Two days before the opening match of the 2026 World Cup at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez spoke to Billboard Italia in an interview shared with rapper and Milan supporter Ernia.
On the nickname 'Bebote':
"The story of my nickname is really funny. It was my family who gave it to me because I was a very big newborn. The translation of Bebote is literally ‘big baby’. A friend of my father, a television journalist, when I scored my first goal in the top division shouted: ‘Goal of…’ And a friend of my father, who was a TV journalist, when I scored my first goal in the top division shouted: ‘Goal of the Bebote!’ From that moment on, everyone, not just my family, started calling me that."
On the World Cup at home:
"It’s an incredible dream. I wish the World Cup would start tomorrow because I am very excited. When you wear the national team shirt you represent an entire country, so you have great responsibility, but at the same time it is something beautiful. I know Mexico, with its people, at home, is very strong. I am convinced it will be a great World Cup. Mexico will win and I will be the top scorer (laughs)."
On playing at the Estadio Azteca:
"Well, it is an incredible stadium, it is a dream to be able to play there. The first time I stepped onto that pitch was with Cruz Azul at the beginning of my career. There we won the Mexican championship and it was magical because it hadn’t happened for twenty-three years. It is a bit like going back home for me, I will relive many beautiful moments. For me the Azteca is the stadium with the most history at international level. It is the third World Cup it has hosted and at that ground Pelé and Maradona became world champions. It is unique."
On his relationship with San Siro:
"I believe it is one of the most important stadiums in football history. What truly makes it special, though, is the crowd. AC Milan fans support the team from the first to the ninetieth minute, and even before and after the match. Also, I have supported Milan since I was a child, and finding myself playing in that stadium that I could only see on television means a lot to me. The fans welcomed me with so much affection and, even though I have not performed as I would have liked yet, they continue to push me and trust me. Like a family."
On his first goal at San Siro, Gimenez said:
"I will never forget it. By the way, I think it was against my former team, Feyenoord, in the Champions League. In fact, I remember feeling very intense and conflicting emotions," as relayed via Milan News.
On the AC Milan player who inspired him most:
"I choose Kaká, because I have admired him since I was a child and because we share a deep faith."
On facing an AC Milan teammate at the World Cup:
"I have always thought that the moment someone puts on a different shirt from mine, they stop being my teammate. They become an opponent, an ‘enemy’. It is war. As a footballer I see it as something completely normal."
On Italy not qualifying:
"Not seeing Italy makes me very sad. I am fond of this country and its people. You won’t believe it, but I even have an Italian passport. I am sure they will recover because, along with Brazil, it is the home of football, and it is very strange not to see them at the World Cup."
On his relationship with fans and the public, Gimenez said:
"I am not at all afraid of the crowd. On the contrary, I mainly focus on the people who love me, those who want to see me grow, and I believe their opinion is the one that matters. Those who speak negatively often do not see the work you do in training and how hard you try, so I try to ignore those comments. I listen to God, my family and friends, who in the end are the ones who most want me to become the best version of myself."
