Walter Benítez

The Argentina international goalkeeper joined Palace in July 2025 from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven.

Born in the city of General San Martín in January 1993, Benítez’s break in professional football came with Quilmes Atlético Club in Buenos Aires – the oldest club in the Argentinian club system.

First signed as a youth player in 2011, he would turn professional and make his senior debut in the 2013/14 season.

Thrown in at the deep end, Benítez helped his club to some crucial points to help stave off relegation, going onto establish himself as first choice goalkeeper in the following campaign.

Successive impressive seasons in his homeland saw Benítez make his move over to Europe in 2016, joining French outfit OGC Nice.

Originally signed as a back-up, the Argentine established himself as number one in the 2017/18 season. Within a year he won the Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year award selected by France Football magazine, after keeping 16 clean sheets in 35 top-flight appearances. Developing into a leader as well as a fine goalkeeper, Benítez also wore the Nice captain’s armband on several occasions.

The ‘keeper then made 134 appearances over three seasons for PSV, winning back-to-back Eredivisie titles (in 2024 and 2025); the KNVB Cup (in 2023); and two Johan Cruyff Shields (in 2022 and 2023), all-the-while keeping 43 clean sheets in all competitions.

The shot-stopper was influential in both league-winning seasons: he was an ever-present in the 24/25, with nine clean sheets; whilst he finished the previous year with 18 shutouts, conceding just 20 goals across the entire campaign.

During his time in the Netherlands, he became known as one of the league’s outstanding goalkeepers, with both his shot-stopping skills and excellent reflexes in particular catching the eye.

Benítez also impressed in continental and international football, featuring 27 times for PSV in the UEFA Champions League.

First called up in June 2023, he has since been a consistent pick for La Albiceleste ever since, winning his first Argentina cap in a 3-1 win over Costa Rica in March 2024.

Benítez enjoyed a dream start to life at Palace, producing a heroic debut display and making two crucial saves in the penalty shoot-out to help the Eagles overcome Millwall in the Carabao Cup fourth round at Selhurst Park.

The Argentine quickly established himself as a trusted presence when called upon, delivering a series of assured performances across domestic and European competitions.

He further underlined his reliability in the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Arsenal, producing a string of outstanding saves to force a penalty shoot-out, before finishing his debut campaign with eight appearances and three clean sheets across all competitions.