Club Atlético River Plate has been ranked as the world's second-best developer of footballers in the annual study published by the CIES Football Observatory. The report, which evaluates clubs with the highest output of talent, gave River 97.6 points and highlighted that it has 94 active players who came through its academy, the highest number among all clubs analysed.

The team from Núñez surpassed European giants like Ajax and Barcelona in this ranking, which considers players who were at the club between the ages of 15 and 21 for at least three seasons. Only Portugal's Benfica, with 101.3 points, finished ahead. This result solidifies River Plate as Argentina's most productive academy and bolsters its international reputation at a time when the first team is fighting to climb the Liga Profesional table.

Currently, Martín Demichelis's side sits sixth in the standings with 20 points from 13 games. They are five points behind leaders Rosario Central in a season marked by inconsistent form. Their last match was a convincing 3-0 away win against Belgrano, with goals from Tomás Galván, Ángel Correa and Thiago Almada, a victory that extended their unbeaten run to five games. Galván, with seven goals, is the team's top scorer this season.

Boca and Vélez complete Argentine podium

Argentina's dominance in talent development is clear with two other domestic clubs among the top four. Boca Juniors ranks third with 96.7 points and 93 active players, while Vélez Sarsfield is fourth with 92 points and 88 footballers. Each of the three Buenos Aires clubs has ten players active in Europe's top five leagues, underlining the quality of their exports.

Vélez also stands out for having the youngest average age among its academy graduates, at 25.5 years. In total, fourteen Argentine clubs appear in the global top 100, including Rosario Central (14th), Newell's (20th) and San Lorenzo (25th).

Competitive context and next challenge

This recognition comes at a key moment for River Plate, which aims to maintain its youth production as a pillar for immediate competition. With a record of 18 goals scored and 13 conceded, the team needs to solidify its performance to close the gap in the standings. The next test for this model will be the home match against Racing Club on October 25th. Racing, who sit 13th, will visit the Monumental in a clash where the experience of homegrown players will be vital. The continuity of this talent pipeline from the youth ranks remains a key asset for the club's short and long-term aspirations.

More detail at La Nacion AR Deportes