Club Atlético River Plate facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
River Plate

Full name	Club Atlético River Plate
Nickname(s)	Los Millonarios (The Millionaires) La Banda (The Stripe) El Más Grande (The Greatest)
Short name	River
Founded	25 May 1901; 124 years ago (1901-05-25)
Ground	Estadio Mâs Monumental
Ground Capacity	85,018
Chairman	Jorge Pablo Brito
Manager	Enzo Francescoli
Coach	Marcelo Gallardo
League	Primera División
2024	5th
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Club Atlético River Plate is a famous sports club from Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was started in 1901. The club is named after the Río de la Plata, which is a large river mouth.

River Plate's home stadium, called Monumental, is the biggest in South America. In 2023, River had the most fans attending home games worldwide. Over 350,000 people are members of the club. River Plate is one of the Big Five football clubs in Argentina. The other four are Independiente, San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors, and Racing Club.

Even though River Plate has many sports, it is most famous for its professional association football team. This team has won Argentina's top league, the Primera División, a record 38 times. Their most recent win was in 2023. River Plate has also won 16 national cups. This makes them Argentina's most successful team in their home country with 54 titles.

Internationally, River has won 18 titles. These include four Copa Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup. They also won the 2014 Copa Sudamericana, 2015 Recopa Sudamericana, and the 2015 Copa Libertadores. This made River Plate the first team to hold CONMEBOL's three main international trophies at the same time.

River Plate is ranked first in the all-time Argentine Primera División table. They have the most points and wins in the league's history. They are also ranked first in the historical table of the Copa Libertadores. This means they have won the most games and gained the most points among South American teams. In 2000, the club was ranked ninth in the FIFA Club of the Century poll. Many great players from the Argentina national team have played for River Plate.

River Plate has a big rivalry with Boca Juniors. Their matches are called the Superclásico. This rivalry is one of the most exciting in sports. Famous players who played for River include Alfredo Di Stéfano and Enzo Francescoli.

Club History

The River Plate team that was promoted to the Primera División in 1908

River Plate was founded on May 25, 1901. It started near the La Boca neighborhood, which is now home to their rivals, Boca Juniors. Two clubs, "Santa Rosa" and "La Rosales," joined together to form River Plate. Leopoldo Bard was chosen as the first president. The name "River Plate" came from an event during the building of Buenos Aires Port. One of the members saw workers playing football near boxes marked "The River Plate." This was the English name for the Río de la Plata.

River Plate joined the Argentine Football Association in 1905. They played their first game in the third division. On December 13, 1908, the team moved up to the first division. They beat Racing Club 2–1. However, the game had to be replayed because River fans celebrated too early. River won the new match 7–0, securing their promotion.

In 1914, River won its first national championship, the Copa de Competencia Jockey Club. They also won their first international title, the Copa de Competencia Chevallier Boutell. The nickname Los Millonarios (The Millionaires) came about in the 1930s. This was after the club bought expensive players like Carlos Peucelle in 1931 and Bernabé Ferreyra in 1932. These players cost a lot of money for that time.

Over the years, River Plate became one of Argentina's most popular teams. The 20th century brought them many victories. With 28 official tournament wins, they were called El Campeón del Siglo (The Champions of the Century).

Team Kit

Kit Design Over Time

1901–1904

1904–09

1909–1932

1932–present

Kit Sponsors and Manufacturers

Adidas has made River Plate's uniforms since 1982. This is one of Adidas's biggest sponsorship deals worldwide. The partnership signed in 2015 was the most expensive kit agreement in Argentine football history.

River Plate jerseys displayed in Buenos Aires in 1955

A 1985 Adidas jersey worn by Américo Gallego at the River Plate Museum

Club Badge

The first badge of River Plate, 1918

Like many sports teams, River Plate's jersey has a badge. This badge is a symbol of the club. When the River Plate jersey was first made, it did not have a badge. Its look has changed over the years. Today, the badge is sewn onto the jersey. It has three colors: red, white, and black. The design looks like the jersey itself. It has a red stripe across it. The letters "CARP" (for Club Atlético River Plate) are in black. The background is white.

A River Plate jersey with the lion emblem, first used in 1985

In 1984, Hugo Santilli became the club's chairman. He started a competition to choose a new badge. The goal was to stop rivals, especially Boca Juniors fans, from calling River players "Gallinas" (Hens). Artists from Argentina took part. The club chose a logo designed by Claudio Loiseau. This badge showed a lion wearing a River jersey, rising from the Monumental stadium.

The lion logo was added to the uniforms in 1985. With this emblem, River Plate won the Copa Libertadores de América and the European/South American Cup. When Santilli left the club in 1989, the lion logo was no longer used.

In February 2022, River Plate introduced a new look for the club. This included an updated logo and a special font. A design studio called "Grupo Berro" worked on this new look for over two years.

Rivalry with Boca Juniors

River Plate and Boca Juniors are the two biggest football clubs in Argentina. More than half of the country's football fans support these two teams. Because of this strong rivalry, the Boca Juniors vs River Plate Superclásico match is known worldwide. In 2004, attending this match was even called one of the "Fifty sporting things you must do before you die" by The Observer.

Club Nicknames

La Máquina in 1941. From left to right: Muñoz, Moreno, Pedernera, Labruna, Loustau

The name "River Plate" was chosen in 1901. At that time, the team was in the La Boca neighborhood, next to the Río de la Plata. Other names like "Club Atlético Forward" were not chosen. Pedro Martínez saw "The River Plate" written on ship containers. He suggested it as the club's name, and it was accepted.

River fans and the media often call the team Los Millonarios (The Millionaires). This nickname started in the 1930s. It was because the club spent a lot of money to buy players from other teams. For example, they bought Carlos Peucelle in 1931 and Bernabé Ferreyra in 1932. These were very large amounts of money back then.

Because of the red stripe on their shirt, River is also called El Equipo de la Banda (the team with the band) or simply La Banda (The Stripe). River Plate's forwards from 1941 to 1946 were known as La Máquina (The Machine). This was because they played so well together.

There was also a River Plate team in the 1950s called La Maquinita (The Little Machine). This was a tribute to the earlier "Machine" team. This team, led by José María Minella, won five championships in six years (1952–57). Famous players like Alfredo Di Stéfano were part of this team.

Stadiums

The stadium built by River Plate in La Boca. The club played its home games there from 1915 to 1923.

The Estadio Antonio Liberti, also known as El Monumental, is River Plate's stadium. It is located in the Belgrano neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The stadium opened on May 25, 1938, and can hold 86,000 people. The Argentina national football team often plays its home games here.

Since 1901, River Plate has played in several stadiums:

• Dársena Sur (1901–05, 1907–15): Located in La Boca.
• Sarandí (1906–07): The club moved to this area near a railway station.
• La Boca (1915–23): River built a stadium in La Boca.
• Alvear y Tagle (1923–37): Located in the Recoleta district.
• Antonio V. Liberti (Monumental) (1938–Present): Built where a horse racing track used to be.

Panoramic view of the Monumental Stadium in 2013.

Fan Support

Two images of River Plate supporters: (left): celebrating in the streets in 1945; (right): welcoming the team in the 2015 Recopa Sudamericana

In 2023, River Plate had the highest average home attendance for any football club in the world. About 84,567 fans attended each home game. The club also sold out 48 home matches in a row that year. By the end of 2023, River had over 350,000 members. This makes them one of the largest sports clubs by membership globally.

On October 8, 2012, "The world's longest football flag" was shown. About 15,000 River fans carried the 7,830-meter flag through the streets of Buenos Aires. In September 2012, River's away jersey was the most sold worldwide. This was a first for an Argentine club.

In 2015, River Plate played in the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. Between 15,000 and 20,000 River fans traveled to Japan. This was a record for the competition.

River Plate has official fan clubs in many Argentine provinces. They also have clubs in Spain, Mexico, Australia, the United States, Paraguay, and Canada. Unofficial fan clubs exist in all Latin American countries and many other parts of the world.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Franco Armani (vice-captain) 2 DF Federico Gattoni (on loan from Sevilla) 4 DF Gonzalo Montiel 6 DF Germán Pezzella (3rd captain) 7 FW Maximiliano Salas 8 MF Maximiliano Meza 9 FW Miguel Borja 10 MF Juanfer Quintero 11 FW Facundo Colidio 13 DF Lautaro Rivero 14 DF Sebastián Boselli 15 FW Sebastián Driussi 16 DF Fabricio Bustos 17 DF Paulo Díaz (4th captain) 18 MF Pity Martínez 20 DF Milton Casco 21 DF Marcos Acuña

No. Position Player 22 MF Kevin Castaño 24 MF Enzo Pérez (captain) 25 GK Conan Ledesma 26 MF Ignacio Fernández 27 FW Bautista Dadín 28 DF Lucas Martínez Quarta 32 FW Agustín Ruberto 34 MF Giuliano Galoppo (on loan from São Paulo) 35 MF Giorgio Costantini 37 GK Lucas Lavagnino 38 FW Ian Subiabre 39 MF Santiago Lencina 41 GK Santiago Beltrán 47 MF Juan Cruz Meza MF Juan Portillo MF Matías Galarza

Players Under Contract

No. Position Player 5 MF Matías Kranevitter 31 MF Santiago Simón DF David Martínez

No. Position Player MF Matías Rojas MF Manuel Lanzini

Players on Loan

No. Position Player GK Ezequiel Centurión (at Independiente Rivadavia until 31 December 2025) DF Andrés Herrera (at Columbus Crew until 30 June 2026) DF Daniel Zabala (at Huracán until 31 December 2025) DF Enzo Díaz (at São Paulo until 31 December 2025) DF Gonzalo Trindade (at Central Córdoba (SdE) until 31 December 2025) MF Tomás Galván (at Vélez until 31 December 2025) MF Tomás Castro Ponce (at Almagro until 31 December 2025) MF Elián Giménez (at Sarmiento until 31 December 2025)

No. Position Player MF Tobías Leiva (at Aldosivi until 31 December 2025) MF Tiago Serrago (at Aldosivi until 31 December 2025) FW Franco Alfonso (at Central Córdoba (SdE) until 31 December 2025) FW Tomás Nasif (at Banfield until 31 December 2025) FW Oswaldo Valencia (at Cúcuta Deportivo until 31 December 2025) FW Alexis González (at Audax Italiano until 31 December 2025) FW Gonzalo Tapia (at São Paulo until 31 December 2026)

Current Coaching Staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Marcelo Gallardo
Assistant coach	Matías Biscay
Assistant coach	Hernán Buján
Fitness coach	Pablo Dolce
Fitness coach	Diego Gamalero
Fitness coach	Nicolás Gómez
Goalkeeping coach	Alberto Montes
Goalkeeping coach	Javier Sodero
Video analyst	Nahuel Hidalgo
Video analyst	Alejandro Albornoz
Doctor	Fernando Macías
Doctor	Christian Verdier
Kinesiologist	Jorge Bombicino
Kinesiologist	Franco Bombicino
Neurosciencist	Sandra Rossi
Neurosciencist	Mariela Arangio
Nutrionist	Marcelo Pudelka
Psychologist	Pablo Nigro

Top Goalscorers

Ángel Labruna, River Plate's all-time top goalscorer

Rank	Player	Position	Years Played	Goals	Matches
1	Ángel Labruna	FW	1939–59	317	515
2	Oscar Más	FW	1964–73, 1974–77	217	382
3	Bernabé Ferreyra	FW	1932–39	200	185
4	José Manuel Moreno	FW	1935–44, 1946–48	184	320
5	Norberto Alonso	MF	1970–76, 1977–81, 1984–86	158	374
6	Adolfo Pedernera	FW	1935–46	143	278
7	Enzo Francescoli	FW	1984–86, 1994–98	137	217
8	Carlos Peucelle	FW	1931–41	118	307
9	Daniel Onega	FW	1966–71, 1973	117	207
10	Fernando Cavenaghi	FW	2001–04, 2011–12, 2014–15	112	212

Most Appearances

Amadeo Carrizo holds the record for most appearances for River Plate

Rank.	Player	Position	Years Played	Matches
1	Amadeo Carrizo	GK	1945–68	520
2	Ángel Labruna	FW	1939–59	515
3	Reinaldo Merlo	MF	1969–84	500
4	Juan José López	MF	1970–81	466
5	Norberto Yácono	DF	1938–53	393
6	Oscar Más	FW	1964–73, 1974–77	382
7	Norberto Alonso	MF	1970–76, 1977–81, 1983–87	374
8	Félix Loustau	FW	1942–57	367
9	Ubaldo Fillol	GK	1974–83	361
10	Leonardo Ponzio	MF	2007–2008; 2012-2021	358

Youth Academy: Developing Future Stars

River Plate's youth academy, also known as "El Semillero" (The Seedbed), is very famous. It has produced many talented football players throughout history. The academy's main goal is to train young players for the first team. It also helps them with their education and sports skills.

Many football legends played for River Plate's first team after coming through its youth system. The academy is considered one of the best football training schools in the Americas and worldwide.

Ballon d'Or Winners from River Plate Academy

Two players who came from River Plate's academy won the Ballon d'Or. This award is for the best football player in Europe.

• Alfredo Di Stéfano (won in 1957, 1959, and a special award in 1989)
• Omar Sívori (won in 1961)

Top South American Players from River Plate Academy

José Manuel Moreno and Alfredo Di Stéfano, ranked among the 50 best South American players of the 20th century

The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) ranked the 50 best South American footballers of the 20th century. Several River Plate academy players were on this list:

Rank.	Player	Votes	Pos.
3	Alfredo Di Stéfano	161	FW
5	José Manuel Moreno	82	FW
12	Adolfo Pedernera	24	FW
16	Omar Sívori	19	FW
26	Ángel Labruna	12	FW
35	Daniel Passarella	8	DF

Other Famous Players from River Plate Academy

FIFA World Cup Winners

From left to right: Norberto Alonso, Ubaldo Fillol, Leopoldo Luque, and Nery Pumpido, some River Plate players who won the World Cup with Argentina

Several River Plate players have won the FIFA World Cup with Argentina:

• Norberto Alonso (1978)
• Ubaldo Fillol (1978)
• Leopoldo Luque (1978)
• Oscar Ortiz (1978)
• Daniel Passarella (Captain in 1978, did not play in 1986)
• Héctor Enrique (1986)
• Nery Pumpido (1986)
• Oscar Ruggeri (1986)
• Franco Armani (2022)

Notable Managers

Marcelo Gallardo is River Plate's most successful manager with 14 titles

Marcelo Gallardo is the most successful manager in River Plate's history. He won 14 titles. Gallardo was the club's manager from 2014 until November 2022. Under his leadership, River Plate won most of its international championships. He won three Copa Argentina (2016, 2017, 2019) and two Supercopa Argentina (2017, 2019). He was very successful in international competitions. He won two Copa Libertadores (2015, 2018), one Copa Sudamericana (2014), three Recopa Sudamericana (2015, 2016, 2019), and one Suruga Bank Championship (2015). Many of these wins included big victories against their main rivals, Boca Juniors.

Ramón Díaz managed River Plate three times (1995–2000, 2001–02, and 2012–14). He is the club's most successful manager in domestic competitions. He won six Primera División titles and one Copa Campeonato. He also won the Copa Libertadores (1996) and one Supercopa Libertadores (1997).

José María Minella was another important manager. He won eight titles with River Plate. These included seven Primera División championships and one Copa Dr. Ricardo Aldao.

Ángel Labruna had a great career as both a player and a coach for River Plate. As a player, he is the club's all-time top scorer. As a coach, he won six Primera División championships.

Héctor Veira led River Plate to win the Copa Libertadores in 1986. In the same year, the team won the European/South American Cup in Tokyo. He also won the 1985–86 Argentine championship.

Club Achievements

Senior Titles

Other Titles

River Plate has also won titles in lower divisions:

• Primera B Nacional: 2011–12
• Segunda División: 1908

Youth Titles

• U-20 Copa Libertadores: 2012

Friendly Titles

River Plate has won many friendly tournaments, including:

• Torneo Internacional Nocturno: 1944
• Copa Tres Ciudades: 1947
• Torneo Triangular: 1962
• Copa Ciudad de Bogotá: 1964
• Copa Confraternidad Iberoamericana: 1964
• Feria de Cali: 1965
• Copa Ciudad de Buenos Aires: 1969
• Torneo Villa de Madrid: 1978
• Torneo de Campeones: 1979
• Torneo Cuadrangular Rosa de Oro de Querétaro: 1985
• Copa 85th Aniversario: 1986
• Copa Misiones: 1986
• Copa Trasandina: 1992
• Supercopa Euroamericana: 2015
• Triangular Internacional Sodimac: 2022

Other Sports at River Plate

Besides football, River Plate offers many other sports. These include athletics, basque pelota, bowls, chess, basketball, handball, cestoball, gymnastics, field hockey, karate, roller hockey, roller skating, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball, waterpolo, and eSports.

Basketball Team

Alberto López won the 1950 World Cup with Argentina

The basketball team plays in the Torneo Federal de Básquetbol. In 1950, the first FIBA World Championship was held in Buenos Aires. Argentina won the gold medal with three River Plate players: Alberto López, Leopoldo Contarbio, and Vito Liva. The club won a Campeonato Argentino title in 1983. They also finished second in the Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes Campeones de Básquetbol in 1984.

River Plate's team reached the finals of the Liga Nacional de Básquetbol in 1988. Since 2014, River Plate has returned to national basketball tournaments.

Field Hockey Team

River Plate field hockey team playing Club Ciudad in 2011

The women's field hockey team is called Las Vikingas. They play in the top division of regional hockey in Argentina. In 2016, Las Vikingas won their first Metropolitano championship. They beat Ciudad de Buenos Aires 3–2 in the final.

In 2017, Las Vikingas won their third straight Hockey National League. This made them one of the clubs with the most titles in the national tournament. Two River Plate players, Lucina von der Heyde and Bianca Donati, played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup. Von der Heyde was named the FIH Rising Star of the Year.

Futsal Team

The futsal team plays in the Argentine División de Honor. The team won three championships in 1991, 2002, and 2003. They also won two Copa Argentina de Futsal in 2016 and 2017. In 2013, the team finished third in the Copa Libertadores de Futsal.

Handball Team

River Plate is one of the clubs that started the Federación Metropolitana de Balonmano (Fe.Me.Bal.). It has won more championships in local history than any other club.

The men's team has won 32 national titles. They also won the gold medal in the South American Men's Club Handball Championship in 1984. The women's team has won 9 national titles. They also won a silver medal in the South American Women's Club Handball Championship in 1984.

Swimming Team

José Meolans competed for River Plate and represented Argentina in four Olympic Games

River Plate's swimming team started again in 2003. The goal was to create the best team in the country. This effort was led by Professor Rodolfo Sacco. The team included José Meolans, one of Argentina's most successful swimmers.

Many top swimmers joined River Plate to be part of this strong team. Other River Plate swimmers who represented Argentina in the Olympics include Georgina Bardach and Damián Blaum.

Tennis Team

Tennis has been played at River Plate since 1923. The club has 10 clay courts and one hard court. River Plate is known for having many teams in official tournaments. They also host important events to help tennis grow in the country.

Gabriela Sabatini, considered the best Argentine women's tennis player ever, started playing at River at age 6. She trained there for seven years. At 12, she won a major junior competition in Caracas.

Volleyball Team

Women's volleyball at River Plate

The River Plate women's volleyball team has won the national title four times. They are one of the top champions in the league. They were also the first team to win three times in a row (2005 to 2007).

The men's volleyball team won the Liga Argentina de Voleibol in the 1998–99 season. They also won the Súper 4 in 2003. The team has won 8 Metropolitan Leagues between 1956 and 2011.

Women's Football Team

The River Plate women's football team plays in the Campeonato de Fútbol Femenino. They have won the championship 11 times. Five of these wins were in a row from 1993 to 1997. The team finished third in the 2017 Copa Libertadores Femenina.

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See also

In Spanish: Club Atlético River Plate para niños