Fernando Forestieri has embarked on a new chapter in English non-league football after signing for sixth-tier outfit Oxford City. The 36-year-old Argentine forward, who previously shared pitches with global stars such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, made his debut as an 81st-minute substitute at the Hebburn Sports and Social Ground in Tyne & Wear. Playing before 873 supporters, Forestieri helped the Hoops complete a 3-0 victory over Hebburn Town, sealing their seventh win in 11 games to move third in National League North. Reflecting on the physical contest, he noted: "It was like a tennis match, the ball going one way one second, then the other way the next."
The former Watford and Sheffield Wednesday attacker now turns his attention to Friday night, when Oxford City host League One side Leicester City in the FA Cup first round before an anticipated 3,500 sell-out crowd. A decade on from Leicester's Premier League title triumph—the same season Forestieri's Wednesday side suffered defeat against Hull City in the Championship play-off final at Wembley—the forward believes a shock result is possible. "There's a big gap between what Leicester did 10 years ago and where they are now," Forestieri said. "Why can't Oxford City cause an upset? This is what the FA Cup is all about."
Forestieri's move down the football pyramid follows an eventful career that included playing before 72,000 fans at Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium, scoring against Inter Milan for Siena, and facing Barcelona's Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic while with Malaga. Raised in poverty in Rosario—where his brother Maximiliano survived a gunshot injury—the attacker developed at Newell's Old Boys and Boca Juniors before making his Genoa debut at 16. Following recent stints in Malaysia and Cyprus, he returned to England after the birth of his third son, Luciano, and signed for Oxford City after assistant manager Paul Robinson, an ex-Watford teammate, offered him the opportunity to train and regain fitness.
Currently residing in north London with his wife Andria and sons Santiago, Maximiliano, and Luciano, Forestieri is also working toward his coaching badges while balancing his playing commitments. Following the money-spinning cup tie against Leicester, the Hoops will travel north to face Darlington in a league fixture next Tuesday. Acknowledging that "you need to listen to your body when you reach 36," Forestieri expressed gratitude for his playing career, remaining eager to contribute to an ambitious squad while nurturing his lifelong love for the sport.
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