Five Vinotinto footballers arrive from Europe with titles this season

European football has seen Venezuelan national team players, known as "Vinotinto," achieve championship titles across four different nations during the 2025-2026 season. Jon Aramburu, Yangel Herrera, Christian Makoun, Kervin "Tuti" Andrade, and Luis Balbo all ended their club campaigns with silverware.

Following their club commitments, Aramburu, Herrera, Makoun, and Balbo are set to join the Venezuelan squad for the June FIFA international window. Andrade, who was previously called up for friendlies in October 2025, was not included in the current roster by national team coach Oswaldo Vizcarrondo.

The first Venezuelan champions of the season were from Real Sociedad. On April 19, the club defeated Atlético de Madrid 3-2 in the Copa del Rey final. Although Herrera did not play in the final match, Aramburu played 113 minutes before being substituted.

Christian Makoun followed suit in May, playing a key role in Levski Sofia's Bulgarian First League title win. The defender accumulated 2,711 minutes across all competitions, making him the sixth-most used player for the team, according to Transfermarkt. In the same month, Kervin Andrade secured the Copa de Israel trophy with Maccabi Tel Aviv, contributing six minutes in the final. Luis Balbo also added to his accolades by winning the Primavera Championship with Fiorentina, marking his second title with the club after the Coppa Italia Primavera in the 2023-24 season.

The national team is preparing for matches against World Cup participants Turkey on June 6 and Iraq on June 9. Aramburu expressed his thoughts on the team's generational shift and the need for cohesion under a new coach, stating, "It's clear that we all wish we were in Turkey's or Iraq's position, preparing for the World Cup. That's not the case, but there has been a generational change, a new coach, and we need to find ourselves, we need to be together as much as possible to implement new ideas."

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It's clear that we all wish we were in Turkey's or Iraq's position, preparing for the World Cup. That's not the case, but there has been a generational change, a new coach, and we need to find ourselves, we need to be together as much as possible to implement new ideas.