He walked off the field to applause, then climbed to the stands to say goodbye
A los 34 años, el mediocampista argentino Martín Pérez Guedes cerró su carrera profesional en el Estadio Monumental de Lima, despidiéndose del fútbol no hacia otro club ni hacia un banquillo técnico, sino hacia su familia. Fue parte esencial de un Universitario que rompió nueve años sin títulos y conquistó dos campeonatos consecutivos, dejando una huella que los hinchas reconocieron con aplausos y lágrimas. Su retiro, en medio de una victoria necesaria, recuerda que los ciclos deportivos tienen su propio ritmo, y que saber cuándo marcharse es, también, una forma de grandeza.
- Pérez Guedes anunció su retiro definitivo del fútbol profesional al terminar el partido, sin dejar espacio a especulaciones sobre un posible traspaso o continuidad.
- El Estadio Monumental se detuvo emocionalmente cuando el video homenaje apareció en pantalla, convirtiendo una victoria de liga en una despedida colectiva.
- Su rendimiento había caído visiblemente esta temporada, haciendo que la decisión, aunque sentida, resultara coherente con el momento deportivo que atravesaba.
- Universitario ganó 2-1 al Sport Huancayo, pero expuso fragilidades defensivas que el nuevo técnico Héctor Cúper deberá corregir antes de la lucha por los playoffs.
- Con el calendario entrando en pausa, el club afronta una transición real: celebra el legado de una era ganadora mientras construye su próxima identidad.
Martín Pérez Guedes salió por última vez del césped del Estadio Monumental un domingo por la tarde, con los cánticos de la hinchada de Universitario todavía resonando a su alrededor. El mediocampista argentino acababa de disputar su partido final —una victoria 2-1 ante Sport Huancayo— y a sus 34 años decidía alejarse del fútbol profesional para dedicarse a su familia. Cuando el encuentro terminó, se acercó a la tribuna norte a despedirse de los hinchas que lo habían visto construir algo extraordinario.
Pérez Guedes llegó a Universitario en 2023, cuando el club cargaba con nueve años sin campeonato. Fue pieza clave en el equipo que rompió esa sequía y luego revalidó el título, logrando el segundo tricampeonato de la historia del club. Durante tres temporadas su presencia definió el juego crema. El video homenaje que el estadio proyectó en su honor hizo evidente lo que significaba para la institución y su gente.
Esta temporada, sin embargo, su nivel había decaído notoriamente. Pérez Guedes eligió retirarse con la frente en alto, con los aplausos del público a sus espaldas, antes que prolongar una carrera en declive. En el partido, Alex Valera abrió el marcador en el minuto 32 y Anderson Santamaría amplió la ventaja en el 53, aunque Piero Magallanes descontó para el Huancayo y Universitario sufrió en los minutos finales, dejando al descubierto las debilidades defensivas que Héctor Cúper deberá resolver.
Con tres puntos sumados y un parón de calendario por delante, el club entra en una etapa de transición real. Para Pérez Guedes, esa pausa marca el inicio de otra vida: tres años entregados a Universitario en un momento decisivo de su historia, y ahora todo el tiempo del mundo para su familia.
Martín Pérez Guedes walked off the field at Estadio Monumental for the last time on a Sunday afternoon, the roar of Universitario's fans still ringing in his ears. The Argentine midfielder had just played his final match—a 2-1 victory over Sport Huancayo—and at 34 years old, he was stepping away from professional football entirely. Not to join another club, not to take a coaching role, but to be with his family. The applause followed him as he left the pitch, and later, when the match was done, he made his way to the north stands to say goodbye to the supporters who had watched him build something remarkable here.
Pérez Guedes arrived at Universitario in 2023 at a pivotal moment. The club had gone nine years without a championship, a drought that weighed on everyone connected to the institution. He was part of the team that broke that curse and went on to win not one but two consecutive titles—the second tricampeonato in the club's history. For three seasons, he had been essential to that success, a midfielder whose presence shaped how the team played. The fans knew what he meant to them. When the club displayed a tribute video on the stadium screen, acknowledging his contribution and his departure, the emotion in the stadium was palpable.
This season, though, had been different. Pérez Guedes's form had slipped noticeably from the heights of 2023 and 2024. The performances that had once defined his time at Universitario were no longer there. Perhaps age was catching up, or perhaps the hunger that had driven him through those championship runs had simply shifted. Whatever the reason, he had decided it was time. Not to fade away on a bench somewhere, but to leave while he could still walk off the field with his head held high, with the applause of the crowd behind him.
The match itself was workmanlike. Alex Valera opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, and Anderson Santamaría added a second in the 53rd. Piero Magallanes pulled one back for Sport Huancayo, but Universitario held on. It was a win, and the club needed it after being knocked out of the Copa Libertadores. Yet even in victory, there were defensive vulnerabilities on display—in the final moments, Universitario nearly conceded an equalizer, a reminder that new coach Héctor Cúper still had work to do in solidifying the team's shape.
With three points secured, Universitario moved forward in its push toward the playoff positions. The club would now enter a break in the schedule, giving Cúper time to impose his vision on a squad that had tasted success but was clearly in transition. For Pérez Guedes, the break meant something else entirely: the beginning of a life beyond the game. He had given Universitario three years of his career at a crucial moment in the club's history. Now he was ready to give his family what they needed most—his presence, his time, his full attention. The farewell was complete.
Citações Notáveis
The club crema thanked him for his time with a tribute video displayed at Estadio Monumental— Universitario's farewell gesture
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did he choose to retire entirely rather than move to another club or a lesser league?
At 34, after three intense years and two championships, he'd already achieved what he came to do. The decline in form this season probably made him realize his body was telling him something. But more than that, he'd been away from his family for the grind of professional football. Sometimes you reach a point where you know the next chapter isn't about the game anymore.
Did the fans understand it was coming, or was this a surprise?
The decline in performance was visible all season, so people could sense something was shifting. But a retirement announcement is always different from watching it unfold. The tribute video at the stadium—that was the club saying what the fans were feeling. He'd been part of something sacred to them, breaking a nine-year curse. They weren't angry; they were grateful.
What does Universitario lose without him?
A midfielder who knew how to control the tempo, who understood what it meant to win in that environment. But honestly, the team had already been playing without his best self this season. The real loss is symbolic—he was a bridge between the old struggles and the new success. Now that bridge is gone, and the team has to find its own way forward under a new coach.
Is there any chance he comes back in some other role?
Nothing in the reporting suggests that. This feels like a clean break. He said goodbye to the fans, the club honored him, and now he's moving on to the next part of his life. Sometimes that's how it should end.