At the age of 12, Iturbe made his first-team debut for Sportivo Trinidense in the 2006 Paraguayan Division Intermedia. He scored his first goal for the club in the 35th minute of a 1–0 away victory against Choré Central on 7 May 2006. Sportivo Trinidense finished in second position of the Division Intermedia table and were promoted to the Primera División Paraguaya for the 2007 season.
Iturbe debuted for Cerro Porteño on 28 June 2009 at the age of 16 in a game against Libertad, the 21st week of the Paraguayan Primera División. Being 17 years of age, Iturbe was not under professional contract with Cerro Porteño, therefore, he trained with Quilmes of the Argentine Primera División. In January 2011, Iturbe confirmed he was signing with Portuguese club Porto and would join the team when he turned 18. After agreeing on the move, he returned to Cerro Porteño in February, where he remained until his 18th birthday in June. He scored a brace in his first Copa Libertadores game shortly after that.
Iturbe joined Italian club Hellas Verona, newly promoted to Serie A, on a season-long loan deal for the 2013–14 season. He scored his first goal for the club with a curled free kick as Verona went on to beat Livorno 2–1 on 29 September. On 27 May 2014, Verona announced the signing of Iturbe on a permanent deal for €15 million.
On 16 July 2014, just weeks after signing for Verona, Serie A giants Roma announced the signing of Iturbe for €22 million with performance-based add-ons up to €2.5 million. The player signed a five-year contract, ending on 30 June 2019. Iturbe's first goal for Roma was against CSKA Moscow in the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, which ended in a 5–1 victory. He also scored against Juventus and a vital goal in the Derby della Capitale against Lazio, which helped Roma to stay in second position and gave Roma a direct start in the Champions League in the next year.
On 4 January 2017, it was announced that Iturbe had joined Torino on loan with a buying option.
Tijuana (loan) and Pumas UNAM
On 21 August 2017, Iturbe was loaned to Liga MX side Club Tijuana until 30 June 2018. Due to "sporting targets" that were reached during the season, Tijuana had to make the transfer permanent. They then sent Iturbe to Pumas in a swap deal.
International career
Having spent most of his life in Paraguay, Iturbe began his international career in the youth setup of Paraguay. In October 2009, he was called up to the Paraguay national team by coach Gerardo Martino at the age of 16 for a friendly against Chile in November. Iturbe was substituted onto the field in the 73rd minute of the match for Juan Rodrigo Rojas as Paraguay were defeated 2–1 on 4 November 2009. As this had not been a competitive game, Iturbe was able to change allegiances if so wished. He later fell out with the management in Paraguay and declared his allegiance for Argentina. In early 2016, however, Iturbe expressed his desire to once more represent Paraguay. On 8 March 2016, he was called up for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Ecuador and Brazil. He made his competitive debut with Paraguay on 29 March as a substitute in the second half of the match against Brazil, making him cap-tied to Paraguay. He was named to Paraguay's squad for the Copa América Centenario that summer.
Style of play
The media once dubbed Iturbe the "new Lionel Messi", given their many similarities: like Messi, Iturbe has been described as "a left-footed, technically gifted Argentine – but nowadays representing Paraguay – forward of diminutive stature who is agile and quick on the ball and who possesses an eye for goal." An all-around forward, Iturbe has been fielded as a winger on either flank, a second striker, a center forward and, on occasions, as an attacking midfielder, although his preferred role is right winger. Regarded as a promising young player, he is known in particular for his dribbling skills, pace, and powerful striking ability.
