Ezequiel Ponce Bio
Ezequiel Ponce Martínez is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo. Standing 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) tall, he wears the number 10 shirt for the Texas-based club and is recognized for his pace, aerial ability, and finishing inside the penalty area. Ponce began his career at Newell’s Old Boys in his hometown of Rosario before earning a high-profile move to Italian side Roma in 2015. He holds Spanish citizenship in addition to his Argentine nationality.
Across more than a decade in professional football, Ponce has played for clubs in Argentina, Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Russia, and the United States. His journey has included multiple loan spells, a serious knee injury early in his career, and several prolific scoring stretches, most notably during his time at AEK Athens. In 2024, he became the most expensive signing in Houston Dynamo history.
Early Life and Background
Ezequiel Ponce Martínez was born on 29 March 1997 in Rosario, Argentina, a city renowned for producing world-class footballers. He grew up surrounded by the football culture of the region and joined the youth academy of his hometown club, Newell’s Old Boys, at the age of eight in 2005. He spent the next eight years progressing steadily through the club’s youth ranks.
Rosario is widely regarded as one of the strongest breeding grounds for Argentine football talent, and Ponce’s early development reflected the technical and tactical emphasis common to clubs in the area. Within the Newell’s academy, he built the foundations of his game as a forward, working on his movement, finishing, and aerial play. By his mid-teens, he was already attracting attention from senior coaching staff and reserve-team scouts across South America and Europe.
Although specific details of his formal education are not publicly documented, his formative years were shaped primarily by his commitment to football. His progression from local youth football to the senior squad of a top-flight Argentine club set the stage for his professional debut in 2013.
Path to Professional Soccer
Ponce’s path to the professional ranks began within the youth system of Newell’s Old Boys, where he impressed coaches with his goal-scoring instincts and physical maturity. He earned promotion to the first team during the 2013 season, making his senior league debut on 5 October 2013 against Quilmes in a 2–0 away victory. The appearance marked the start of a professional career that would soon take him across multiple continents.
Less than six months later, on 16 March 2014, he scored his first league goal for Newell’s, finding the net against Racing Club in a 2–0 home win. His emerging talent drew the attention of European scouts, and by August 2015, Italian giants Roma secured his signature for a reported fee of €4.2 million. The transfer represented a significant step up and offered Ponce the chance to compete at the highest levels of European football.
His early months at Roma were promising, as he scored three goals in the UEFA Youth League group stage. However, a torn knee ligament in December 2015 kept him out of action for four months, slowing his adaptation to European football and setting the tone for a series of loan moves that followed.
Ezequiel Ponce Career
Early Career at Newell’s Old Boys (2013–2015)
Ponce broke into the Newell’s Old Boys senior squad in 2013 at the age of 16 and quickly demonstrated his potential as a goal-scoring forward. His first senior goal came in March 2014 against Racing Club, and his performances attracted interest from several European clubs during the 2014–15 season. He remained a developing talent within the Argentine first division, gaining valuable experience in competitive league football.
His form at Newell’s ultimately earned him a €4.2 million move to Serie A side Roma in August 2015, ending his time at his boyhood club. Although his stint in Argentina’s top flight was brief, it provided the platform for his transition to one of Europe’s most prestigious leagues.
Roma and Loan Spell at Granada (2015–2017)
At Roma, Ponce featured for the reserve side and impressed with three goals in the UEFA Youth League group stages before a serious knee injury in December 2015 interrupted his momentum. After recovering, he returned to contribute nine goals in ten matches as Roma’s Primavera team won the Campionato Nazionale Primavera. Although he was named to senior matchday squads, first-team opportunities in Serie A remained limited.
On 5 August 2016, Ponce was loaned to La Liga side Granada CF. He marked his debut with a goal fifteen days later, scoring in a 1–1 home draw against Villarreal CF. The Spanish loan gave him consistent first-team minutes in one of Europe’s top leagues and helped him rebuild match sharpness following his knee injury.
Lille Loan (2017–2018)
In July 2017, after being identified by then-Lille manager Marcelo Bielsa, Ponce joined the Ligue 1 club on loan. He debuted on 6 August 2017 in a 3–0 win against Nantes and scored his first goal for the club on 17 November in a 3–1 victory over AS Saint-Étienne. Working under Bielsa provided Ponce with exposure to a demanding tactical environment and further developed his understanding of European football.
AEK Athens First Spell (2018–2019)
Ponce was loaned to Greek Super League club AEK Athens in July 2018, with a €6 million buy-out clause included in the deal. He quickly adapted to Greek football, scoring on 25 August 2018 in a 2–0 home win over PAS Giannina after a cross from Marko Livaja. His early form suggested he had found a league suited to his style of play.
Throughout the 2018–19 season, Ponce was prolific, finding the net regularly from a combination of headers, volleys, penalties, and close-range finishes. He scored doubles against Aris Thessaloniki and Lamia, and added goals in key matches against Olympiacos, Panionios, and OFI. By April 2019, with 18 goals to his name, he became AEK Athens’ highest scorer in a single season since Ismael Blanco’s 24-goal campaign in 2008–09. Although AEK lost the Greek Cup final to PAOK that season, Ponce had firmly established himself as one of the most dangerous strikers in Greece.
Spartak Moscow and Elche (2019–2023)
On 21 June 2019, Ponce signed a long-term contract with Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow. His time in Russia was mixed; he featured regularly but was sent off in just his fourth appearance after a straight-leg challenge on Dynamo Moscow goalkeeper Anton Shunin during a derby match. He spent two and a half years with Spartak before returning to Spain on loan with Elche CF in January 2022.
At Elche, Ponce impressed enough for the club to exercise the purchase option in his loan contract on 1 June 2022, signing him to a four-year deal. His spell in La Liga helped him regain consistency in one of Europe’s most competitive leagues.
Return to AEK Athens (2023–2024)
On 5 August 2023, Ponce returned to AEK Athens on a permanent transfer, signing a four-year contract for €3,500,000. The move reunited him with the club where he had enjoyed his most prolific scoring season. His second spell in Greece gave him stability and the opportunity to compete in European competition once again.
Houston Dynamo Era (2024–Present)
On 17 June 2024, Ponce joined Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo, becoming the most expensive signing in club history. The transfer represented a new chapter in his career, bringing him to Major League Soccer and giving the Dynamo a proven international striker. He has taken the number 10 shirt at the club and is expected to play a central role in the team’s attacking setup.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ponce is recognized for his pace, intelligent movement off the ball, and aerial ability. He is particularly effective in the penalty area, where his finishing with both feet and his head makes him a constant goal threat. His tactical flexibility allows him to operate as a central striker or as a wider forward, and he has shown an ability to adapt to different leagues and playing styles across his career.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of Ponce’s most notable milestones came during the 2018–19 season at AEK Athens, when his 18 goals made him the club’s highest scorer in a single season since Ismael Blanco’s 2008–09 campaign. His transfer to Houston Dynamo in 2024 set a new club record as the most expensive signing in Dynamo history. He also represented Argentina at youth international level, featuring for the under-20 side at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup and for the under-23 team from 2019 to 2021.
Ezequiel Ponce Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Details about Ponce’s family background, including his parents and any footballing lineage, are not publicly documented in available sources. He grew up in Rosario, Argentina, a city famous for producing elite footballers, and his early football education took place entirely within the youth system of Newell’s Old Boys. His Spanish citizenship, in addition to his Argentine nationality, suggests possible family ties to Spain, though specific details have not been publicly confirmed.
Personal Life
Ponce holds dual Argentine and Spanish citizenship, which has allowed him to play across multiple European leagues without occupying a foreign-player slot. Public information about his marital status, spouse, or children is not available in verified sources. Off the pitch, he maintains an active presence on social media, including an Instagram account under the handle ezequielp9.
2025 Season Performance
Entering the 2025 Major League Soccer season, Ezequiel Ponce is expected to play a central role in the Houston Dynamo attack as the club’s record signing. After settling into life in Texas during the latter half of 2024, his first full season in MLS offers the Argentine forward the chance to establish himself as a leading scorer in the league. The Dynamo will look to him to provide consistent goals and creative play in the final third.
The 2025 campaign also represents an opportunity for Ponce to demonstrate that his prolific form in Greece and Spain can translate to North American football. With the Dynamo investing heavily in his signing, expectations are high for a strong individual contribution and a push toward the MLS Cup playoffs.
Should he replicate the form that made him AEK Athens’ top scorer in 2018–19, Ponce could quickly become one of the most influential Argentine players in Major League Soccer. His experience across multiple European leagues, combined with his proven goal-scoring record, positions him well to make an immediate impact on the Dynamo’s 2025 season.
