Peñarol Faces Crowded Club Presidency Race

Club Atlético Peñarol, one of the best-known football clubs in Uruguay, is heading into a crowded election. Members of the Montevideo club choose a new board and president on Saturday 12 December 2026, and the sitting president has not said if he will run.

Peñarol’s members vote next month in a race with many lists, while the man who runs the club keeps his plans private.

How the Peñarol Vote Works

The vote is on Saturday 12 December 2026. In September the club was still weighing 5 December as an alternative date.

Members vote in person at Palacio Peñarol, the club’s headquarters in Montevideo, and at tables in the capitals of Uruguay’s departments (regions). Canelones, the department next to Montevideo, has no table because of its proximity to the capital.

The club’s board decided in September not to use electronic voting this time. About 27,000 members are expected to be eligible to vote.

The Candidates So Far

At least ten electoral lists, known as slates, had been registered by 30 October. At that point five lists had a named presidential candidate, and a sixth, list 14 led by presidential hopeful Edgardo Lasalvia, was awaiting approval.

Evaristo González, a presidential candidate, heads list 21, called Espacio Siglo XXI, and candidate Santiago Sánchez leads list 6, the group Origen Peñarolense. Pablo Schiavi, another candidate, heads list 66, Movimiento Libertadores 1966, while Freddy García heads list 1414, Por amor a Peñarol.

Carlos Lazzarino, who headed list 135, withdrew in early November, days after agreeing an alliance with Evaristo González. He said the dispute was over the fifth place on the joint ticket, and his group has since backed González.

On 8 November Alejandro González, a member of the current board elected on Ruglio’s list, left the president’s camp and joined Sánchez’s ticket. His group, Viví Peñarol (list 53), backs Sánchez’s candidacy.

The Undecided President

Ignacio Ruglio is the club’s current president, and the list he led in the previous election, number 1891, was not yet registered on 30 October. He has not said whether he will seek re-election.

In July he said he had made up his mind more than a year earlier but did not say what he had decided. In early November he was still holding back his announcement.

What It Means for You

For readers outside Uruguay, this is a contest over who will lead one of Uruguay’s best-known football clubs. No candidate programme is confirmed here, so it is too early to say what would change.

Readers can follow more in our sports section. Our Montevideo city guide and the latest Uruguay inflation data give wider context.

What Is Not Known

It is not known whether Ruglio will run, or who will head the lists that still had no candidate on 30 October. The final number of lists is also unconfirmed.

Candidate details may still change before election day. More lists have been reported since 30 October, so the final count is not confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Peñarol election?

The vote is on Saturday 12 December 2026. In September the club was still weighing 5 December as an alternative.

Who is running for Peñarol president?

Among them are Santiago Sánchez, Evaristo González, Freddy García and Pablo Schiavi, and Edgardo Lasalvia has also put forward a list. Club president Ignacio Ruglio has not yet said whether he will run.

Can members vote online?

No, the club’s board decided in September not to use electronic voting this time. Members vote in person at Palacio Peñarol or at tables in the departmental capitals, except Canelones.

Sources: Peñarol list registrations announced 30 October 2026; decisions of the club board in September 2026; public statements by Carlos Lazzarino (6 November 2026), Alejandro González (8 November 2026) and club president Ignacio Ruglio (July to November 2026).