Facundo González biography: EEG 2026's unforgettable 'Wacho'

He came from Argentina for a short advertising campaign and ended up becoming one of the most iconic and beloved figures on Peruvian television. Facundo González, the unmistakable ‘Wacho’, keeps bringing madness, fun and fierce competition to Esto es Guerra 2026. Here we bring you his updated biography: his Buenos Aires origins, his rise in the reality show, the injury that kept him off screen for a while and his break-up with Oriana Marzoli.

Quick facts about Facundo González

Childhood and early years: the Buenos Aires native who came for work

Facundo González Palermo was born on January 15, 1990 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. From a young age he stood out for his natural charisma and his physical appeal, which led him to work as a model. His life changed in 2014, when the Peruvian businessman Mauricio Diez Canseco brought him to the country along with other compatriots to join the male modelling group “Los Chicos Dorados de Rústica”, an advertising campaign that became a media phenomenon.

What began as temporary work turned into his new life: Peru adopted him as one of its own, and Facundo decided to settle in the country, where he built a career, a family of friends and an immovable place on national television. Although he never planned it, he found in Peru not only work but a home: over the years he made a close circle of friends on and off television, and adopted the country as his place in the world.

Career: from “Chico Dorado” to EEG legend

His great physical appeal and, above all, his overwhelming and hilarious personality opened the doors of television for him. He was quickly called up for Esto es Guerra, where he won the public's heart with his characteristic accent and his live quips, including amusing “flirting” with figures such as Gisela Valcárcel and the show's hosts. His most famous phrase, “No hay manera”, became part of popular Peruvian slang.

Over more than a decade on the reality show, the ‘Wacho’ defended the colours of the Leones, the Cobras and currently the Combatientes, establishing himself as one of the most beloved and entertaining competitors in the show's history. His friendship with other reality figures, such as Alejandra Baigorria and Said Palao, with whom he reunited after their wedding in 2025, is part of the family dynamic of Peruvian showbiz.

For more than a decade, Facundo has been one of the show's most stable faces: he survived format changes, seasons, captains and generations of competitors, and in each one he knew how to reinvent himself without losing his essence. The public adopted him as the reality show's “big brother”: his quips, his unmistakable Argentine accent and his spontaneous reactions became an endless source of memes and viral clips. His bond with the audience is so strong that, during his recovery in 2026, social media filled with messages of support and requests for him to come back to the competitions soon, something Facundo himself thanked people for with his usual sense of humour on his social media.

(Note: in the world of sport there is a young Argentine footballer named Facundo González who plays for River Plate, but they are not related.)

Injury and recovery on Esto es Guerra (2026)

The “Desafío 14” season in 2026 was an unusual challenge for Facundo. Used to being hyperactive, in April 2026 he suffered a serious arm injury while competing in an extreme circuit: a fall during a test caused a complete tear of the biceps tendon, a severe injury that forced him to leave the competition and undergo an operation as an emergency.

Facundo himself shared the details of his operation: “they had to pull the tendon so the biceps would be healthy”, he explained, while his arm was immobilized and his recovery required rest and therapy. Doctors recommended complete rest and then a rehabilitation process to recover the movement of his arm, a recovery the ‘Wacho’ documented on his social media with his characteristic positivity, thanking his followers and his reality show castmates for their affection. He was discharged from the clinic on May 16, 2026 and, by early June, he reappeared on the show's set. Although he still could not compete at 100%, his mere presence cheering on his team lit up América Televisión's nights again, showing his unbreakable spirit and the public's affection.

Personal life: break-up with Oriana Marzoli

Facundo's romantic history has always given people something to talk about. For years he was the partner of Peruvian model Macarena Vélez, in one of EEG's most publicized relationships, which ended amid speculation and televised clashes. With Macarena, Facundo formed for years one of the most followed couples on Peruvian television: both were central figures of the reality show and their romantic ups and downs became a recurring topic on entertainment shows. The relationship, which the press followed step by step, ended surrounded by speculation and public clashes that kept the former couple in the headlines for months, until each one went their own way.

More recently, after taking part in international cohabitation reality shows, Facundo began a publicized and stormy romance with the controversial Venezuelan-Spanish model Oriana Marzoli. The relationship lasted more than two years, filling magazine covers in Peru as well as in Chile and Spain, and even led him to celebrate his 36th birthday in early 2026 with her. However, in May 2026, Facundo officially announced that the relationship had come to an end on good terms. “We are closing a cycle full of learning and love”, he wrote, saying the decision was mutual and that the distance (they saw each other every four months between Peru and Spain) ended up weighing on the relationship.

Oriana, for her part, was more explicit: she revealed that beyond the distance there was “a more decisive factor” and dropped the phrase “actions speak louder than words”, suggesting that Facundo did not take the step of moving to Spain. The ‘Wacho’, meanwhile, returned to the coveted list of Peru's most famous single men, focused on his recovery and his return to competition.

Facundo González trivia

• His signature phrase, “No hay manera”, was born from his live quips on Esto es Guerra and became part of popular Peruvian speech.
• He came to Peru in 2014 as part of “Los Chicos Dorados de Rústica” and stayed forever.
• His injury in April 2026 (a complete tear of the biceps tendon) forced him to leave EEG temporarily and go into the operating room.
• He was the partner of Peruvian model Macarena Vélez for several years, in one of the most followed relationships of his generation on the reality show.
• His romance with Oriana Marzoli lasted more than two years and ended in May 2026 on good terms.
• He is a close friend of Alejandra Baigorria and Said Palao, with whom he reunited after the couple's wedding in April 2025.

Conclusion

Facundo González is much more than the funny “Wacho” from Esto es Guerra: he is a born survivor who turned an advertising job into a decade-long television career, who faced a serious injury with the best attitude and who lives his romances with the same intensity as his competitions. In 2026, recovering and single, Peru's most beloved Argentine keeps proving that his story on Peruvian television is far from over.

Sources consulted

• La República: Facundo González, cuántos años tiene, cómo llegó al Perú y cuál es la diferencia de edad con Gisela Valcárcel
• América TV: Facundo González dio detalles de su salud tras delicada operación
• América TV: Facundo González fue atendido de emergencia tras aparatosa caída