Overview
- Benfica leads the global list ahead of Barcelona, with River Plate third, Ajax fourth and Boca Juniors fifth, while Vélez Sarsfield places tenth.
- The CIES study evaluated academy impact from 2005/06 to 2024/25 using indicators such as active graduates, minutes in official matches and participation in elite competitions.
- River is credited with 97 academy products currently playing in major leagues, the highest total among Argentine clubs.
- Over the study period, River was South America’s top supplier of players to European clubs and ranked fourth worldwide for goals produced by its academy, with nine of the 20 top Argentine scorers in Europe trained in Núñez.
- Recent form bolstered the metrics as River’s Sub-16s won the Messi Cup in the United States with 15-year-old Bruno Cabral named top scorer and best player, nine youths debuted for the first team in 2025, and the club led AFA youth points and titles.