Leandro Paredes has the kind of tattoo collection that makes a football shirt seem to hide half the story. Without the shirt, a large chest scene comes into view alongside religious art, lettering, dates, family details, and black-and-grey work down both arms.

There isn’t one theme tying every piece together. Some tattoos are about Boca Juniors and Argentina; others are personal, and smaller marks show up most clearly in close match photos. Here’s what can be seen and what has actually been reported.

La Bombonera and the beach scene across Paredes’ chest

The main talking point is Paredes’ chest tribute to Boca Juniors. On the right side, La Bombonera appears in fine detail. It’s the stadium where his football story began, rendered as more than a simple club badge.

A small footballer wearing number five appears in the design. Five is Paredes’ shirt number, giving the scene a personal touch. The stadium, player, and ball turn the image into a small football memory, not just a building inked across his chest.

The other side shifts to a beach scene: two children holding hands, with a balloon, sun, and birds in the background. Reports connect the children to his family, though it’s safest to describe the design as family-centred without guessing at private details.

The contrast makes the chest piece work. One half feels busy and football-focused; the other is quieter and more nostalgic. Paredes gives his Boca history and personal life space side by side instead of folding them into one generic design.

The religious figures on his shoulder and upper arm

Some of the most recognizable images on Paredes’ right shoulder and upper arm are religious. A large black-and-grey portrait of the Virgin Mary is framed by lines that radiate outward, making the shoulder stand out even from a distance.

Below it, another religious figure takes up much of the upper arm. The shading gives it a heavier look than the chest’s cleaner lines. These aren’t small wrist symbols; they help explain why his arms look so covered when he plays in short sleeves.

The images are clear, but Paredes hasn’t explained the private meaning behind every part. Rather than invent a dramatic story, it’s fair to say that religious portraits and devotional imagery form a major part of his upper-body tattoos.

Classic black-and-grey work carries the design: faces, soft shading, and strong outlines. It also links the shoulder to the chest, rather than making it feel like a separate sticker. Seen from the front, the radiating lines and religious portrait frame the rest of the chest work.

“VIVERE” on the neck and the 1994 date on his stomach

Two smaller details sit near the middle of Paredes’ body. The word “VIVERE” is low on his neck, and 1994 is tattooed on his abdomen. The date marks his birth year and gives the larger collection a simple personal anchor.

“Vivere” means “to live” in Italian. Paredes has played in Italy, France, Russia, and Argentina, and the short word sits just above the chest work without competing with it.

The date is much plainer: four clear numbers without a portrait or large scene around them. That simplicity breaks up the heavier shading and gives the eye somewhere quieter to rest.

Below the date, photos show a triangle with an eye, laurel-like branches, small birds, and a flower. Since those tiny marks don’t all have confirmed explanations, it’s better to describe what’s visible than make up a story for the whole area.

Black-and-grey arm work, birds and the smaller chest symbols

Paredes’ arms are filled with black-and-grey work, and they look different depending on whether he faces the camera or turns sideways. Clouds, dark shading, and smaller images run from his shoulders toward his wrists.

Small birds and dark shapes across his chest help connect the larger designs. They may not be the headline tattoos, but they keep the stadium, sun, and beach scene from floating on their own. Leaves, a flower, and little marks around the stomach serve a similar role.

The collection mixes realistic portraits with simple symbols. A detailed religious image can sit near a tiny bird or plain date without everything needing the same style. That gives the tattoos a lived-in look, as if they grew over time rather than being planned as one full bodysuit.

Reports also mention family names and lettering near his wrist and lower arm, including his son Giovanni’s name. Those details can be hard to read in wide match photos, but close-ups show how the small pieces matter alongside the chest work. They make the collection personal without turning every design into a public statement.

The chest piece was done by Valentino Russo

Italian tattoo artist Valentino Russo created the Bombonera piece. Photos from the session show the stadium and beach scene taking shape in layers of black and grey across Paredes’ chest.

Those images help explain the level of detail in the finished tattoo. The stadium front, number-five shirt, children, sun, and birds all need different shading. It was more involved than a small emblem that could be finished quickly.

Older photos of Paredes can look very different because the chest piece wasn’t always there. Newer images show a fuller front than earlier photos from his time in Europe. Tattoo collections change as people add work around existing designs.

Russo’s composition connects Paredes’ football past with his family life without forcing them into one portrait. La Bombonera represents the club that raised him; the children and beach scene point toward home and memory. That makes for a more personal tribute than placing a Boca crest alone in the centre.

The Copa América tattoo and the football memories on his legs

Paredes also has football-related tattoos lower down. After Argentina won the 2021 Copa América, reports noted a trophy tattoo on his left leg. He had just won his first senior international title with Argentina, making it a natural memory to mark.

Leg tattoos can be easy to miss beneath a match kit, and warm-up photos may show only a small section. A clear image of his leg adds context that a stack of standard action shots can’t provide. It also separates the Copa América design from the chest piece instead of reducing the entire collection to one large tattoo.

His football memories go beyond a single trophy. The number five appears in different parts of the collection, while La Bombonera links the club of his childhood to the player he became.

Taken together, the tattoos move from Boca and family to Argentina, religious portraits, and small lettering. Some meanings are documented; other marks are simply visible details best left open. That balance keeps the guide accurate without pretending Paredes has published a complete catalogue.
What Leandro Paredes’ tattoos say as a whole

Paredes has a lot of ink, but the collection doesn’t feel random. Family, football, faith, and the places that shaped him keep returning. La Bombonera is central, but it shares the chest with softer images rather than replacing everything else.

The smaller details keep the larger designs from feeling too heavy. 1994, VIVERE, birds, flowers, names, and small symbols break up the portraits and stadium scene. They also show how the tattoos grew in stages rather than arriving as one fully planned design.

Photographs clearly show the religious portraits, Bombonera, beach scene, date, neck lettering, family references, and Copa América memory. Other marks are too small or covered to identify with confidence. That’s fine: a guide can say what’s visible without giving every shadow an invented backstory.

What stands out is how comfortably Paredes wears the mix. A large Boca tribute, an arm portrait, and a small stomach date all appear in the same frame. The result is busy, personal, and unmistakably tied to football, with enough quiet detail to keep drawing the eye.