- ‘The Ciudadano’ eliminated Tigre with two victories — 1-0 in Argentina and 2-1 in Montevideo — and advanced to the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Quarter-finals for the first time.
- In just their second appearance in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, Montevideo City Torque have already produced the best international campaign in the club’s history and will face Cienciano for a place in the Semi-finals.
Montevideo City Torque had to navigate every stage of the competition to establish themselves among the final eight of La Gran Conquista. They first overcame Defensor Sporting in the Preliminary Stage before winning Group F, which they shared with Grêmio, Palestino and Deportivo Riestra. They collected 13 points, recorded four victories and scored 11 goals to secure direct qualification for the Round of 16.
Marcelo Méndez’s side carried that same personality into the knockout stage. In Victoria, they recorded the first away victory over an Argentine opponent in the club’s history in CONMEBOL competitions: Franco Pizzichillo scored the only goal in a 1-0 win that allowed them to return to Montevideo with an advantage.
The second leg confirmed ‘Ciudadano’s’ growth. Tigre started on the front foot, but Salomón Rodríguez struck twice before half-time to score his first brace of the campaign. Valentín Moreno had briefly equalised, while Nahuel Banegas’ sending-off reduced the Argentine side to ten men. City Torque managed their advantage throughout the second half and completed a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Rodríguez also reached five goals and moved among the leading scorers in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Their next challenge will be Cienciano, champions of the competition in 2003 and through after defeating Botafogo 6-2 on aggregate. Into the final eight of a CONMEBOL competition for the first time, Montevideo City Torque now have the opportunity to extend a campaign that has gone from revelation to history.
Montevideo City Torque in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Results and Schedule
Preliminary Stage
Montevideo City Torque 1-0 Defensor Sporting
Franco Romero, assist by Gonzalo Montes.
Group Stage — Group F
Matchday 1: Montevideo City Torque 1-0 Grêmio
Eduardo Agüero, assist by Esteban Obregón.
Matchday 2: Palestino 0-2 Montevideo City Torque
Salomón Rodríguez, assist by Gonzalo Montes, and Sebastián Gallegos, own goal.
Matchday 3: Deportivo Riestra 2-1 Montevideo City Torque
Facundo Silvera / Juan Cruz Randazzo, twice.
Matchday 4: Montevideo City Torque 1-0 Palestino
Franco Pizzichillo.
Matchday 5: Montevideo City Torque 4-1 Deportivo Riestra
Ignacio Arce, own goal; Jonatan Goitía, own goal; Salomón Rodríguez, assist by Esteban Obregón; and Eduardo Agüero, assist by Facundo Silvera / Alexander Díaz, assist by Jonatan Goitía.
Matchday 6: Grêmio 2-2 Montevideo City Torque
Gabriel Mec and Carlos Vinícius, penalty / Salomón Rodríguez, assist by Facundo Silvera, and Franco Pizzichillo, free kick.
CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16
First Leg: Tigre 0-1 Montevideo City Torque
Franco Pizzichillo.
Second Leg: Montevideo City Torque 2-1 Tigre
Salomón Rodríguez, twice / Valentín Moreno. Montevideo City Torque advanced 3-1 on aggregate.
Montevideo City Torque Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Marcelo Méndez
Marcelo Méndez took charge in July 2025, when the club’s first priority was to move away from the domestic relegation battle. His impact was immediate: City Torque finished third in the Torneo Clausura, secured their place in the top flight and qualified for the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Less than a year later, he led the team to the top of their group ahead of Grêmio and into the Quarter-finals of the competition for the first time in club history.
The Uruguayan coach had previously managed Progreso, Danubio, Liverpool and Defensor Sporting, as well as Atlético de San Luis in Mexico and Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata in Argentina. He won the 2020 Clausura with Liverpool and lifted the inaugural Copa AUF Uruguay with Defensor.
His team look to take the initiative regardless of the opposition. They build from the back, push their full-backs high, press to regain possession in the opposition half and fill the box with runners arriving from different lines. That conviction explained much of their Group Stage success and resurfaced in the Round of 16, when City Torque defeated Tigre both in Victoria and Montevideo to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory.
The approach also leaves room for adaptation. In the second leg, Tigre began with more possession and initiative, but Méndez’s side stayed compact, waited for their opportunities and found two goals from Salomón Rodríguez to secure a 2-1 win. They will now face Cienciano in the Quarter-finals with an identity that does not depend solely on controlling possession, but also on understanding what each match requires.
Full Montevideo City Torque Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana
Goalkeepers: 1. Franco Torgnascioli - 12. Mathias Aguiar - 13. Matias Rodriguez - 25. Martin Almeida.
Defenders: 2. Brian Gutierrez - 3. Kevin Silva - 4. Valentino Würth - 5. Franco Pizzichillo - 6. Nahuel Leivas - 15. Ezequiel Busquets - 17. Eduardo Agüero - 21. Nicolas Perez - 22. Benjamin Garcia - 24. Gary Kagelmacher - 26. Facundo Silvera - 27. Jose Taran - 30. Juan Quintana - 33. Jean Lopez - 34. Fabricio Silveira.
Midfielders: 8. Pablo Siles - 14. Bautista Kociubinski - 20. Gonzalo Montes - 23. Lucas Dure - 28. Alexander Silvera - 32. Sebastian Caceres - 35. Ignacio Melian - 36. Alessio Cartagena - 37. Facundo Rodriguez - 38. Lautaro Silveira.
Forwards: 7. Braian Andrade - 9. Ederson Rodriguez - 10. Esteban Obregon - 11. Alexander Da Silva - 16. Ignacio Molina - 18. Ramiro Lecchini - 19. Diogo Guzman - 29. Facundo Martinez - 31. Yonatan Muñoz.
Montevideo City Torque’s Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Franco Pizzichillo
Franco Pizzichillo’s international campaign can already be measured by much more than his goals. He scored against Palestino and Grêmio during the Group Stage and stepped up again in the Round of 16, netting the winner in the 1-0 victory over Tigre in Victoria — Montevideo City Torque’s first away win against an Argentine side in CONMEBOL competitions. That goal took his tally to three in this edition.
His influence stems from his versatility. He can operate as a full-back, wing-back or right-sided midfielder, providing width when City Torque dominate possession while also contributing to the build-up. In the second leg, he was decisive once again, playing a part in the move that led to Salomón Rodríguez’s opening goal in the 2-1 victory that sealed a 3-1 aggregate win.
At the club since 2018, Pizzichillo also represents a link between different stages of the institution’s history. He was part of their first CONMEBOL Sudamericana experience and is now a member of the team that has reached the Quarter-finals for the first time. At 30, his experience, set-piece ability and capacity to deliver in decisive moments have made him one of the symbols of ‘Ciudadano’s’ best-ever continental campaign.
Montevideo City Torque’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Salomón Rodríguez
Salomón Rodríguez is Montevideo City Torque’s leading scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, with five goals. He had already scored three times during the Group Stage — against Palestino, Deportivo Riestra and Grêmio — before adding two more in the Round of 16 with a brace against Tigre at the Estadio Centenario.
The 26-year-old forward returned to Uruguayan football on loan from Colo-Colo after previous spells with Rentistas and Godoy Cruz. At City Torque, he regained consistency and confidence, and carried that resurgence onto the continental stage: his two goals in the second leg against Tigre helped ‘Ciudadano’ secure a 2-1 victory, complete a 3-1 aggregate win and reach the Quarter-finals for the first time.
His contribution goes beyond finishing. Rodríguez occupies centre-backs, offers a direct outlet when the team needs to bypass pressure and creates space for runners arriving from deeper positions. He will also enter the tie against Cienciano in his best form of the campaign, established as the main attacking reference for a team that has already produced the most important international run in the club’s history.
Montevideo City Torque’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Eduardo Agüero
A product of the club’s academy, Eduardo Agüero has turned the CONMEBOL Sudamericana into his continental breakout stage. The 22-year-old defender started all six matches in Group F and scored twice: the historic winner in the 1-0 victory over Grêmio at the Centenario and the final goal in the 4-1 win against Deportivo Riestra.
Agüero can play as a right-back, wing-back or centre-back. His power allows him to cover ground quickly and support the attack without losing his presence in defensive duels. In a system that demands full-backs contribute to the build-up and make runs into the opposition box, his energy remains an important asset for Marcelo Méndez.
Montevideo City Torque eliminated Tigre with two victories and a 3-1 aggregate scoreline to reach the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Quarter-finals for the first time. Their next challenge will be Cienciano, who defeated Botafogo 6-2 on aggregate. In a tie that will require adaptation to very different contexts, including a trip to Cusco, Agüero’s ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch could once again provide ‘Ciudadano’ with a valuable option.
Montevideo City Torque’s History in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana
Their international debut came in the 2021 CONMEBOL Sudamericana. City Torque shared Group B with Independiente, Bahia and Guabirá, lost just one of their six matches and finished second with 11 points. The campaign included two 4-0 victories over Guabirá and an impressive 4-2 win against Bahia in Brazil, but the format used in that edition meant only the group winner advanced.
In 2022, they took another step by making their CONMEBOL Libertadores debut. They drew 1-1 with Barcelona de Guayaquil in Montevideo and 0-0 in Ecuador before being eliminated in a lengthy penalty shootout.
The 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana represents their third international campaign and is already, by some distance, the best in the club’s history. After overcoming Defensor Sporting, winning a group that included Grêmio and reaching the Round of 16 for the first time, City Torque eliminated Tigre with victories both in Argentina and Montevideo to complete a 3-1 aggregate win.
City Torque have therefore reached the Quarter-finals of a CONMEBOL competition for the first time and also remain unbeaten at home on the continental stage. Cienciano, winners of the 2003 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, will be their next challenge. For a club that has yet to celebrate its 20th anniversary, establishing itself among the continent’s final eight already represents another foundational chapter in its history.
