Santiago Rodríguez finalizes move to Columbus Crew from Botafogo, eyes Uruguay call-up

From New York to Ohio, from Brazil back to MLS, and still holding onto the dream of wearing Uruguay's celeste jersey. That's the current chapter for Santiago Rodríguez, who, after a stint at Botafogo, finalized his move to Columbus Crew and sat down to share, without holding back, how the whole process unfolded.

Speaking on the "100% Deporte" program on Sport 890, the Uruguayan admitted that returning to MLS brings him a particular kind of joy, especially given the type of project he's joining. "Within MLS, this is one of the biggest teams in the league. Their idea is always to compete and win the league every year, which is a bit different from what New York City was about, more focused on buying young players and selling them to Europe or another market," Rodríguez explained, drawing a clear line between his former club and his new one.

The change isn't just about soccer. Moving from New York to Columbus, the capital of Ohio, also means a different pace of life, something the 26-year-old midfielder values at this point in his life. "For this stage of my life, that change works out really well. I'm 26, I'm about to get married, and a quieter city than New York suits me well," he said.

A negotiation that wasn't easy

Rodríguez was candid about how his exit from Botafogo came together. He said talks had actually started even before the 2026 World Cup, and that a lack of playing time under the Brazilian club's new setup ultimately convinced him to look for a change. "With this last coach, Martín Anselmi, I started the year as a starter, but then the coach changed and a Portuguese one came in who changed the team's style of play, and I didn't have much of a role," he said. He also added a detail that explains why the transfer took so long to close: "The negotiation was complicated because Botafogo owed a lot of money to MLS for Thiago Almada and for me."

Reflecting on his growth as a player, the former Nacional midfielder was self-critical about his first stint in the United States and praised the lessons he took from Brazilian soccer. "I had to change the way I play because in Brazil you have to be smarter, manage the tempo of the game, because you're facing very tough opponents, not just the big clubs, even the teams fighting at the bottom have really good squads," he said.

Keeping an eye on Nacional and the national team

Having come up through Nacional's youth system, Rodríguez still follows the club closely and didn't shy away from addressing the instability on the bench. "Coaching changes can be good, but when they happen too often and too consistently, they end up hurting the players because they have to keep adjusting to new ideas," he said, drawing a parallel to what he experienced at Botafogo. Looking back at the derby against Peñarol, he praised the level the team showed, though he expressed regret over Maxi Gómez's injury.

Finally, he didn't dodge the question about the Uruguayan national team, a goal that's remained unfulfilled since his time in the youth ranks. "I'd always love to be part of the national team. It's something I have to keep working toward and let the coach decide whether to call me up or not," he said, closing with an honest take on what's within his control: hoping Diego Forlán keeps him in mind.