Ardao began his career at Old Christians Club, following in the footsteps of his brother Diego Ardao,[3] He was part of the team that won the national championship in 2019.[4]
Peñarol
In 2020 he gained a professional contract at Peñarol.[5] He played his first game on March 4, 2020 against Selknam. This match also turns out to be the last of the season, because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the 2024 Major League Rugby Season, Ardao had twelve appearances, scoring five tries for a total of 31 points and distinguished himself through excellent defensive play.
International career
Manuel Ardao plays with the Uruguay under-20 team in 2017 and 2018, as part of the World Rugby U20 Trophy. In 2017, his team finished third in the competition. The following year, his team finished in fifth place, but Ardao distinguished himself by scoring six tries in four games.
He made his international debut for Uruguay against Fiji on 17 November 2018.[9] He was included in the Uruguayan squad for the 2019 Rugby World Cup held in Japan marking his first World Cup appearance.[10] He featured in two of Uruguay's games.