| years1 = 2022–2025
| years1 = 2022–2025
| clubs1 = [[Peñarol]]
| clubs1 = [[Peñarol]]
| caps1 = 23
| caps1 =
| goals1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2024
| years2 = 2024
| clubs2 = → [[Real Oviedo|Oviedo]] (loan)
| clubs2 = → [[Real Oviedo|Oviedo]] (loan)
| caps2 = 3
| caps2 =
| goals2 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2024–2025
| years3 = 2024–2025
| years5 = 2025–
| years5 = 2025–
| clubs5 = → [[Querétaro F.C.|Querétaro]] (loan)
| clubs5 = → [[Querétaro F.C.|Querétaro]] (loan)
| caps5 = 13
| caps5 =
| goals5 = 4
| goals5 = 4
| nationalyears1 = 2022–2023
| nationalyears1 = 2022–2023
Uruguayan footballer (born 2003)
Santiago Damián Homenchenko Bianchi (born 30 August 2003) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or centre-back for Liga MX club Querétaro, on loan from Pachuca.[2]
Homenchenko was born on 30 August 2003 in Mercedes, the capital of Soriano Department. Homenchenko grew up in a working-class family of paternal Ukrainian and maternal Italian descent. The youngest of ten siblings, Homenchenko promised his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer when he was six-years-old, that he would become a professional footballer. In an interview describing his upbringing, Homenchenko said, “We spent nights without eating, relying on milk with rice or sweet cornstarch, but those things give you personality. […] When I left Danubio at 15, I had to work, because my mother had no money. We were poor, but we weren’t sad. I worked to buy my clothes, but we just had what we needed. That confronts you with reality.”[3][4]
Homenchenko began his football career with his neighborhood club Con los Mismos Colores. At the age of 10, he was recruited by Néstor Gonçalves and signed for Peñarol where he finished his childhood training. Homenchenko joined Danubio three years later, moving to Montevideo and beginning his youth training. He was released two years in the process after suffering an accident in which he broke a piece of his heel. During his recovery, he returned to his boyhood club of Con los Mismos Colores under their youth system. After a series of good performances, including winning an under-18 team national championship, he signed with Plaza Colonia for the 2020-21 season.[5]
In July 2021, Homenchenko returned to Peñarol. On 8 September 2022, he signed his first professional contract with the club.[4] He made his professional debut on 19 September 2022 as a 84th minute substitute for Brian Lozano in a 3–1 league win over Cerrito.[6] Homenchenko has also represented the under-19 system, in which he was part of the squad that won the 2022 U-20 Copa Libertadores.[7][8]
On 15 January 2024, a transfer agreement between Peñarol and Real Oviedo was made for Homenchenko to join the Spanish club, whereas Ecuadorian winger Romario Ibarra, who was playing for Oveido on loan from Pachuca, will join Peñarol. Homenchenko’s contract with Peñarol was ending in the middle of the year, therefore the club decided to sell 70% of his contract.[9][10][11]
On 13 August 2024, Homenchenko moved to fellow Spanish second division side CD Mirandés on a one-year loan deal from Peñarol.[12] The following 15 January, his loan was cut short.[13]
International career
[edit]
Homenchenko has represented Uruguay at various youth levels. In October 2022, he was named in Uruguay’s squad for the 2022 South American Games.[14] He played all five matches in the tournament as Uruguay eventually finished fourth after reaching semi-finals.[15] He was also part of the Uruguayan side that won the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[16][17]
In January 2024, Homenchenko was named in Uruguay’s squad for the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.[18] In November 2025, he received his first call-up to the Uruguay national team.[19]
- As of 21 April 2023[2]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Peñarol | 2022 | Uruguayan Primera División | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
Peñarol U20
Uruguay U20
- ^ “FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Uruguay (URU)” (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 22. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ a b Santiago Homenchenko at Soccerway
- ^ Redacción. “Homenchenko: su dura infancia cenando arroz con leche y el sueño de comprarle la casa a su madre, que tiene cáncer”. El Observador. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ a b “Santiago Homenchenko, de cortarse un pedazo del talón a regalarle a su madre un clásico con Peñarol” (in Spanish). 29 January 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ “Santiago Homenchenko: “Yo no juego por mí, juego para hacer feliz a la gente que amo”“ (in Spanish). 26 January 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ “Un nuevo juvenil de la cantera aurinegra debutó en Peñarol ante Cerrito” (in Spanish). 18 September 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ “Peñarol, campeón de la CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub 20”. CONMEBOL. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ Cozza, Marcelo (20 February 2022). “Sub 20: Peñarol Campeón de América”. Tenfield. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ^ “El ecuatoriano Romario Ibarra llegará a Peñarol y Santiago Homenchenko se irá a España”. futbol.com.uy – Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ “El uruguayo Santiago Homenchenko, nuevo fichaje del Real Oviedo”. Infobae (in European Spanish). 16 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ “Homenchenko, objetivo del Oviedo, se sale con Bielsa: así fue su gol con la selección de Uruguay sub23”. La Nueva España. 14 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ “Santiago Homenchenko, un campeón del mundo sub-20 que llega al C.D. Mirandés” [Santiago Homenchenko, an under-20 world champion who arrives at C.D. Mirandés] (in Spanish). CD Mirandés. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ “Comunicado oficial, C.D. Mirandés S.A.D.” [Official announcement, C.D. Mirandés S.A.D.] (in Spanish). CD Mirandés. 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ “Juegos Odesur: Marcelo Broli confirmó los 18 futbolistas que representarán a Uruguay” (in Spanish). 1 October 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ “La sub-20 en los Juegos #Asu2022”. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ a b “Uruguay es Campeón del Mundo”. Uruguayan Football Association. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ a b Lopesino, Juan (12 June 2023). “Luciano Rodríguez vale un Mundial”. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ “Lista final para el CONMEBOL Preolímpico 2024” (in Spanish). 5 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ “Selección uruguaya: Homenchenko es la sorpresa en la lista de convocados por Bielsa” (in Spanish). 10 November 2025. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ “Peñarol, campeón de la CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub 20”. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
