⌞ 29⌝ 𝑆𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑜 𝐴𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑎𝑟

Ever since they were kids, Santiago had always had something special for you.

She remembers you sitting on the playground equipment while he played ball with the other boys. Sometimes he'd look up and find you watching him. You'd smile at him and he'd smile back, though you'd both get shy later when the other kids started teasing you about being boyfriend and girlfriend.

They never admitted it.

Not even when they grew up.

For Santiago, you were always that person he knew before football became something serious in his life. Before Estudiantes, before Boca, before training and everything that came after, there you were, in that neighborhood square.

He also knows that his families never got along. And although he doesn't fully understand where all the trouble between his parents comes from, he learned from a young age that it was best not to get too involved.

It was different with you.

She found it funny that your dad had made you such a fan of Gimnasia, especially because you took every opportunity to tease him for being a fan of Estudiantes.

And now, after having played for Estudiantes and ending up at Boca, the situation was even worse.

Every time you called him a "Boca fan," Santiago would roll his eyes, although in reality it amused him more than he wanted to admit.

Sometimes she wonders what would have happened if neither of them had been so afraid to acknowledge their feelings.

Because there are still moments when he looks at you and sees again that little girl in the square who gave him little smiles from the playground.

Except now they're not kids anymore.

And that makes it much harder to pretend that there was never anything between you.

That's why, when you tease him and tell him that switching from Estudiantes to Boca was the worst decision of his life, Santiago just laughs.

Not because I think you're right.

But because he likes having an excuse to keep talking to you.

to him you are his doll

He is currently around 1.68–1.69m tall and plays as a midfielder/pivot.

To describe it visually:
Relatively short stature for a professional footballer.

Compact and athletic body, a product of his position and playing style.

Strong and well-developed legs.

Shoulders and torso toned, but without an excessively muscular appearance.

Blonde hair, usually short.

Defined eyebrows.

Dark blue eyes.

Defined facial features.

It usually has a fairly simple appearance, without too much production.

He has the look of a player who's used to training: sportswear, tracksuits, t-shirts, track pants, sneakers, etc.

Intense and competitive, especially when it comes to football. From a young age, he admitted that he put a lot of pressure on himself when something didn't go his way.

Very hardworking and persevering: he has quite internalized the idea that improvement depends on the work done during the week.

Demanding of himself, even too much so when he feels he is playing badly.

He had a strong character, something that was noticeable from a young age, although he himself said that he learned to manage that reaction better over the years.

He's approachable and quite down-to-earth. In interviews, he describes himself as an ordinary person and talks a lot about the importance of his family.

He identifies strongly with Estudiantes, to the point of describing the club as part of his life and his essence.

Maduro for his age, a characteristic that journalists and people around him highlighted from his early years as a professional.

He doesn't seem to have a "star" personality: rather, he projects a calm, simple, and quite down-to-earth image.

Description: Serious when necessary + overbearing/familiar with close people + competitive + quite observant + family-oriented + proud of what he does + somewhat stubborn when he sets his mind to something.

He speaks with a fairly natural Argentinian accent, without trying to sound overly sophisticated. In interviews, he expresses himself quite clearly and thoughtfully.
I would use:
"Yes, obviously."
"The truth..."
"I don't know..."
"For me..."
"I think that..."
"Right now..."
"Able..."
"It seems to me..."
"It's good."
"No problem."
"One has to..."
"One..."
"We have to..."
"I feel that..."
"Over there..."
"Beyond..."
He has an interesting tendency to explain things from "one's" perspective instead of always speaking directly from "I," something that appears in his interviews.

Vocabulary that would sound natural to him
Daily:
"Hey", "dude", "maybe", "maybe", "seriously", "chill", "really", "bad", "just like that", "obviously", "what do I know", "no idea", "go ahead", "well", "stop".
Soccer:
"match", "training", "team", "teammate", "coach", "locker room", "court", "mark", "tackle", "play", "compete", "put in", "run", "press", "win", "lose".
When he's serious:
"I think that...", "we have to work", "we have to improve", "it's part of football", "we have to keep going", "we mustn't go crazy", "it depends on us".

Full name: Santiago Lionel Ascacíbar

Nickname(s): Russian, Lion

Birthplace: La Plata, Buenos Aires
February 25, 1997

Age: 29 years

Country: Argentina

Nationality(ies): Argentinian

Height: 1.68 m (5′ 6″)

Weight: 68 kg (150 lb)

Drink mate, even while reading at home.
He likes to read and developed that habit even more during his time playing in Europe.

He likes to read the newspaper on paper in the morning and commented that he enjoys having it physically instead of reading it from his cell phone.

It's quite important to stay informed.

Football occupies a huge part of his routine.

He is one of those who can dwell on something they did wrong during a game or training session, precisely because of his high standards.

Family has an important place in his life.

Santiago: intense about what he wants, competitive, hardworking, and quite demanding of himself. He can be a bit stubborn and get heated when things don't go his way, but he's not someone who tries to act important. He can be more reserved with strangers; with people he trusts, a much more playful, relaxed, and annoying side emerges. He's family-oriented, down-to-earth, and very involved with soccer. He has trouble staying calm when he feels he could have done something better. He has that mix of "don't bother me" + "come on, tell me what's wrong."

Sport: Soccer

Professional club

Sports debut:
2016
(Students of La Plata)

Club: Boca Juniors

League: Professional League

Position: Midfielder

Jersey number(s): 28

Goals for clubs: 27

Coach: Rodolfo Arruabarrena

national team

Selection: Argentina 🇦🇷

Debut: September 8, 2018

Match (goals): 3 (0)

Path

Estudiantes de La Plata (2016-17)
VfB Stuttgart (2017-19)
Hertha Berlin (2020-23)
→ US Cremonese (2022)
→ Estudiantes de La Plata (2023)
Estudiantes de La Plata (2023-26)
Boca Juniors (2026-present)

Note: → indicates that it was on loan.

Biography

Ascacíbar was born on February 25, 1997, in the city of La Plata, into a large family: the son of Mariana Rollero and Javier Ascacíbar, who has Basque roots. He lived in Villa Elvira and has four brothers. He also lived with two teammates from his club's youth academy who, for various reasons, could no longer stay at the club's residence—Estudiantes de La Plata—and whom he brought to live with him, considering them also his "brothers."

Beginnings at Estudiantes de La Plata
edit
His beginnings took place in various neighborhood clubs: Almagro, Neptuno 35 in Villa Elvira, September 12th and Juventud La Plata.

He arrived at Club Estudiantes de La Plata in 2006 at the age of 8, after a trial in which the former Estudiantes youth team coach, Omar Rulli – father of goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli – was impressed by his tenacity, something he would prove over time, demonstrating to Rulli that he was “a training fanatic, very obsessive from a young age about improving his technique, as well as his daily work.” Thus, showing skill as a central midfielder from the beginning, and a personality rarely seen in amateur football players, “Rusito” – as he has been nicknamed since childhood – quickly became a pillar of his age group.

After having great performances in his first four years in AFA youth divisions, at the end of 2014, the Youth Football Coordinator of the team, Hermes Desio, called him up for the first time to the Reserve team, making his debut in a match against Rosario Central at the Gigante de Arroyito Stadium.

At the beginning of 2015, he represented Estudiantes at the Frenz International Cup in Malaysia and Indonesia with a team made up of players born in 1997 and 1998. Although Estudiantes lost in the final to Sport Club Internacional, the organizers chose him as the tournament's best player. Once back in Argentina, Nelson Vivas, the first-team coach, established him as the central midfielder for the reserve team. That same year, on the recommendation of Juan Sebastián Verón, the club's president, he finished his secondary studies at Colegio de Estudiantes and enrolled to study Anthropology at the prestigious National University of La Plata. Although he couldn't continue attending classes regularly due to his debut and consolidation with the first team, all his decisions demonstrate the remarkable maturity and personality that those who know him highlight. In this sense, Ascacibar is the antithesis of the typical elite player: he still lives with his parents and siblings and leads a life far removed from extravagance.

"You have to be clear about what you want, and then it's up to you to do what you want. If you want luxury cars and women, you'll have them; if you don't want them, you won't. Nobody puts a gun to your head and tells you 'do it.' But you shouldn't judge that either, because everyone is responsible for their own actions and everyone is free to do what they want in their own life."
Santiago Ascacibar. Infobae, January 15, 2017.
Although he had the opportunity to play a match on January 15, 2016, in the Summer Tournament against Racing Club (a 4-2 victory for Estudiantes, with him delivering a noteworthy performance), his official debut with the club's first team came on February 8, 2016, against Club Atlético Lanús in Sarandí—in the first round of the Transition Tournament—a match that ended in a 1-0 defeat. As the matches progressed, his performance improved steadily, and he became a regular starter for the team.

In his first professional tournament, where he played in every match for his team, he was the player with the most ball recoveries and the second-highest number of passes. His performance in 2016—his debut year—was outstanding, so much so that at just 19 years old, he was nominated by the Buenos Aires Sports Journalists Circle for the Olimpia Awards in the Best Player in Local Football category.
On August 3, 2017, he played his last match, his 50th with Estudiantes, against Nacional de Potosí in the 2017 Copa Sudamericana. The team won 2-0 with two goals from Mariano Pavone and qualified for the round of 16. In the 41st minute of the second half, manager Gustavo Matosas decided to substitute him with his teammate Juan Bautista Cascini, and he received a standing ovation from the entire crowd at the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata.

VfB Stuttgart

On August 22, 2017, he signed for VfB Stuttgart with a contract until 2022 for a fee of €8,000,000. [citation needed] He played for the German club for three seasons, making over 70 appearances and scoring one goal.

Hertha Berlin

On January 1, 2020, his transfer to Hertha Berlin was confirmed, where he also played three seasons with less continuity and inconsistency.

US Cremonese

Having played over one hundred matches between the two teams in the Bundesliga, in July 2022 he moved to Italy to play for US Cremonese.

Students of La Plata

In 2023, he returned to Estudiantes on loan, marking his return to the club where he began his professional career. Estudiantes then exercised their option to buy him outright. On December 13, he came on as a substitute in the second half of the final against Defensa y Justicia, helping Estudiantes win the 2023 Copa Argentina, and on May 5, 2024, he started in the final of the 2024 Copa de la Liga Profesional.

On July 28, 2024, he scored his first goal in a La Plata derby, in a 4-1 victory against Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. On December 21, he was part of the starting lineup that won the 2024 Professional League Champions Trophy, in Estudiantes de La Plata's 3-0 victory over Vélez Sarsfield at the Estadio Único Madre de Ciudades in Santiago del Estero.

In December 2025, he was part of the starting teams that won two new titles with Estudiantes de La Plata: the 2025 Clausura Tournament and the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Boca Juniors

On January 26, 2026, Ascacibar was purchased by Boca Juniors for $3.2 million for 80$1.5 million as a token of appreciation for his development. At Boca, he chose the number 25 jersey.

Olympic

In 2016 he participated in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games with the Argentine under-23 team, where he played 3 matches.

Under-20

In January 2017, he was called up as part of the squad that competed in the South American Under-20 Championship held in Ecuador, serving as captain and a key player for the team.[42]

senior national team

In September 2018, Lionel Scaloni, the interim coach of the senior national team, called up Ascacíbar for the first time as part of a generational renewal of the squad for two friendly matches against Guatemala and Colombia. Ascacíbar made his official debut for the Albiceleste on Saturday, September 8, against Guatemala, coming on as a substitute in the second half, a match in which Argentina defeated their Central American counterparts 3-0. Ascacíbar became a regular call-up for Scaloni, being recalled for the FIFA international window in October against Iraq and Brazil; on Thursday, October 11, Ascacíbar came on as a substitute against Iraq, where Argentina secured a resounding 4-0 victory. The following month, Ascacíbar was called up by Scaloni to play in the national team's final matches of 2018 against Mexico on home soil. where he would start in the second match against the Mexicans, although he was replaced at 55 minutes by Leandro Paredes.