Santiago Lionel Ascacíbar

Santiago Ascacíbar joined the Estudiantes de La Plata academy at the age of eight and made his senior debut for the club in February 2016, playing the full match in a defeat to Lanús. That same year he won the Olimpia Award as the best player in Argentine domestic football, a distinction he backed up with international recognition as best player of the Frenz International Cup in 2015. He also represented Argentina at the 2016 Olympics and the 2017 U-20 World Cup before earning his senior cap in a friendly win against Guatemala in September 2018.

His performances at Estudiantes led to a move to VfB Stuttgart in August 2017 for a fee of around €7–8 million. Hertha BSC paid €10 million for him in January 2020. The club sent him on loan to US Cremonese for the 2022–2023 season.

In 2023 Ascacíbar returned to Estudiantes de La Plata on a permanent deal reported at between €2.3 million and €3 million. He built one of the most decorated spells of his career: the Copa Argentina in 2023, the Copa de la Liga Profesional in 2024, the Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional in both 2024 and 2025, and the Primera División Clausura title in 2025.

He moved to Boca Juniors in January 2026, agreed for around $4 million for 80% of his rights on a four-year contract, with Brian Aguirre moving the other way on loan to Estudiantes. He marked his official debut for the club with a 2–0 win over Newell's Old Boys in the Torneo Apertura.