7 Facts About Nadeo Argawinata, The Handsome Indonesian Goalkeeper Who Stole Vietnam Fans’ Hearts

Nadeo Argawinata, the handsome Indonesian goalkeeper who went viral in Vietnam

The match against Indonesia in the World Cup 2022 Asian Qualifiers was a resounding victory for the Vietnam national football team. With this, the team has now secured the top spot in group G.

But while we cheer on our star players such as Quang Hải, Tiến Linh, or Công Phượng for their impressive performances, a member of the opposing team also captured attention thanks to his handsome features.

And sure enough, netizens wasted no time identifying the man. He is Nadeo Argawinata, currently playing as the main goalkeeper for the Indonesian national football team.

If you find yourself smitten, here are 7 facts about Argawinata that you might want to know.

1. He is from Kediri, Indonesia, and is currently 24 years old

Image credit: @nadeowinataa

Nadeo Argawinata was born on 9th March 1997 in Kediri, Indonesia. He showed an interest in football at an early age and played in several local clubs in his teenage years, including SSB Macan Putih and Persik Kediri.

2. He left his hometown to pursue a pro career

Image credit: @nadeowinataa

In 2016, the then-19-year-old Argawinata left his hometown and moved to Borneo. There, he joined Borneo F.C in pursuit of a professional career.

After several years with the team, he moved on to join Bali United – his current club – in 2020.

3. He and his team won a silver medal at SEA Games 2019

Image credit: @nadeowinataa

In 2019, Argawinata earned a spot in the Indonesia national U23 team that represented Indonesia at SEA Games – a regional sports tournament featuring countries from Southeast Asia.

They made it to the final match and won a silver medal, after losing to the Vietnam team. It would seem our two countries have a lot of history.

4. He has 280,000 Instagram followers

Image credit: @nadeowinataa

Nadeo Argawinata currently has 280,000 followers on Instagram at the moment of this writing, and that number seems to be on a steady rise.

Image credit: @nadeowinataa

Indeed, many of his recent followers are Vietnamese fans, who probably noticed his attractiveness while watching yesterday’s match.

5. He is also a model

Image credit: @nadeowinataa

Aside from being a professional football player, Argawinata also models in his free time. On his Instagram feed, we can see several posts where he advertises for clothing and sports products.

6. He is often compared to Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga

Nadeo Argawinata (left) and Kepa Arrizabalaga (right)
Image adapted from Pinterest and @nadeowinataa

Nadeo Argawinata is often compared to Kepa Arrizabalaga Revuelta, a Spanish football player who currently plays for Premier League club Chelsea, also in the goalkeeper position. The two men share the same height and many similar facial features.

Indeed, looking at their pictures side by side, the resemblance is quite uncanny.

7. He just got married earlier this year

Image credit: @nadeowinataa

Argawinata’s handsome features and perfect physique no doubt make him ideal boyfriend/husband material. Alas, the man is already taken.

Just earlier this year, Argawinata officially tied the knot with Destiara Sari, his long-time girlfriend. Sorry, ladies.

Still, it probably doesn’t hurt to drool over his online pictures to soothe our broken hearts.

Indonesian goalkeeper Nadeo Argawinata wins over Vietnamese fans

Of course, as Vietnamese citizens, we want our national team to come out victorious. While that does put us on the opposite side of Nadeo Argawinata in the pitch, it doesn’t mean we cannot admire his charisma and charm.

After all, the point of international sports tournaments is to deliver fair, friendly competitions and build cross-border relationships.

And while things are not going well for Argawinata and his team in this tournament, we do hope they’ll put up a fight until the very end. Now he’ll have fans from both from their home country, and from Vietnam rooting for him on the pitch.

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Cover image adapted from @nadeowinataa

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