From Preston Park to La Bombonera: Nacho’s Journey Home

Ignacio “Nacho” Costa was born in Argentina and joined Eastside FC at just six years old, quickly becoming an integral and driving force on our B15 Red team. Even at that young age, Nacho’s passion for the game—and for his beloved Boca Juniors—was unmistakable. He wore Boca shin guards at every training session and every match, carrying a little piece of Buenos Aires with him onto the the pitches of Washington.

This past summer, Nacho’s family made the difficult decision to return home to Argentina. His departure was bittersweet for all of us—Eastside had become his soccer family, and his teammates and coaches will tell you his energy and joy were contagious.

Once back in Buenos Aires, Nacho jumped right back into the game, playing baby fútbol (similar to futsal) for a local neighborhood club. It didn’t take long for his talent to shine—within two months, a professional scout approached his father with an invitation for Nacho to try out for an academy.

He was granted a three-day trial. But after just one session, the coaches had seen enough. Nacho was offered a full-time spot.

The club? Boca Juniors.

For those unfamiliar, Boca Juniors is one of the most successful and iconic soccer clubs in the world. Based in Buenos Aires, Boca is one of Argentina’s “Big Two” alongside River Plate, and their rivalry—El Superclásico—is considered one of the most intense in all of sports. The club has won over 70 major domestic and international titles and more than 30 league championships, earning its place among global giants like Manchester United and Real Madrid.

So now, the same kid who once wore Boca shin guards to every Eastside practice is training under the blue and gold crest itself—taking his first steps toward one day playing inside La Bombonera, the iconic stadium whose walls literally shake with the passion of Boca fans.

From Preston Park to La Bombonera, Nacho’s journey reminds us that soccer dreams can start anywhere—and sometimes, they even come full circle.

¡Vamos Nacho! ¡Vamos Boca!

Above: A few years ago, we filmed Nacho training in our first ever Eastside FC Mic'd Up installment.

Above: At Boca's training facility, Nacho had the pleasure of running into Edinson Roberto Cavani Gómez, a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for and captains Boca Juniors. Nicknamed "El Matador", he is considered as one of the best strikers of his generation, having also starred for Uruguay in the World Cup, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli.

Above: Eastside EC's Director of Soccer Tom Bialek traveled to Argentina with this brother this November and was able to catch up with Nacho and his family at El Superclásico.

Above: B15 Red paused for an end-of-year photo back in March 2025 — featuring Nacho in the front row, left, before his return to Argentina.