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)
Short name	River
Founded	25 May 1901; 124 years ago (1901-05-25)
Ground	Estadio Más Monumental
Ground Capacity	84,567
Chairman	Jorge Pablo Brito
Manager	Enzo Francescoli
Coach	Marcelo Gallardo
League	Primera División
2023	1st
Home colours Away colours

Club Atlético River Plate, often called River Plate, is a famous Argentine sports club. It is located in the Belgrano area of Buenos Aires. The club started in 1901. Its name comes from the English name for the Río de la Plata estuary.

River Plate's home stadium, Estadio Monumental, is the biggest in South America. In 2023, it had the highest average attendance for any football club worldwide. More than 350,000 people are members of River Plate, making it one of the largest sports clubs by membership globally.

While River Plate is a multi-sport club, 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 local competitions 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 2015 Copa Libertadores. This made them the first team to hold CONMEBOL's three main international titles at the same time.

River Plate is ranked first in the all-time Argentine Primera División table. They have the most points, played the most games, and have the highest win percentage. They are also first in the historical table of the Copa Libertadores. This means they are the South American team with the most wins and points in that competition. In 2000, FIFA ranked the club ninth in its "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 intense in sports. It is popular worldwide because both clubs have the most fans in Argentina. Famous players who played for River include Alfredo Di Stéfano and Javier Mascherano.

Club History: How River Plate Began

River Plate team that promoted to 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. The club was formed by combining two smaller clubs, "Santa Rosa" and "La Rosales." Leopoldo Bard was chosen as the first president.

The name "River Plate" came from an interesting event. One of the club members saw workers at the Buenos Aires Port playing football. The boxes they were working with said "The River Plate." This was the English name for the Río de la Plata. So, they decided to name the new club after it.

River Plate joined the Argentine Football Association in 1905. They played their first third division match against Facultad de Medicina. On December 13, 1908, the team moved up to the first division. They beat Racing Club 2–1. However, the game was replayed because River fans rushed onto the field to celebrate. 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 they bought players like Carlos Peucelle in 1931 for $10,000 and Bernabé Ferreyra in 1932 for $35,000. These were huge amounts of money back then!

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

River Plate's Famous Uniforms

How the Kit Changed Over Time

1901–1904

1904–09

1909–1932

1932–present

Kit Sponsors and Makers

Adidas has been making River Plate's uniforms since 1982. This is one of Adidas's biggest sponsorship deals worldwide. Only German club Bayern Munich has a larger deal. In 2015, a $60 million deal was signed, extending the partnership to 2021. This was the most expensive kit agreement in Argentine football history.

River Plate jerseys exhibited in a corner of the city of Buenos Aires in 1955

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

River Plate's Badge and Symbols

(Left): The first badge of River Plate of 1918; (right): the "lion" emblem designed by cartoonist Caloi, used between 1984 and 1989

Like many sports teams, River Plate's jersey has a badge. This badge represents the club. The first River Plate jersey did not have a badge. Its design has changed over time. Today, the badge is sewn onto the jersey. It has three colors: red, white, and black. It looks like the jersey itself, with a red stripe across it. The club's initials, CARP, are in black on a white background.

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

The lion logo was added to uniforms right away. River Plate won the Copa Libertadores de América and European/South American Cup using this lion logo. In 1989, when Santilli left the club, the lion logo was no longer used.

In February 2022, River Plate updated its logo. They also created a special font just for the club. This new look was designed by "Grupo Berro," a branding studio.

The Superclásico: River Plate vs. 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 one of these teams. Because of this strong rivalry, matches between them are called the Superclásico. The BBC has called it one of the most famous rivalries in the world. In 2004, The Observer newspaper even said attending a Superclásico was the number one "sporting thing you must do before you die."

River Plate's Nicknames and Their Meanings

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, and it became the official name.

Fans and the media often call River Los Millonarios (The Millionaires). This nickname started in the 1930s. It was because the club spent a lot of money on new players. For example, they bought Carlos Peucelle in 1931 and Bernabé Ferreyra in 1932. These were very expensive transfers for that time.

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

In the 1950s, another River Plate team was 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. Famous players like Alfredo Di Stéfano were part of this team.

River Plate's Stadiums Through the Years

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

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

Since its start in 1901, River Plate has had several home stadiums:

• Dársena Sur (1901–05, 1907–15): Located in La Boca.
• Sarandí (1906–07): The club moved to this district near the 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.

River Plate 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 an average home attendance of 84,567 fans. This was the highest for any football club in the world. They 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 supporters took part in a parade. Fans made the flag, which was 7,830 meters long. They carried it through the streets of Buenos Aires. In September 2012, River's away jersey for the 2012–13 season 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 Plate fans traveled to Japan. This was a record number of supporters 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.

River Plate Players

Current Football Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Franco Armani (captain) 3 DF Ramiro Funes Mori 4 MF Nicolás Fonseca 5 MF Matías Kranevitter 6 DF Federico Gattoni (on loan from Sevilla) 7 FW Adam Bareiro 8 MF Maximiliano Meza 9 FW Miguel Borja 10 MF Manuel Lanzini 11 FW Facundo Colidio 13 DF Enzo Díaz 14 DF Leandro González Pírez 16 DF Fabricio Bustos 17 DF Paulo Díaz 18 MF Pity Martínez 19 MF Claudio Echeverri (on loan from Manchester City)

No. Position Player 20 DF Milton Casco 22 DF Daniel Zabala 23 MF Rodrigo Villagra 24 DF Marcos Acuña 25 GK Conan Ledesma 26 MF Ignacio Fernández (third-captain) 27 DF Agustín Sant'Anna 29 MF Rodrigo Aliendro 30 MF Franco Mastantuono 31 MF Santiago Simón 32 FW Agustín Ruberto 33 DF Germán Pezzella (vice-captain) 36 FW Pablo Solari 37 GK Lucas Lavagnino 38 FW Ian Subiabre 41 GK Santiago Beltrán

Players on Loan

No. Position Player GK Augusto Batalla (at Rayo Vallecano until 31 July 2025) GK Ezequiel Centurión (at Independiente Rivadavia until 31 December 2025) DF Sebastián Boselli (at Estudiantes until 31 December 2025) DF Marcelo Herrera (at Columbus Crew until 31 July 2025) DF David Martínez (at Inter Miami until 31 July 2025) DF Franco Paredes (at Sarmiento until 31 December 2024) DF Robert Rojas (at Vasco da Gama until 31 December 2024) MF Franco Alfonso (at Huracán until 31 December 2024)

No. Position Player MF Tomás Castro Ponce (at Atlético Tucumán until 31 December 2024) MF Esteban Fernández (at Newell's Old Boys until 31 December 2024) MF Tomás Galván (at Tigre until 31 December 2024) MF Agustín Palavecino (at Necaxa until 31 July 2025) MF José Paradela (at Necaxa until 31 December 2024) FW Alexis González (at Godoy Cruz until 31 December 2025) FW Flabián Londoño (at Patriotas until 31 December 2025) FW Oswaldo Valencia (at Cúcuta Deportivo until 30 June 2025)

Top Goalscorers in River Plate History

Ángel Labruna, River Plate all-time top goalscorer

Rank	Player	Position	Tenure	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 for River Plate

Amadeo Carrizo holds the most appearances record for River Plate

Rank.	Player	Position	Tenure	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

River Plate's Youth Academy: Developing Future Stars

River Plate's youth academy is famous worldwide. It has produced many talented players. The academy's main goal is to train young players for the first team. It also focuses on their education and athletic development.

Many football legends played for River Plate's first team after coming through their youth system. The lower divisions of River Plate are known as "El Semillero" (The Seedbed). It is considered one of the best football training schools in the Americas and globally.

Ballon d'Or Winners from River Plate Academy

Two players from the River Plate academy have won the Ballon d'Or.

• Alfredo Di Stéfano (1957, 1959, 1989 Super Ballon d'Or)
• Omar Sívori (1961)

Top South American Players from River Plate Academy

The following River Plate academy players were ranked among the 50 best South American footballers of the 20th century by IFFHS:

José Manuel Moreno and Alfredo Di Stéfano, ranked among the 50 best South American players of the XX century at the IFFHS website

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

River Plate Players Who Won the FIFA World Cup

From left to right: Norberto Alonso, Ubaldo Fillol, Leopoldo Luque and Nery Pumpido, some River Plate players that were World Cup winners with Argentina

• Norberto Alonso (1978)
• Ubaldo Fillol (1978)
• Leopoldo Luque (1978)
• Oscar Ortiz (1978)
• Daniel Passarella (Captain 1978, DNP 1986)
• Héctor Enrique (1986)
• Nery Pumpido (1986)
• Oscar Ruggeri (1986)
• Franco Armani (2022)

Notable Managers of River Plate

Marcelo Gallardo is the most successful River Plate manager in club's history with 14 titles won

Marcelo Gallardo is the most successful manager in River Plate's history. He won thirteen titles. Gallardo was the club's manager from 2014 to November 2022. Under his leadership, River Plate won most of its international championships.

He won three Copa Argentina titles and two Supercopa Argentina titles. On the international stage, he won two Copa Libertadores (2015, 2018), one Copa Sudamericana (2014), and three Recopa Sudamericana titles. Many of these wins were 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. Internationally, he won the Copa Libertadores in 1996 and one Supercopa Libertadores in 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 an amazing career as both a player and a coach for River Plate. As a coach, he won six Primera División championships.

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

River Plate's Trophies and Achievements

Major Senior Titles

Other Titles Won by River Plate

Titles won in lower divisions:

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

Youth Titles

• U-20 Copa Libertadores: 2012

Beyond Football: Other Sports at River Plate

River Plate is not just about football. The club 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 at River Plate

Alberto López won the 1950 World Cup with Argentina

River Plate's 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.

The team reached the finals of the Liga Nacional de Básquetbol in 1988. From 1989 to 1990, Héctor Campana was the top scorer in the league while playing for River Plate. The team also finished second in the Copa Argentina in 2004 and 2005. After an eight-year break, River Plate returned to professional basketball in 2014.

Field Hockey at River Plate

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, they won their first Metropolitano championship. They beat Ciudad de Buenos Aires 3–2 in the final.

In 2017, Las Vikingas won their third National Hockey League title in a row. They defeated Club Italiano 2–0. This made them one of the clubs with the most national titles.

Two River Plate players, Lucina von der Heyde and Bianca Donati, played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup. They were Junior World Champions in Chile in 2016. Von der Heyde was named the FIH Rising Star of the Year.

Futsal at River Plate

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 titles in 2016 and 2017. In 2013, the team finished third in the Copa Libertadores de Futsal.

Handball at River Plate

River Plate is one of the founding clubs of the Federación Metropolitana de Balonmano (Fe.Me.Bal.). They have 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 earned a silver medal in the South American Women's Club Handball Championship in 1984.

Swimming at River Plate

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

River Plate's swimming team started again in 2003. This was after many years without representatives in national championships. The goal was to build the best team in the country. This effort was led by Professor Rodolfo Sacco.

Many top swimmers joined the team. They helped River Plate become the best swimming team in the country for several years.

Other River Plate swimmers who competed for Argentina in the Olympics include José Meolans, Georgina Bardach, and Cecilia Biagioli.

Tennis at River Plate

Tennis has been played at River Plate since 1923. The club currently has 10 clay courts and one hard court. River Plate has many teams that play in official tournaments. They also host important events to help develop tennis in Argentina.

Gabriela Sabatini, considered Argentina's best female tennis player ever, started playing at River Plate at age 6. She trained there for seven years. At 12, she won the Mundialito Infantil de Caracas. This showed her great talent, which she had already displayed in other children's tournaments.

Volleyball at River Plate

Women's volleyball at River Plate

River Plate's 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 (from 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 at River Plate

María Pía Gomez scoring a goal for the women's team in 2011

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.

Images for kids

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  River Plate supporters celebrating in the streets in 1945

• 

  River Plate supporters welcoming the team in the 2015 Recopa Sudamericana

See also

In Spanish: Club Atlético River Plate para niños

• List of world champion football clubs