---
title: "Juan Palacios: “It’s a dream of mine to play for Barcelona”"
date: 2026-10-19T15:09:06Z
lang: en
author: "Robin Hosman"
canonical: https://balticfootballnews.com/juan-palacios-its-a-dream-of-mine-to-play-for-barcelona/
categories: ["Interviews", "Premium liiga"]
---

# Juan Palacios: “It’s a dream of mine to play for Barcelona”
_by Robin Hosman_

**Paide attacker Juan Palacios has discussed his journey from Colombia to Estonia with Baltic Football News, his three years at Fluminense and his ambitions to play in La Liga or the Premier League, having joined the Estonian club after developing in South America.**

Juan Palacios’ route to Paide has taken him from youth football in Colombia to Brazil and now Estonia, where the young attacker is adapting to a new country and a different level of football.

Palacios began his development at Estrella del 2000 before moving to Medellín, where he was involved with Selección Antioquia and Selección Colombia. He later joined Rojo FC, a club that helped young players pursue opportunities in other cities.

“My beginnings in football were quite difficult. I come from a very low-income family,” Palacios said. He described the challenges of developing in a town with only one football pitch, where all the teams trained.

The next step in his career came at Fluminense, where he spent three years and made 19 appearances for the club’s Under-20 side, scoring twice. The move to Brazil was unexpected, but Palacios looks back on his time there positively.

“My experience at Fluminense came very suddenly because I never expected to travel to Brazil and become part of Fluminense. I think my experience there was really good, and I learned a lot,” he said.

Palacios also represented Colombia at Under-17 level. He received his first call-up at the age of 15 for a training camp, although he did not take part in the tournament. He later received another call-up with his own age group and went on to play for the national side.

“It’s something that stays with you forever because representing your country is a source of pride,” he said. “It’s a dream that many people share, to represent their country, but only a few people manage to achieve that goal.”

His move to Estonia brought another unfamiliar experience. Palacios admitted that he had never heard much about the country before arriving, while the transition from Colombia’s warm climate to Estonia’s colder conditions has proved difficult.

> “Nobody had ever told me about Estonia, but when I arrived here, my first thought was to enjoy myself, be happy and give the team as much as I can,” he said.

Being far from family and friends has also presented challenges, although Palacios recognises that travelling abroad is part of a footballer’s career. In his free time, he enjoys playing video games, particularly FIFA on PlayStation, as well as some mobile games.

Palacios said the level of football in Estonia differs from what he experienced with Fluminense’s Under-20 team, pointing to differences in the pace of the game. He is now focused on contributing to Paide while keeping his long-term ambitions in mind.

“I’m happy to contribute to the team, my teammates, and the club right now. Maybe in a few seasons, I’ll see myself playing for a bigger club,” he said.

Playing in Spain or England remains a major ambition for the young attacker. “It’s a dream of mine to play in La Liga, for Barcelona, or in the Premier League, which I’ve always loved since I was a kid,” Palacios said.

For now, he is happy at Paide and hopes to achieve great things with the club.