Exequiel Alejandro Palacios (; born 5 October 1998) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for club Bayer Leverkusen and the Argentina national team.
Palacios is a youth exponent from Club Atlético River Plate. He made his league debut on 8 November 2015 against Newell's Old Boys.
On 9 December 2018 Palacios won 2018 Copa Libertadores with River Plate. He played 11 matches including the finals against rivals Boca Juniors.
Palacios was part of 2018 South American Team of the Year.
Palacios made his final appearance for his boyhood club in the final of the Copa Argentina on 13 December 2019, playing 79 minutes of a 3âÂÂ0 victory over Central Córdoba.
On 16 December 2019, Bayer Leverkusen announced that Palacios would join the club on 1 January 2020, signing a five-and-a-half-year deal.
On 14 April 2024, Bayer Leverkusen won 2023âÂÂ24 Bundesliga and Palacios was a member of the team.
Palacios made his international debut for Argentina on 8 September 2018 in a 3âÂÂ0 international friendly against the Guatemala national football team.
On 12 November 2020, Palacios fractured a bone in his spine during a 1âÂÂ1 draw with Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier and was expected be out for three months. Palacios sustained the injury in an aerial duel with Angel Romero in the first half of the contest at La Bombonera and was replaced by Giovani Lo Celso, who took the corner from which Nicolas Gonzalez headed home Argentina's equaliser.
On 10 July 2021, Palacios played as a second-half substitute in Argentina's 1âÂÂ0 victory over Brazil in the Copa América final. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Palacios featured in a 2âÂÂ0 win over Mexico in the group stage phase, a 2âÂÂ1 victory over Australia in the round of 16, and a 3âÂÂ0 win over Croatia in their semi-finals.
In June 2024, Palacios was included in Lionel Scaloni's final 26-man Argentina squad for the 2024 Copa América.
River Plate
Bayer Leverkusen
Argentina