- After scoring twice against Tigre in the Round of 16, the striker found the net again against Cienciano in the second leg of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarter-finals.
- Following a difficult season at Colo-Colo, he returned to Uruguay and rediscovered his influence as Montevideo City Torque’s attacking focal point: he is now the CONMEBOL Sudamericana’s leading scorer.
Salomón Rodríguez delivered once again on a night when Montevideo City Torque needed his goals. The Uruguayan striker scored twice against Cienciano at the Estadio Centenario in the second leg of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarter-finals, fuelling the hopes of a team that had to overturn a 2-0 defeat in Cusco.
Shortly before half-time, Rodríguez pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty area and fired past Ítalo Espinoza. The goal offered further evidence of the confidence he has regained since returning to Uruguayan football: alert to the opportunity and decisive in front of goal. Eleven minutes into the second half, he struck again, arriving at the far post to level the tie on aggregate with an unstoppable header. To cap an unforgettable night, Salomón set up Nahuel Da Silva in the second minute of stoppage time to seal a 3-0 victory and a historic place in the semi-finals.
Rodríguez had already proved decisive in the Round of 16, scoring both goals in the 2-1 victory over Tigre in Montevideo. That brace secured a 3-1 aggregate win and took the club into the quarter-finals of a CONMEBOL competition for the first time. Against Cienciano, he delivered more goals in another chapter of the club’s best-ever international campaign, becoming the tournament’s leading scorer with seven goals.
“It’s been an unexpected year. Marcelo is bringing out the best in me. I’m putting up numbers I wasn’t expecting this year,” he said ahead of the tie against Cienciano. His current form stands in contrast to his experiences in 2025. His arrival at Colo-Colo for the club’s centenary season raised high expectations, but the Uruguayan was unable to find the regular playing time or scoring touch he had enjoyed at his previous clubs. He ended that spell with three goals in 26 appearances and left on loan in early 2026, seeking an environment where he could rebuild his confidence.
Montevideo City Torque offered him that opportunity. Returning to Uruguayan football brought regular minutes and a central role in attack. Under Marcelo Méndez, Rodríguez re-established himself as the team’s attacking focal point, finding a side that brought out his key strengths: occupying defenders, attacking space and getting into position to finish off team moves.
His resurgence has also extended to the continental stage. After scoring against Palestino, Deportivo Riestra and Grêmio in the group stage, he carried that clinical form into the knockout rounds. He followed his brace against Tigre with another two goals to inspire the comeback in the second leg against Cienciano.
At 26, he still has chapters of his career to write. When his loan from the Chilean club ends, he will once again have to decide his future, but the outlook has changed since he left Chile. His season at City Torque has helped him rebuild his confidence and become a decisive figure once more: “The call from Marcelo Méndez was key to my return to Uruguayan football, and his belief in me has been just as important in helping me play well and score goals. I’m back to being the player I was. Sometimes you need a change of scenery. Coming back to Uruguay has really helped me make a fresh start, build my confidence and become the player I was again,” he said in May.
Montevideo City Torque’s continental campaign also tells the story of that rediscovery. In a team that has surpassed its previous international achievements, Rodríguez has regained his influence and returned to scoring in decisive matches. His return to Uruguay has given him far more than playing time: it has restored the confidence he needs to play a central role in the club’s ambitions.
