Joaquin Panichelli: From River Plate heartbreak to Ligue 1 top scorer
A few months ago, Joaquin Panichelli was scoring goals quietly in Spain’s Segunda División. On Friday night, he was silencing the Parc des Princes. With a towering header and a ruthless finish, the 23-year-old Argentine helped Strasbourg earn a spectacular 3–3 draw against Paris Saint-Germain — and in doing so, he became Ligue 1’s leading scorer with seven goals in eight matches.
“He’s entered the big time,” smiled Liam Rosenior, Strasbourg’s coach, still dazzled after the game. “I’ve never seen a No.9 play a match like that, especially as a point of fixation.”
A family story born at River Plate
Football - and heartbreak - run deep in the Panichelli family. Before Joaquin, there was German Panichelli, his father, a forward who once signed for River Plate in 1988, only to see his career ended by a devastating knee injury before he could make his debut. German reinvented himself as a writer, turning the game he lost into the stories he now tells.
Joaquin, born in Córdoba, grew up dreaming of finishing what his father had started. After a failed trial at Boca Juniors, he joined River’s academy in 2020 and was converted from a playmaker into a No.9. Despite his promise with four goals and one assist in 12 games for the reserves - Marcelo Gallardo never handed him a senior appearance. Like his father, he left Buenos Aires without ever wearing the River shirt in Primera División.
A European gamble and a cruel twist of fate
In January 2023, Panichelli crossed the Atlantic to sign for Deportivo Alavés in Spain. A few months later, tragedy struck again with another serious knee injury, this time a ruptured ACL in his left leg, sidelined him for 185 days before he could even debut in La Liga.
But where his father’s career had ended, Joaquin’s began anew. “During my recovery, I needed to reach a physical level often required in Europe,” he told Perfil in June. “When I could finally walk again, I threw myself into the gym. I gained seven or eight kilos of muscle.”
From the gym to the grand stage
That commitment transformed him — both physically and mentally. At Mirandés, on loan in Spain’s second tier, he erupted: 21 goals and 8 assists in 44 matches. Strasbourg moved quickly, paying €16.5m plus bonuses to bring him to Alsace this summer.
At 1.90m and 82kg, Panichelli is a striker built in the classic mould — yet plays with a modern flair. He combines the intelligence of Benzema with the aerial dominance of Giroud, all while displaying the work rate of a man who has waited too long for his chance.
Against PSG, he touched 55 balls — the most of any Strasbourg player — won duels against Illia Zabarnyi and Lucas Beraldo, and scored two goals that will live long in the memory. “One of the most beautiful headers I’ve ever seen in a stadium,” said Rosenior.
📊 Panichelli in Ligue 1 McDonald's
8 matches
7 goals
2 assists
1 unforgettable night at the Parc des Princes
Eyes on Argentina — and the future
Now Ligue 1’s top scorer, Panichelli’s rise has not gone unnoticed back home. Argentine fans filled social media with calls for Lionel Scaloni to include him in the 2026 World Cup squad alongside the likes of former PSG star Lionel Messi.
Panichelli remains humble, but determined. “The national team is a dream,” he said. “You just have to work hard and be patient - good things come when you do.”
For Strasbourg, that patience has already paid off. From the son of a River Plate “cursed” striker to the man leading the Ligue 1 scoring charts, Joaquin Panichelli is finally writing the family story that once seemed destined to end in tragedy.
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