teams found themselves in a mixed section.

That in itself wasn’t the issue. However, the atmosphere was very tense owing to the nature of the game. In the hostile environment, there were provocations from the Colombian fans, referencing Uruguay’s elimination from the 2014 World Cup.

Despite this, most of the Uruguay supporters, which included families with young children, stayed calm. Miguel explained that tensions escalated after a key moment in the game:

“In the second half, things started to get worse, especially after Daniel Muñoz’s red card. That seemed to trigger the Colombian crowd, and they became furious—against the referee and against us. There was minimal security compared to the other matches.”

“The real trouble began when punches were thrown on the stairs as the game ended. My wife and I could see it was getting dangerous. Colombians began descending towards our area, and the fighting broke out. We tried to escape, but chaos erupted around us. I remember seeing Rodrigo Bentancur’s wife, visibly scared, holding their daughter, and Federico Valverde’s wife as well. People were throwing bottles, I tripped over a chair, and we ran down behind the substitutes’ bench.”

As the incident unfolded, Ugarte’s family were not spared. His mother became very nervous and even fainted when she saw an elderly person being beaten. With the help of some Colombians who were not involved in the fighting, she was carried down to the field. A doctor arrived, laid her on the grass, and thankfully, things began to calm down.

Manuel Ugarte Brother – Hernan:

Ugarte wasn’t the only son born to his parents. He has an older brother, Hernan, who was born in February 2000. This makes him a year younger than his brother.

Hernan and his little brother were not a fan of football until they turned seven and six respectively. They played with other kids within their peers and really performed exceptionally.

The brothers even caught the attention of a City Park coach who informed their father of their impressive soccer talent. In no time, Miguel had his boys join the children’s football club (City Park) located in Shangrilá, near the border between Canelones and Montevideo.

It was about 20 kilometers from Uruguay’s capital, and close to where the Ugarte Ribeiro family lived. While the setting seemed perfect, a problem arose. City Park had a team for Hernán’s age group but not for Manuel’s, as they hadn’t yet formed a 2001 team. This posed a dilemma for Miguel in 2008—how would he break the news to Manuel that he couldn’t play?

Fortunately, through the efforts of Victor Pellejero, the club’s secretary, a solution was found. Manuel was allowed to play in the older age group, giving him a one-year disadvantage in his first experience with baby football. His larger-than-average physique for his age helped him bridge the gap, allowing him to compete successfully with older kids.

Manuel Ugarte Girlfriend:

One thing that the midfielder has not commented on, is his relationship life. Ugarte has only posted a picture of one woman – his mother – on his Instagram account at the time of compiling this biography.

There is a possibility that he has a girlfriend. However, he probably doesn’t want her to be disturbed by so many rumors spewed by the media week in and week out.

Manuel Ugarte Career Life:

Born in Montevideo, Manuel Ugarte began his football journey in the youth ranks of local club City Park before moving to Fénix’s youth setup. At the age of 15, he was promoted to Fénix’s first team by manager Rosario Martínez. Shortly after, he was included in the 30-man squad for the 2016 Copa Sudamericana.

In his early football years, Ugarte played as a forward, or number 9. He was a top scorer and champion in the final two years of his youth career. However, as time passed, he gradually moved into deeper positions on the field.

In the seventh division, coach Julio de Armas utilized him as a right midfielder or playmaker. While in the sixth division, he was managed by Marcelo Broli, one of the first coaches to significantly influence his development.

Coach Broli noticed Ugarte’s ball-handling skills and encouraged him to play deeper. This allowed him to refine his technical abilities and contribute more effectively to building plays.

Despite this transformation, Ugarte still had a desire to play as a striker. His development took another step forward when he received a call from Rosario Martínez to train with the Fénix first team. He Subsequently got a call-up from Fabián Coito to the Uruguay U-20 national team.

Making His Professional Debut:

Ugarte made his professional debut on the 4th of December 2016, at 15 years old. This debut made him the youngest player in the 21st century to play professionally in Uruguay, at just 15 years and 233 days.