18/06/2026 04:55 - Deportes
Un jugador de fútbol con camiseta azul y oro se despide del estadio Bombonera con gesto de gratitud, ambiente nocturno con hinchas ovacionando en las gradas, iluminación del estadio reflejando la emotiva despedida
Edinson Cavani (39 years old) has verbally agreed with Boca Juniors to terminate his contract early, which was originally scheduled to end on December 31, 2026. The decision was precipitated by the announcement from the new head coach, Rodolfo Arruabarrena, that he would not include the Uruguayan striker in his plans for the second half of the year.
Journalist Martín Arévalo confirmed that the "Matador" will only collect his salary up to his last effective day as a Boca player and will not claim any compensation for the six months remaining on his contract. This gesture surprised the Argentine football world and reflects the striker's intention to continue his professional playing career.
The manager cited "repeated physical complications and the inability to train with the group" as the main reasons for discarding him. According to ESPN's Augusto César, the coach considered that Cavani had been unable to train normally for over six months.
The decision came at a particularly sensitive moment: just one week prior, the striker underwent a procedure on his lumbar region—a radiofrequency thermolesion to avoid surgery—with the hope of recovering and returning to activity. He faced at least a month and a half of rehabilitation ahead.
What drew the most attention was that no club official had formally communicated his situation to the player before the coach's decision became public. Cavani's camp initially reacted with resistance, intending to keep working for a return, but met with a refusal from the coaching staff.
Cavani has no intention of retiring from professional football. Once his link with Boca is closed, he will evaluate new destinations, with a return to Uruguay being one of the possibilities considered for the final stretch of his career.
| Season | Matches | Goals | Assists | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (2023-2026) | 81 | 28 | 12 | 5,860 |
| 2024 (best year) | - | 20 | - | - |
| 2025 | - | 5 | - | - |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | - | 104 |
Goal ratio: 1 goal every 209 minutes. Titles won: none.
Cavani's cycle at Boca began in mid-2023 with a packed Bombonera (Boca's iconic stadium) welcoming him. His European career had generated enormous expectations: he had played for Danubio, Palermo, Napoli, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Manchester United, and Valencia.
His best version arrived in 2024 under coach Diego Martínez: he scored 20 of his 28 goals for Boca and was one of the team's figures. However, Boca again finished without trophies after losing to Estudiantes on penalties in the Torneo Apertura semifinals.
In 2023, the club reached the Copa Libertadores final (South America's most prestigious club competition), and Cavani scored in the semifinal against Palmeiras, though he was marked by a missed clear chance in the final against Fluminense.
The decline came in 2025: he lost prominence and Boca suffered elimination against Alianza Lima in the playoffs to enter the Copa Libertadores. By 2026, the striker could only play two matches—against Racing and Platense in February—without completing either.
Cavani's departure is part of a broader squad restructuring:
In parallel, Arruabarrena decided to give youth players a chance: Camilo Rey Domenech, Leonel Flores, and Dylan Gorosito will start preseason with the professional squad this Thursday, June 18 at the Boca Predio (training complex).
Alfredo S. Quiroga
