Facundo Pieres: One Of The Top Polo Players Of His Generation Polo Superstar

Facundo Pieres: One Of The Top Polo Players Of His Generation
Polo Superstar

Polo superstar Facundo Pieres is one of the top players of his generation. His name is etched on every major trophy around the world. In 2004, at the age of 18, he became the second youngest to ever achieve the elite 10-goal status, the sport’s top rating, and he has not slowed down since.

The 33-year-old Pieres is the second oldest son of the legendary Argentine superstar Gonzalo Pieres, who dominated the Palm Beach Polo fields in the glory days of the 1980s and 1990s.

Among Facundo Pieres’ many victories are his five British Open titles and three Argentine Open crowns. And he has been in the U.S. Open final eight of the last 11 years, winning five, all at the International Polo Club Palm Beach, including last season with Pilot.

“We all know that Facundo is a 10 on the field, but I think he is an 11 off the field,” Pilot patron Curtis Pilot said. “I watched he and his brothers play and practice long before I was able to take the field with them. His leadership abilities were evident. In my opinion, the true sign of a leader is the ability to give others the desire to work with and for them. His presence changes the expectation and feel of the game.”

Pieres and his older brother, Gonzalito, also a 10-goaler, are the linchpins of Pilot’s eponymous team, making them the team to beat anytime they take the field.

“Two things stick out in my mind about [Facundo]. The first is his honor,” Pilot said. “I admire that his word is his bond. I have never had to question our agreements or arrangements. The second, and most important, is his love of family. Watching him with his daughter, parents, wife, nieces and nephews, you see the true man that he is and chooses to be. He has earned my respect and admiration as a person and a friend.”

Facundo and Gonzalito have that special bond between brothers, and it helps them on the field. Facundo is the flashier of the two, and usually among the scoring leaders of any tournament he is in. Gonzalito is the steadying force that allows his sibling to shine. 

“I love playing with him because we know each other very well,” Facundo said of Gonzalito. “We get along very well inside the field and outside the field.”

Off the field, they can often be found on the golf course together with younger brother Nico and friends. Nico is the best golfer among the brothers, according to Facundo, and there is a lot of friendly banter on the course.

If he is not golfing on his off days, Facundo visits the beach with his wife and young daughter. Although he is still at the top of his game, his priorities have changed.

“Now my daughter is my priority in life and everything else comes behind,” he said. “She changed my life. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me.” 

The Pieres family is a close-knit one. With all three brothers playing at IPC, their parents make several trips from Argentina to Wellington to see them and their sister Tatiana, who is married to former 10-goaler Mariano Aguerre, who is playing on Postage Stamp Farm. Facundo has learned numerous lessons from his family. 

“From my mom, [I learned] to always have my feet on the ground,” he said. “And Gonzalito inspires me.”

In 2019, the Pieres brothers led Pilot to an amazing season at IPC, winning 16 consecutive games to capture all three tournaments that make up the Gauntlet of Polo and capturing the cumulative $1 million prize.

“Last year was amazing,” said Facundo, who turns 34 on May 19. “It was a lot of fun. We expect to come back again with a strong season. I’m looking forward to this season.”

It was the first time that a team went undefeated through the three major USPA tournaments at IPC. The last team to win all three was Valiente in 2017 when they went 10-1. Previously, it was Crab Orchard in 2010, winning all three majors with a 12-2 record. They were played at the 26-goal level, and both teams were led by Adolfo Cambiaso, who did not play at IPC in 2019 and is not expected to be at IPC in 2020.

“Whenever you go and play a tournament, you try to be the best organized you can be,” explained Facundo, who is planning to have about 18 horses in Wellington for the season.

Four-goaler Matt Coppola, who was born and raised in Wellington, played for Las Monjitas in 2019 and faced Pilot in the U.S. Open final, dropping a 12-7 decision. Facundo Pieres scored six goals, and Gonzalito Pieres added three goals in that game. 

“You think you’ve got him, and in the blink of an eye, he beats you,” said Coppola, referring to Facundo. “He’s a freak of nature. He’s like Michael Jordan or LeBron James.”

So, what’s in store for 2020 for the iconic Argentine superstar Facundo Pieres and Pilot?

“I think all of us felt like the 2019 season was a fairytale season and will be hard to repeat,” Pilot said. “It’s not that we have to win every game, it’s just that we hate losing more. We intend to play the best we can while honoring the game, horses and players. It looks like all the teams in the 2020 season are amazingly well-balanced and should be highly competitive. This is a true testament to the hard work of the USPA, professionals and their patrons. We look forward to another great year of Florida polo.”

And another opportunity for Facundo Pieres to add to his legacy.

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