River once again confirmed in 2025 what its history has supported for decades: it is the Club with the best training performance in Argentine football and one of the three main references worldwide, according to the CIES Football Observatory. This is not an exception or a surprise, but rather the consolidation of a model that distinguishes the Millionaire and permanently projects him into the future.
Throughout the season, and supported by a solid work team led by General Coordinator of Training Football, Gabriel Rodríguez, River was the Club that added the most points among Children and Youth of the AFA, the one that obtained the most titles and the one that once again set the course in the training of talents. A sustained leadership that also had international support with awards in tournaments held in different parts of the world. The most recent, in the Messi Cup, in the United States, against some of the most prestigious quarries on the planet.
First Division debuts
River’s training work has, beyond the achievements and results obtained along the way through the different categories, the primary objective of developing players who can become professionals in the future. In this sense, 2025 left as another highlight the debut in River’s First Division of nine footballers:
Giorgio Costantini
Ulises Gimenez
Juan Cruz Meza
Bautista Dadin
Agustín De la Cuesta
Thiago Acosta
Cristian Jaime
Agustin Obregon
Joaquín Freitas
River always contributing to the national teams
Sub-15: Estéfano Sarro, Bautista Giménez Tassara, Cristian Joaquín Gómez, Ramiro Álvarez, Felipe López Taboada, Gianfranco Ledestre, Valentín Sayago and Bruno Cabral.
Sub-16: Luca Scarlato, Galo Escobar, Tobías Goytía and David Silva.
Sub-17: Felipe Esquivel, Santiago Espindola, Juan Cruz Meza, Ramiro Buati, Dylan Martínez and Lautaro Pereyra.
Sub-20: Franco Mastantuono, Ian Subiabre, Agustín Ruberto, Santiago Lencina, Agustín Obregón, Bautista Dadín, and Jeremías Martinet.
Training at the top
In JuvenilesRiver became champion in two of the six categories. The Eighth Division He showed consistency, identity and a high level of play throughout the season. The NovenaMeanwhile, they crowned an exceptional year in an undefeated manner: they won 26 of their 31 games and were the division that added the most points in all of Argentine soccer, with 83 units. In Children’s, the dominance was also overwhelming. River won the category championships 2012 y 2013 and widely led the general table, with 204 points, marking a clear difference over their pursuers (Vélez with 176).
In total, River’s Formative Divisions obtained four titles in the year, the highest number in Argentine soccer, reflecting a solid structure, sustained work and an identity that is transmitted from the first steps.
International consecration: Messi Cup champions
The Club’s Youth reinforced this consolidation by obtaining the Messi Cupafter winning 2-0 against Atlético de Madrid, from Spain, in the final played at the Inter Miami stadium. An international title that reaffirms the validity of the River Plate training model on the global stage.
The team competed with personality, football and identity against top-level rivals such as Barcelona, Manchester City, Inter Milan and Chelseademonstrating that the River DNA is also expressed on the big stages.
The road to the title
First phase
River vs. Barcelona
2-2 (Bruno Cabral and Joaquín Amor)
River vs. Manchester City
1-2 (Felipe López)
River vs. Inter Milan
5-1 (Bruno Cabral -3-, Elián Suljic and Joaquín Amor)
Semifinal
River vs. Chelsea
3-1 (Valentín Sayago, Ramiro Álvarez and Bruno Cabral)
Final
River vs. Atlético de Madrid
2-0 (Bruno Cabral -2-)
International presence
In addition to the Messi Cup, River established itself in different international tournaments throughout the year and against great rivals from all over the world. Some of the most notable results were:
In the Mohammed VI Football Academy (Marruecos), where the 2007/2008 category won the title by beating Crystal Palace 2-0 in the final.
In it Pulcino d’Oro disputed in Italy, The 2014 category was consecrated for the third consecutive year and undefeated, defeating Juventus 1-0 in the decisive match.
Furthermore, in the MIC Futbal de Punta Cana, The 2012 category became champion after beating Alajuelense of Costa Rica 4-1.
From River to the world
The latest report of CIES Football Observatory once again placed River Plate among the three best quarries on the planetalong with clubs of the stature of Benfica and Barcelona, ratifying a global impact built with work, conviction and continuity.
Between the 2005/06 and 2024/25 seasons, River Training had a decisive impact in the five major European leagues:
-The continental club that more footballers contributed.
-The club on the continent (and fourth worldwide) that more goals generated.
-The continent club with higher overall performance.
–9 of the 20 top Argentine scorers in the big leagues they were formed in River.
-Fourth among the highest scoring youth teams in the world, only behind Barcelona, Real Madrid and Lyon.
Names that cross generations like Alfredo Di Stefano y Enrique Omar Sívori (Ballon d’Or winners), passing through Beto Alonso, Reinaldo Merlo, Marcelo Gallardo, Ariel Ortega, Pablo Aimar, Javier Saviola, Gonzalo Higuaín, Fernando Cavenaghi, Radamel Falcao, Hernán Crespountil Julián Álvarez, Enzo Fernández, Gonzalo Montiel, Exequiel Palacios, Guido Rodríguez y German Pezzellalast world champions.
Thus, Millonario continues to be the Argentine club that contributed the most players to the National Team, the one that shared the most talent with the world and the one that continues to lead the way in the training of footballers, with the coherence, pride and identity that distinguish it.
