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Top 14 club Toulon have confirmed the recruitment of Argentine giant Luciano Asevedo. The French club have signed the 22-year-old on a two-year-contract for the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 seasons. In doing so, the player completed the transition to playing in an elite professional rugby competition.
Comparisons have been made between Luciano Asevedo and the great Patricio Albacete who played in the Top 14 from 2003-2018 doing so for Colomiers, Pau, Toulouse and Racing 92. His time at Toulouse saw win winning Top 14 titles in 2008, 2011 and 2012 and winning the European Champions Cup in 2010. He played for Argentina at Rugby World Cups 2003, 2007 and 2011 and earned 57 caps.
Albacete stood at 2,00m tall and was 120 kg. Luciano Asevedo is 2,03m in height and weighs 125 kg. Asevedo comes from Liceo Rugby Club in Mendoza. He was identified at a young age and played for Los Pumitas at the World Rugby Junior World Championships in 2003 and 2024.
His transition to senior rugby saw him joining Los Tarucas and playing for the Tucumán-based side in the team’s inaugural Super Rugby Americas (SRA) season in 2025. He returned for 2026 where, like in 2025 he held down a starting spot in the second-row.
Argentina Head Coach Felipe Contepomi included Asevedo in a training roster in 2025. This makes the uncapped Mendocino a Puma in Waiting. Contepomi selected him for the 2026 season with Asevedo on the roster for the Nations Championship. He may therefore debut for Argentina in upcoming matches against Scotland, Wales or England.
Toulon posted a video announcing the arrival of Asevedo at the club. The footage includes Contepomi during his playing days as well as Esteban Lozada, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe, Juan Martín Hernández, Nicolás Sánchez, Facundo Isa, and contemporary Toulon player and Puma, Tomás Albornoz.
