- The midfielder scored the equaliser in Boca Juniors’ 3-1 victory over Recoleta
- Ascacibar has been the Azul y Oro’s leading scorer since Rodolfo Arruabarrena took charge
Santiago Ascacibar is a midfielder who feels most at home inside the penalty area. He moves with the instincts of a centre-forward, combining intelligent reading of the game, intuition and a keen eye for goal with an ability to finish efficiently. In Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s revamped system, he starts in midfield before pushing forward to become a constant attacking presence, almost operating as a second striker alongside Miguel Merentiel, who remains the Xeneize’s main focal point up front.
‘Vasco’ Arruabarrena, now in his second spell in charge of the Azul y Oro, explained the role of the midfielder who has been thriving under his guidance: “With the system we play, we have one fewer attacker, but ‘Ruso’ has that ability to get into the box and we ask him to do that. He has that instinct, he has goals in him and the ball always seems to fall his way. He’s doing it well and we’ll keep asking him to make those runs. Late arrivals from midfield can often catch opponents by surprise.”
A product of Estudiantes de La Plata, Ascacibar joined Boca on 26 January 2026 in a transfer that generated huge excitement among the club’s supporters. Several clubs, including River Plate, had been interested in signing him. But ‘Ruso’, who represented VfB Stuttgart, Hertha Berlin and Cremonese during his spell in Europe, chose to move to La Boca: “I thought a lot about the decision, and as the days went by I felt more and more certain. When it finally happened, I was filled with happiness. I didn’t want to go to River; that’s what I told my agents. I wanted to be part of this and play for Boca,” he said at his unveiling press conference.
Under Claudio Úbeda, Ascacibar made an immediate impact and quickly established himself as one of the key figures in the team, scoring against Lanús, San Lorenzo and in the first leg against Barcelona of Ecuador. However, like the team as a whole, his performances gradually dipped as the semester progressed. The midfielder was sent off against Barcelona of Ecuador, ruling him out of the following matches, and Boca were eliminated from the CONMEBOL Libertadores Group Stage without one of their key players.
The second half of the year, however, brought a major turnaround for ‘Ruso’. He started Arruabarrena’s first match in charge, against Sarmiento in the Copa Argentina, before coming off the bench in the first leg against O’Higgins in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16 Playoffs. He was also part of the rotated side that suffered a 3-0 defeat in Boca’s opening match of the Argentine Clausura. When Arruabarrena restored his strongest starting XI, Ascacibar earned his place in midfield alongside Leandro Paredes and Milton Delgado.
After Boca secured qualification on penalties against O’Higgins, with Ascacibar playing the full 90 minutes in Rancagua, ‘Ruso’ embarked on a remarkable scoring run. He netted four of the nine goals scored by Boca under Arruabarrena across four consecutive matches. He first found the net in the 2-2 draw against Newell’s, then scored the winner against Estudiantes, struck the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Vélez Sarsfield and made it 1-1 in the 3-1 victory over Recoleta in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16 with an unstoppable right-footed strike.
Ascacibar’s numbers at Boca Juniors are remarkable: seven goals in 26 appearances, figures more commonly associated with a forward than a midfielder. ‘Ruso’ has many of the qualities that make a player ideally suited to Boca, combining relentless work rate, bravery and a decisive influence in attack. With seven goals, he is the club’s joint-top scorer in 2026 alongside Miguel Merentiel.
His contribution, however, extends well beyond the final third, with his ability to win the ball back also proving crucial. For ‘Ruso’, Arruabarrena’s return has been a key factor, with their partnership already paying dividends for the Xeneize at the start of the semester: “He has completely changed the way we were coming into this, at least for me personally. He knows the club, he understands what this club is all about, and he carries himself with the authority a coach should have. The truth is, he has been very good for us.”
