The River Plate team that were promoted to the Primera División in 1908
According with the club's official history, River Plate was founded on 25 May 1901,[note1 1] close to theLa Boca neighborhood (later the home of fierce rivalsBoca Juniors). They were formed from the merger of two clubs, "Santa Rosa" and "La Rosales", with Leopoldo Bard elected as the first president. The name River Plate was chosen because of an incident during the construction of Buenos Aires Port: one of the members had seen how the workers of Dique nº 3 left their duties for a while to play a football match. The boxes they were working with just said "The River Plate" (the name the English gave to theRío de la Plata) and that inscription was taken to name the new club.
River Plate affiliated to theArgentine Football Association in 1905, debuting in the third division against Facultad de Medicina. On 13 December 1908, the team was promoted to first division after beatingRacing Club 2–1. However, the match was declared null due to River supporters jumping onto the field to celebrate with the players, so a new match had to be played. River again won, this time 7–0, to achieve promotion.
In the following years, River Plate consolidated its place as one of the most popular teams of Argentina, and the 20th century brought much success. The club's record of 28 official tournaments saw them dubbedEl Campeón del Siglo (The Champions of the Century).[20]
^There are different versions about the origin of the red band; some state that it was first worn during a carnival celebration while other say that River Plate adopted the band to distinguish themselves from a team ofVilla Devoto that also had white jerseys.[21]
^This jersey, worn as the home kit until 1932,[21][22] has remained (with few exceptions) as the away kit
^In March 1932, president of the club,Antonio Liberti, reissued the red band jersey, after he came to the changing room and said to players: "Take care of it, boys, becausethis is the River Plate jersey".[23]
Adidas has been River Plate's uniform supplier since 1982, becoming one of the company's largest sponsorship deals in the world, only behind German clubBayern Munich.[24] The US$60 million partnership with the German sports company signed in 2015 (extending the deal to 2021) marked the most expensive kit agreement in the history of Argentine football.[25][26]
River Plate jerseys exhibited in a corner of the city of Buenos Aires in 1955A 1985Adidas jersey worn byAmérico Gallego at the River Plate Museum
As in many football shirts and sports in general, the team's jersey has a badge on its front, as a symbol of the institution. When the River Plate jersey was created it did not have a badge, and its presence varied throughout the history, according to the designs of each era.[27] Currently it is embroidered on the jersey, with three colors (red, white and black). Its format resembles that of the jersey, as it has a red stripe that crosses it, along with the acronym of the club (CARP) in black, and the background is white, in a stylized design.
A River Plate jersey with the lion emblem, which debuted in 1985
When Hugo Santilli became chairman in 1984, he soon called to a competition where a new emblem would be chosen. The main objective of this new image was to eradicate the nicknameGallinas (Hens) that River's rivals (Boca Juniors fans mainly) used to mock them. Artists from Argentina took part in that competition. The club finally chose a logo designed by Claudio Loiseau (brother of cartoonistCaloi).[28] This emblem showed the figure of a lion (wearing a River jersey) rising from the Monumental stadium.[28]
We had to get into (lion figures) to avoid replicating symbols such asPlaza Hotel's orPeugeot's. Carlos (Loiseau) contacted designerRonald Shakespear, who got us a bunch of lion designs... Carlos brought out ideas but he was not a designer but a cartoonist. Once he finished with that, I made the final drawing"
— Claudio Loiseau, designer of the lion emblem.[28]
Once it was approved, the lion logo was added to the uniforms, debuting in 1985. With that emblem on their chests, River Plate won theCopa Libertadores de América andEuropean/South American Cup.[29] In 1989, when Santilli left the club so the lion went with him and has not been reestablished since.[30]
In February 2022, River Plate launched its new corporate image, which included an update to the logo and a typography designed exclusively for the club. The corporate image was created and developed by "Grupo Berro", abranding and design studio that had been working on the corporate image for over two years.[31][32][33]
River Plate andBoca Juniors are the two largest football clubs in Argentina, with more than half the country's football fans supporting the clubs. Due to the rivalry between them, the Boca Juniors vs River PlateSuperclásicolocal derby match was listed by theBBC as one of the most famous derbies in the world.[34] Attending the match was also acclaimed in 2004 as the number one of theFifty sporting things you must do before you die byThe Observer.[35]
The "River Plate" name was chosen in 1901, when the team was still located at theLa Boca neighbourhood, next to theRío de la Plata ("River Plate" in some English sources). Proposed names as "Club Atlético Forward", "Juventud Boquense" or "La Rosales" had been rejected. Pedro Martínez saw the name "The River Plate" written at ship containers, and proposed it as a name, which was finally accepted as the official name.[36]
River fans and the press are fond of the nicknameLos Millonarios (The Millionaires). This name derives from the 1930s after some expensive transfers of players from other clubs, includingCarlos Peucelle fromSportivo Buenos Aires in 1931 andBernabé Ferreyra fromTigre in 1932.[37]
Due to the red band in their shirt, it is also common to refer to River asEl Equipo de la Banda (the team with the band) or simplyLa Banda (which means "the stripe", but can also mean "the band" -both as in "gang" and "musical group"). River Plate'sforwards between 1941 and 1946 were given the nicknameLa Máquina (The Machine), due to their synchronization and movements on the field.[38]
There was also a River Plate team that was known asLa Maquinita (The Little Machine, as tribute to its predecessor) in the 1950s. Managed byJosé María Minella, the team earned the nickname after winning five championships in six years (1952–57).[39] Some notable players wereAlfredo Di Stéfano,Santiago Vernazza,Walter Gómez,Enrique Omar Sívori, among others. Some members of the originalMáquina of the 1940s such as Labruna and Loustau, were also part of the team.[40]
The stadium built by River Plate inLa Boca. The club played its home games there from 1915 to 1923.
TheEstadio Antonio Liberti (nicknamedEl Monumental) located in theBelgranoneighborhood ofBuenos Aires is River Plate's stadium. It was inaugurated on 25 May 1938, and its current capacity is 85,018 spectators, following renovations completed in 2025. Nowadays, the stadium is calledMâs Monumental for sponsorship reasons.[41]Argentina national football team usually plays its home games at the stadium.
Since its establishment in 1901, River Plate's stadiums have been:[42]
Dársena Sur (1901–05, 1907–15): Located on the corner of Wenceslao Villafañe and Caboto streets ofLa Boca. The club returned in 1907 fromSarandí.
Sarandí (1906–07): The club moved to that district inGreater Buenos Aires, near the railway station.
La Boca (1915–23): River built a stadium on the corner of Pinzón and Gaboto streets inLa Boca.
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's average home attendance was 84,567, the highest average attendance of any association football club in the world, also having sold-out 48 home matches in a row during the year.[9] It was also reported that River had more than 350,000 members at the end of 2023, making them one of thelargest sports clubs by membership.[9][10]
On 8 October 2012, "The world's longest football flag" was unveiled in a caravan in which approximately 15,000 River supporters took part. It was made entirely by fans who carried the 7,830 meters flag along the streets of Buenos Aires.[43][44] The away jersey of the 2012–13 season was the most sold throughout the world during the month of September 2012, a first for an Argentine club.[45][46] In 2015, the club participated in theFIFA Club World Cup and played againstSanfrecce Hiroshima at theNagai Stadium in Osaka on 16 December, and on 20 December in the final againstFC Barcelona at theInternational Stadium Yokohama. The number of River Plate supporters who traveled to Japan during that period were between 15,000 and 20,000,[47][48] a record in the competition.[49]
River Plate has official subsidiaries in provinces such asSanta Fe,Tucumán,Córdoba,Entre Ríos,Mendoza,Tierra del Fuego,Catamarca, among others, and in Spain, Mexico, Australia, the United States, Paraguay and Canada.[50] There are also unofficial fan clubs in all Latin American countries, and also in Spain, Italy, England, Israel, Australia, Germany, the United States and New Zealand.[51]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
From its creation in 1901 to the present, the lower divisions of River Plate have protagonized splendid moments in their categories.The River Plate Academy is recognized on a continental and world level for the amount of talents that have emerged throughout it. River produced many of the best players in the history of football, including most of the institution's top idols. Its main objective is to supply players with great future to the first team and educate academically, ethically and athletically its members.[53] Legends of football not only had the privilege of playing in the first division of the clubMillonario, but also wore the red and white jersey since the youth categories. The lower divisions of River Plate, also known as "El Semillero"[54] has always been the most fruitful ofArgentina, the most important and also the one with the greatest success.[55] Historically it is considered as the best soccer training school of the Americas and one of the best in the world.[56][57]
Two players from the River Plate academy won theBallon d'Or.Note: flags indicate national team they played for so the Ballon was awarded to European players only:
^The 1936 season was divided into two singleround-robin tournaments, "Copa Campeonato" (won by River Plate) and "Copa de Honor" (won by San Lorenzo). At the end of the season, both teams played the "Copa de Oro", a single match won by River. In itsMemoria y Balance (Annual Report) published by the AFA that year, River Plate is mentioned as "1936 Champion" while San Lorenzo is only mentioned as "Copa de honor winning team".[61] In its 100th anniversary book published in 1993, the AFA listed River Plate as the only 1936 champion.[62] In 2013, the AFA included three 1936 championships on its website, mentioning River Plate as Copa de Oro and Copa Campeonato winner and San Lorenzo as Copa de Honor winner, therefore both clubs added one league title to their honours.[63][64] Moreover, some historians consider Copa de Oro a national cup instead of a league championship, stating that it was only contested to qualify an Argentine representative to play theCopa Aldao against the Uruguayan champion.[65]
^Title sharedex aequo with Liga Cultural de Santiago del Estero.[69]
The last edition of the Campeonato Argentino was held in that year, and River Plate was defeated in the finals, then playing at its successor competition,Liga Nacional de Básquetbol, between 1985–93 and 2004–06. The team reached the finals in 1988, and for the 1989 and 1990 seasons,Héctor Campana became thetop scorer of the LNB, playing for River Plate. The team also achieved 2nd place in 2004 and 2005 editions of Copa Argentina. Since 2014, after eight years of absence in professional basketball, River Plate returned to national tournaments playing theCABB Federal Basketball Tournament.[85]
In 2017,Las Vikingas won their third consecutive Hockey National League after defeatingClub Italiano by 2–0 at the final, thus becoming one of the two clubs with most titles at the national tournament.[88]
River is one of the founding clubs of the Federación Metropolitana de Balonmano (Fe.Me.Bal.) and it is also the institution that won more championships in local history.[92]
All these titles have been obtained in the metropolitan and national levels, either in Metropolitan, Aperturas, Clausuras, Super 4 or Nacionales Tournaments, or the Federal League. The men's team won 32 domestic titles and the gold medal in theSouth American Men's Club Handball Championship in 1984.[93] The team also achieved 2 Bronze medals in the same competition and 4 Bronze medals in thePan American Men's Club Handball Championship. The women's team won 9 national titles, and the silver medal in theSouth American Women's Club Handball Championship in 1984 and the bronze medal in 1987.[94]
The more prominent players in the club's history are Guillermo Till, Claudio Straffe, Freddy Ambrosini, Gabriel Canzoniero and Juan Ojea.
The current swimming team has its origins in 2003, after many years in which the Club Atlético River Plate had no representatives in the national championships of this discipline.
The draft to form the best team in the country was led by Professor Rodolfo Sacco and had the best results that had never been achieved in the institution. The team began to form from a contractual relationship with the swimmerJosé Meolans,[95] one of the Argentine swimmers with most titles won.[96]
Many high-level swimmers, trained in other institutions began to approach to be part of what would be the best team in the country for the coming years.[97]
Tennis is a sport practiced in River Plate since 1923.[98] Currently, River Plate counts with 10 clay courts and one hard court. As in other disciplines, the Club stands out for its large number of teams participating in the official tournaments organized by the Asociación Argentina de Tenis, as well as having important activities and competitions for the development of this sport in the country.[99]
Gabriela Sabatini, who is considered the best Argentine women's tennis player in history and an icon in national women's sport, began practicing at River at age 6, under the direction of Professor Daniel Fidalgo, with whom she trained for seven years. When she was 12 years old, she participated in the Mundialito Infantil de Caracas, winning the competition, and ratifying once again the talent she had already shown during her participation in metropolitan and national children's tournaments.[100]
River Plate Women's division reached the national title four times, being one of the top champions of the league and the first to be champion three consecutive times (2005 to 2007).[101]
The men's volleyball team won theLiga Argentina de Voleibol in the 1998–99 season with the Brazilians Jefferson, Marcos Dreyer, and the nationals Marcelo Román, Diego Gutiérrez and Luis Gálvez[102] and the Súper 4 in 2003.[103] The team also won 8 Metropolitan Leagues between 1956 and 2011.
^abcThis was set as the official date of foundation by the club itself, stating that River Plate was established after the merger of clubs La Rosales and Santa Rosa. Nevertheless, other sources say that the real date of foundation is 15 May 1904 as River Plate would have assumed the date of foundation of predecessor club La Rosales as their own birth. This version is supported by historians whom found evidence of recorded matches played by both, La Rosales and Santa Rosa, after 1901. Moreover,La Nación newspaper published an article on 22 May 1904 about the "recent foundation" of River Plate.[4][5][6]
^"El campeón del siglo" [The champions of the century].La Nación (in Spanish). 29 December 1999. Archived fromthe original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved14 December 2012.
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