Álvaro Montero went from being questioned in his first weeks at Boca Juniors to becoming a decisive figure in the club’s success in Argentina’s annual table. The Colombian goalkeeper, 31, won his first trophy with Boca on Saturday 7 November 2026, after a 1-0 home win over Defensa y Justicia at La Bombonera. The result sent Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side to the top of the season’s cumulative standings.
The celebration came amid tension at the club. Enner Valencia’s stoppage-time goal settled the match and sparked wild celebrations among the Boca faithful, but Montero also had to make key saves to keep his goal intact. It was his seventh professional trophy and his first since joining the Argentine club in July 2026.
Left out of Colombia squad
Montero was not called up by Colombia for the friendlies against Chile, scheduled for 13 November in Cali and 17 November in Santiago, a decision that was viewed positively in Boca.
On Friday 6 November, Colombian journalist Jorge Bermúdez claimed on his YouTube channel, El Parche del Fútbol, that Boca Juniors had intervened to prevent Montero being selected by Colombia. He quoted an alleged message in which Juan Román Riquelme supposedly told coach Néstor Lorenzo that the club needed the goalkeeper, who was the team’s number one, as Boca were competing on all fronts.
From doubts to backing
Montero’s start had been marked by a 3-0 defeat to Deportivo Riestra on 27 July 2026 at the Guillermo Laza stadium. He was criticised for the goals conceded, and his place as first choice came under scrutiny from fans and analysts. Óscar Córdoba, a former Colombian goalkeeper and a historic figure at Boca, analysed the goals and questioned specific decisions by his compatriot, while also publicly backing him.
Córdoba said Montero was a national-team-calibre keeper and criticised his decision to come off his line on the first goal. On the third, he argued that Montero had advanced too far and could not reach the ball over his head. Arruabarrena also defended the goalkeeper after that setback, taking responsibility himself as the coach who selects and plans the matches. That support kept Montero in goal during a busy period for Boca, which were competing in the league, the Copa Argentina and the Copa Sudamericana.
The shift in perception became clearer on 25 October 2026, when Boca beat Independiente 1-0 in Avellaneda. After a late save by Montero, Leandro Paredes praised him, saying the goalkeeper had once again saved the team and that good keepers show up in key moments.
The numbers behind his importance
According to FotMob, Montero’s figures with Boca in 2026 included 10 clean sheets, a 79.2% save percentage, 3.5 saves per 90 minutes, 3.2 goals prevented and 0.9 goals conceded per 90 minutes.
His availability has become a major concern. Montero had already missed the Copa Argentina quarter-final against Racing because of an earlier Colombia call-up, meaning another absence would have forced Arruabarrena to turn again to Leandro Brey. Boca face Banfield in the Copa Argentina semi-final on Saturday 14 November at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza. The club is also scheduled to contest the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Mineiro on 21 November in Barranquilla.
Source: www.infobae.com
