Edinson Cavani bought thousands of hectares in rural Uruguay: Years later, his ranch is a horse haven and ultimate retreat

Soccer legend Edinson Cavani spent much of his life playing the game at some of Europe’s biggest clubs, earning tremendous amounts as one of the most prolific strikers of his generation. But while his career took him from Naples to Paris and Manchester, the Uruguayan always dreamed of returning to a rather different environment: the rolling countryside around his hometown of Salto, where he has spent years building an extensive agricultural operation.

The now 39-year-old has invested millions in rural properties in northwestern Uruguay, close to the Argentine border, combining cattle farming and agriculture with his greatest passion outside soccer: breeding horses. What began as an investment in farmland has developed into a personal retreat where Cavani can escape the pressures of professional sports and enjoy the rural lifestyle he experienced growing up.

Cavani made one of his biggest purchases in late 2014, when he was playing for Paris Saint-Germain. According to Uruguayan newspaper ⁠El País, he paid approximately $5.44 million for a 1,376-hectare property in the hills surrounding Salto. That is equivalent to around 3,400 acres, more than four times the size of New York City’s Central Park.

His agricultural interests subsequently expanded beyond that original purchase. Argentine newspaper La Nación reported in 2023 that Cavani owned several properties around Salto and Paysandú, including an estate at El Hervidero overlooking the Uruguay River. He had also acquired two neighboring properties and was involved in cattle farming and crop production elsewhere in the region. One particularly unusual project involved fencing off land inhabited by wild boar and deer, with the intention of creating a nature reserve.

Cavani’s interest in agriculture is not simply a wealthy athlete’s attempt to diversify his investments. He comes from a family with rural roots and has taken an active interest in farming, even studying aspects of livestock management. As Uruguayan publication ⁠Búsqueda reported, his agricultural activities have included cattle production and efforts to learn more about irrigation and animal feeding.

Perhaps the most distinctive aspect of Cavani’s rural life is his enthusiasm for Criollo horses, a South American breed renowned for its endurance and ability to work with livestock. Through his breeding operation, Cabaña El Salvador, he has developed a partnership with Carlos Parietti Henderson, an established Uruguayan breeder whose family has decades of experience raising horses.

The partnership has enjoyed considerable success. In 2021, their mare Porá Garrapiñada was named Grand Champion Female at Expo Salto, also winning the award for the exhibition’s best overall Criollo horse. Another mare, Porá Gargantilla, won the female championship at the same event in 2022. Cavani celebrated the latter achievement on social media while he was still playing in Spain.

Speaking to ⁠El Observador in 2022, Parietti explained that the arrangement was designed with Cavani’s future in mind. Rather than simply selling him their best mares, they had decided to establish a breeding partnership that would allow the striker to develop his own operation once his playing career ended.

For American soccer fans, Cavani is best remembered for his spells with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, where he became the club’s all-time leading scorer before Kylian Mbappé surpassed his record. He also enjoyed successful periods with Napoli and Valencia before joining Boca Juniors in 2023. His time with the Argentine club ended in July 2026. Internationally, he scored 58 goals for Uruguay and helped his country win the 2011 Copa América.

Yet despite his extraordinary career, Cavani has never been particularly attracted to the celebrity lifestyle associated with elite soccer. In a 2022 interview with ⁠The Guardian, he explained that his greatest frustration with professional soccer was the time it kept him away from the countryside. He described finding pleasure in simple activities such as walking through nature, drinking mate and enjoying the landscape.

That attachment to rural Uruguay helps explain why Cavani has devoted so much time and money to developing his properties. For a player who spent years performing in front of tens of thousands of spectators, the ultimate luxury has always been something much simpler: the freedom to return home, spend time with his horses and enjoy the peace of the countryside.

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