Early years Born to Alfredo Lugano and Diana Morena in
Canelones,
Canelones Department, Lugano started playing football for his hometown club Club Atlético Libertad, like his father Alfredo. In December 1998, he played his first match with the first-team squad of Libertad, becoming league champions with the club at the age of 18 years. From Libertad, in 1999, Lugano transferred to
Club Nacional de Football in
Montevideo. Three years later, Lugano was loaned out to
Plaza Colonia for the duration of the playing season.
São Paulo Lugano came to
São Paulo FC in 2003. He was contracted by club President
Marcelo Portugal Gouveia without
consulting the head coach
Oswaldo de Oliveira. President Gouveia's actions led to the ascribing of the nickname
"Homem do Presidente" ("President's Man") to Lugano. After Oswaldo de Oliveira left the club in late 2003, Lugano started playing matches more frequently. In 2005, he led the team to titles in the
Campeonato Paulista, the
Copa Libertadores, and the
FIFA Club World Championship in Japan. That same year, Lugano was recognized as South America's best defender. His leadership skills and his willingness to fight for ball possession have raised his profile amongst São Paulo's supporters, where he is still highly regarded. Lugano has also mentioned that he still maintains a good relationship with the club. In 2006, he helped his club to the runner-up stage of the Copa Libertadores.
Fenerbahçe Lugano joined
Fenerbahçe on 21 August 2006 for a reported transfer fee of €7.5 million, Since then, he has a strong connection with supporters, especially with the
Genç Fenerbahçeliler. He was one of the captains of the team. He signed a new four-year contract in 2009 with Fenerbahçe.
Paris Saint-Germain On 27 August 2011, Fenerbahçe announced Lugano was leaving the club to join
Paris Saint-Germain in the French
Ligue 1 for a fee worth €3 million. His first season in France, however, ended poorly and Lugano made just 12 appearances, mostly being cut out of the side due to injury and poor form.
Málaga On 21 January 2013, Lugano signed with Spanish side
Málaga CF until 30 June on loan. As he was not in PSG manager
Carlo Ancelotti's plans, Lugano was not inscribed in the
Champions League for that season; this way, he was not cup tied for his new club and represented Málaga in their European ambitions. He returned to PSG on 1 July 2013, with Málaga failing to make the loan move permanent.
West Bromwich Albion On 2 August 2013, Lugano joined Premier League club
West Bromwich Albion on a two-year contract. He scored his first goal for West Brom on 20 January 2014, heading in an equalizer in a 1–1 home draw with
Everton. On 17 May 2014, West Bromwich announced the release of five players of their squad, including Lugano.
BK Häcken On 26 March 2015, Lugano signed for Swedish side
BK Häcken on a short-term contract until the summer. Lugano became one of the most merited players ever to play in the Swedish top league.
Cerro Porteño On 7 July 2015,
La Nación reported that
Primera División Paraguaya team Cerro Porteño had assured the signing of Lugano. On 12 July, Lugano's transfer was officially made. Upon arriving to Paraguay, Lugano was received at the airport by Cerro Porteño managers and fans, and was presented as a Cerro Porteño footballer. He signed a 1-year contract. At the presentation, Lugano pointed "I arrived at Cerro for the need of returning to South America and to be closer to my country. The proposal from Cerro closed everything I wanted, it's a big club, it will demand me and oblige me to return to my level". Lugano revealed that since arriving at Cerro Porteño, he received better offers, but decided to stay. In August 2015, Lugano debuted for Cerro Porteño in a 4–0 victory against
General Díaz, scoring the first goal of the game in the first half, scoring with a header. This was his first league goal since January 2014 for West Bromwich Albion. His goals occurred in the 69th, from a header. On 7 November, he scored a 90 + 8th-minute penalty in a 3–1 home defeat against
Libertad. On 9 December 2015, he made his last appearance of the year in a 2–1 defeat against Olimpia Asunción, scoring an own goal in the 63rd minute. In December 2015, Lugano was awarded by
Diario Popular as the most popular player in
Paraguayan football. Lugano had discarded his trip with the team to
Encarnación for the pre-season preparation for the Torneo Apertura. On 5 January 2016, Lugano reached an agreement with Cerro Porteño to leave the club and was available to negotiate a return to Brazilian team São Paulo, who were interested in his services. Following Lugano's departure, the club's directives and fans were bothered. Upon his departure from the club, Lugano left a message of gratitude to Cerro Porteño through his
social media channel of
Facebook. Lugano totalled 5 goals, 10 yellow cards and 1 expulsion in 16 games for Cerro Porteño, In January 2018, Lugano accepted the role of director of institutional relations at São Paulo, confirming his retirement as a player. ==International career==