{{short description|Paraguayan footballer (born 1987)}} {{for|the Mexican football defender|Édgar Benítez (Mexican footballer)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Édgar Benítez | image = Edgar Benitez.jpg | image_size = 160px | caption = | fullname = Édgar Milciades Benítez Santander | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1987|11|8}} | birth_place = Repatriación, Caaguazú, Paraguay | height = 1.76 m | position = Midfielder | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 2005–2007 | years2 = 2008 | years3 = 2009–2013 | years4 = 2011–2012 | years5 = 2012–2013 | years6 = 2013–2015 | years7 = 2015–2018 | years8 = 2018–2019 | years9 = 2020 | years10 = 2021 | years11 = 2021–2022 | years12 = 2023 | years13 = 2023–2024 | years14 = 2025 | clubs1 = Libertad | clubs2 = → Sol de América (loan) | clubs3 = Pachuca | clubs4 = → Cerro Porteño (loan) | clubs5 = → Toluca (loan) | clubs6 = Toluca | clubs7 = Queretaro | clubs8 = Libertad | clubs9 = Guaraní | clubs10 = Sportivo Luqueño | clubs11 = Alianza Lima | clubs12 = General Caballero JLM | clubs13 = UCV | clubs14 = Rubio Ñu | caps1 = 32 | caps2 = 37 | caps3 = 85 | caps4 = 44 | caps5 = 38 | caps6 = 71 | caps7 = 71 | caps8 = 47 | caps9 = 18 | caps10 = 18 | caps11 = 31 | caps12 = 15 | caps13 = 38 | caps14 = 8 | goals1 = 2 | goals2 = 21 | goals3 = 21 | goals4 = 11 | goals5 = 6 | goals6 = 15 | goals7 = 8 | goals8 = 12 | goals9 = 1 | goals10 = 4 | goals11 = 2 | goals12 = 0 | goals13 = 3 | goals14 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 2006–2007 | nationalyears2 = 2008–2017 | nationalteam1 = Paraguay U20 | nationalteam2 = Paraguay | nationalcaps1 = | nationalcaps2 = 56 | nationalgoals1 = | nationalgoals2 = 9 | club-update = 18 September 2024 | ntupdate = 2 June 2017 }} {{family name hatnote|Benítez|Santander|lang=Spanish}}
'''Édgar Milciades Benítez Santander''' ({{IPA|es|ˈeðɣaɾ βeˈnites}}; born 8 November 1987), nicknamed ''Pájaro'' ({{IPA|es|ˈpaxaɾo|}}; bird), is a Paraguayan footballer who plays as a midfielder. He also holds Mexican citizenship. A Paraguayan international on 56 occasions since 2008, he represented his country at the FIFA World Cup 2010 and two Copa América tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://deportes.televisa.com/futbol-mexicano/2015-07-22/especial-crece-numero-naturalizados-liga-mx/ |title=Especial: Crece el número de naturalizados en la Liga MX | Futbol Mexicano | TelevisaDeportes.com |access-date=26 July 2015 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304061242/http://deportes.televisa.com/futbol-mexicano/2015-07-22/especial-crece-numero-naturalizados-liga-mx/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2006, he won the Milk Cup with Paraguay's under-20 team.<ref name="rsssf1">{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nilmilk-u20.html|title=Milk Cup (Northern Ireland)}}</ref>
==Career==
===Club=== Benítez started his career in Club 12 de Octubre of Itaugua before moving to Libertad in 2005, where he won the Paraguayan 1st division tournament although he mostly played as a substitute. In 2008, he was signed by Sol de América and quickly established himself in the club, being one of the team's top goalscorers.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20080225152816/http://www.futbolalogrande.com/estadisticas/ Stats from Paraguayan 1st division]}}</ref>
On 1 December 2008, it was announced that Benítez will play in the Mexican League for Pachuca CF. He made his debut with C.F. Pachuca on 2 January in the Interliga 2009, scoring his first goal with the club in the 4–0 win over Tecos UAG. He would end the tournament as the top goalscorer with 4 goals in 4 games, helping Pachuca obtain a spot in the qualifying round for the Copa Libertadores 2009.<ref>[http://www.mediotiempo.com/noticia/72564/pachuca-gano-el-primer-boleto-a-libertadores/ El Tuzo se alzó en un partido vibrante frente al Atlas]</ref>
Since 2009 he wasn't considered as a starter for Pachuca. He is mainly used as a substitute for every match. He has participated constantly in Pachuca's matches in Bicentenario 2010. On 20 February 2010 he started a match against Chiapas. He scored twice in this game and Pachuca secured a 2–2. In June, 2015, Queretaro announced that Benítez would play for them for the upcoming season.
==National team== In the 2006 Milk Cup, he scored in the 60th minute in a 2–0 victory over the USA.<ref name="rsssf1"/>
He played first international match in 2008. Due to his good performances with Sol de América he was called for the Paraguay national football team and had a good debut, playing in his first 2010 World Cup qualification match against Peru in which Paraguay won 1–0.<ref>[http://www.ole.clarin.com/notas/2008/10/15/seleccion/01781795.html Benítez conmigo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081018180602/http://www.ole.clarin.com/notas/2008/10/15/seleccion/01781795.html |date=18 October 2008 }} {{in lang|es}}</ref>
He was included in Paraguay's squad for the 2015 Copa América, scoring the only goal of a 1–0 win against Jamaica in the team's second group match on 16 June 2015.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33085560|title=Paraguay 1-0 Jamaica|date=15 June 2015|publisher=BBC}}</ref>
He scored the second goal for Paraguay in a 2–2 draw against Brazil for the nation's campaign to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
===International goals=== ''Updated 29 March 2016'' {| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" |- ! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Final !! Competition |- | 1. || 1 October 2008 || Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay || {{fb|PER}} || '''1'''-0 || 1-0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 2. || 1 April 2009 || Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador || {{fb|ECU}} || 1–'''1''' || 1–1 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 3. || 21 December 2011 || Estadio La Portada, La Serena, Chile || {{fb|CHI}} || 1–'''1''' || 3–2 || Friendly |- | 4. || 15 February 2012 || Estadio Feliciano Cáceres, Luque, Paraguay || {{fb|CHI}} || '''1'''–0 || 2–0 || Friendly |- | 5. || 22 February 2012 || Estadio Feliciano Cáceres, Luque, Paraguay || {{fb|GUA}} || '''1'''–0 || 2–1 || Friendly |- | 6. || 22 March 2013 || Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay || {{fb|URU}} || 1–'''1''' || 1–1 || 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 7. || 11 October 2013 || CTE Cachamay, Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela || {{fb|VEN}} || 0–'''1''' || 1–1 || 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 8. || 16 June 2015 || Estadio Regional de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile || {{fb|JAM}} || '''1'''–0 || 1–0 || 2015 Copa América |- | 9. || 29 March 2016 || Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay || {{fb|BRA}} || '''2'''–0 || 2–2 || 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |}
==Honours== ;Libertad *Paraguayan Primera División: 2006, 2007
;Pachuca *CONCACAF Champions League: 2009–10
;Cerro Porteño *Paraguayan Primera División: 2012 Apertura
;Querétaro *Copa MX: Apertura 2016 *Supercopa MX: 2017
;Alianza Lima * Peruvian Primera División: 2021, 2022 * Peruvian Torneo Clausura: 2021
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{BDFA|31280}} *{{NFT player|27998}} *{{MedioTiempo|edgar-benitez}} *{{Soccerway|edgar-milciades-benitez/23993}}
{{Navboxes |title=Paraguay squads | bg = #dd0000 | fg = White |list1= {{Paraguay squad 2010 FIFA World Cup}} {{Paraguay squad 2015 Copa América}} {{Paraguay squad Copa América Centenario}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benitez, Edgar}} Category:1987 births Category:Footballers from Caaguazú Department Category:Living people Category:Naturalized citizens of Mexico Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Paraguayan men's footballers Category:Paraguay men's under-20 international footballers Category:Paraguay men's international footballers Category:Club Libertad footballers Category:Club Sol de América footballers Category:C.F. Pachuca players Category:Cerro Porteño players Category:Deportivo Toluca F.C. players Category:Querétaro F.C. footballers Category:Club Guaraní players Category:Sportivo Luqueño players Category:Club Alianza Lima footballers Category:Club Deportivo Universidad César Vallejo footballers Category:Paraguayan Primera División players Category:Liga MX players Category:Peruvian Primera División players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:2015 Copa América players Category:Copa América Centenario players Category:CONCACAF Champions Cup–winning players Category:Paraguayan expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Category:Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Peru Category:Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Peru Category:21st-century Paraguayan sportsmen