Manuel Federico Hidalgo Gasparini (born 3 May 1999) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Malaysia Super League club Johor Darul Ta'zim. Born in Argentina, he represents the Malaysia national team.
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Club career
Ferro Carril Oeste
At the age of 15, Hidalgo trained with the first team of Argentine club Ferro Carril Oeste in July 2014.
Benfica
In March 2017, Hidalgo signed for Benfica U19, the most successful club in Portugal, after trialing with English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.
Triestina
On 31 July 2017, Hidalgo signed for Serie C club Triestina, which plays in the Italian third division. He made his debut for the club on 10 August 2017, coming on as a substitute in a 5–1 win against Ravenna.
Sheffield Wednesday
On 15 January 2020, Hidalgo signed for English EFL Championship team Sheffield Wednesday U21 on an 18-month contract. However, he terminated his contract with six months remaining, citing the death of Argentina international Diego Maradona as one of the reasons behind the decision.
Sri Pahang
On 4 May 2021, Hidalgo moved to Southeast Asia to joined Malaysian Super League club Sri Pahang. On 5 May 2021 he scored his first goal on his debut for the club in a 2–2 home match draw against rival Selangor in which he also got an assist in the match putting up a 'Man of the Match' performances.
Kedah Darul Aman
On 5 January 2023, Hidalgo moved to another Malaysian club, Kedah Darul Aman, which offered him a bigger salary due to his magnificent performances with Sri Pahang during the 2022 season. He made his debut for the club on 25 February 2023 in a league match against Perak. On 26 August 2023, Hidalgo put in a fiery display against Johor Darul Ta'zim in which he recorded a hat-trick of assists in a 3–3 draw against the Malaysian league champions. Hidalgo won the 'Man of the Match' afterwards for notably ending Johor Darul Ta'zim's winning streak of dominance in the league.
Johor Darul Ta'zim
On 11 March 2024, Hidalgo was rewarded with a move to the Malaysian champions Johor Darul Ta'zim. However, he was immediately loaned out to former club Sri Pahang.
On 11 March 2024, Hidalgo returned to Sri Pahang on loan ahead of the 2024–25 Malaysia Super League season. During the second leg of the 2024–25 Malaysia Cup quarter-final on 22 December, Hidalgo scored his first career hat-trick against Perak in a 3–3 draw which saw Sri Pahang advance to the semi-final with a 4–3 aggregate.
After a successful loan move to Sri Pahang, on 2 July 2025, Hidalgo signed with Kuala Lumpur City on loan from Johor Darul Ta'zim.
International career
On 17 September 2026, Hidalgo was cleared by FIFA to represent Malaysia as a naturalized player after living in the country for more than five years. He was called up for the national team on the same day in preparation for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup. He made his international debut for the Malaysia national team against Bangladesh on 25 September 2026.
Honours
Johor Darul Ta'zim
Malaysia Super League: 2025–26
Malaysia Cup: 2026
Malaysia FA Cup: 2025