49ers' new kicker Eddy Piñeiro is the first and only NFL player from Nicaragua

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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 02: Eddy Piñeiro #18 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on October 02, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - Nearly one month into the new job and San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Piñeiro is already making a difference; that includes a game-winning field goal against the Arizona Cardinals in just his second game during week 3 of the NFL season.

His nicknames include Eddy Money, Eddy Dinero, but he likes what history calls him best.

"The first person from Nicaragua to play in the NFL."

Piñeiro is the son of Cuban and Nicaragüense immigrants, one of about 50 players in the NFL with Hispanic heritage. 

His parents' home lands are Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean and Central America, where baseball is the most popular sport. Though he speaks Spanish fluently, he'll tell you the dialects are very different.

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"There are some curse words that mean different things," the kicker joked. "It's a little confusing if you don't speak Spanish, but it's different, absolutely."

Piñeiro grew up in South Florida, hoping to be a better soccer player than his professional playing father. He says that's who believed in him and his foot.

But it was his parents' sacrifice to move to the United States that ultimately gave him a better life.

"My dad came to this country, worked his butt off, did the American dream, and fought his way through, no hand outs," Piñeiro said proudly.

He played two years as a college kicker at the University of Florida.

He originally intended to attend Alabama, a program that went to the national championship, winning one, during both years of Piñeiro's kicking career.

That's because his parents said they would not be able to attend any of his games in Tuscaloosa because they couldn't afford to travel that far; becoming a Florida Gator was much more feasible.

This isn't Piñeiro's first stint in the Bay Area. He was drafted by the Raiders in Oakland in 2018. He made stops in Chicago, Indianapolis, Washington, New York, and North Carolina along the way.

"My biggest goal was to help my family financially," he said.

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"That was my goal with kicking. I knew that this could change my parents' life. I could buy them a house. Buy them a car.

Data from the Pew Research Center shows Nicaragua ranks 13th in population of Hispanic origin in the United States. Mexico is first.

According to the most recent U.S. Census data, there are about 450,000 people in the U.S. from Nicaragua, about 100,000 in California and 46,000 in the Bay Area.

But only one in the NFL.

"I hear it in the stadium," he said of the welcome and support.

"I can feel it. I can hear it. I hear people talking Spanish to me. It's actually been awesome," Piñeiro said. "My mom, my cousins, my grandma are super proud. I'm super happy and just blessed to be in the position to represent Nicaragua in the NFL.

The NFL has been expanding its regular season games internationally, most recently in places like England, Germany, Ireland and Brazil.

Piñeiro says he'd love to see a game played in Central America.

The league is planning a game in Mexico next year; the last time teams played in Mexio was 2022, when the 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals.