Club World Cup Team Betting Predictions: River Plate

Like their bitter rivals Boca Juniors, River Plate suffered great disappointment in their Apertura campaign in Argentina last month, losing at home to Platense on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation time. However, Los Millonarios have the chance to make amends at the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup, as Marcello Gallardo's side have been handed a fortunate group stage draw in the USA.

Below are my River Plate Fifa Club World Cup 2025 predictions, as I assess their prospects at the tournament and profile their teenage sensation, who is on the verge of a huge move to Europe.

Group E: Inter Milan, River Plate, Urawa Red Diamonds, Monterrey

Fixtures: River Plate vs Urawa Red Diamonds (20:00 BST, June 17), River Plate vs Monterrey (02:00 BST, June 22), Inter Milan vs River Plate (02:00 BST, June 26)

Player to watch: Franco Mastantuono

Four-time Copa Libertadores champions River Plate were last successful in South America's biggest club cup competition in 2018, while their last domestic trophies, the Primera Division and Supercopa Argentina, came in 2023.

Current head coach Gallardo, who is considered the club's most successful manager in their history, spent eight years with the Buenos Aires-based club before departing for pastures new in 2023, but after a failed spell in Saudi Arabia with Al Ittihad, he was lured back to Argentina in August 2024 by River Plate, who appointed him as Martin Demichelis' successor.

There have been bumps in the road, for sure, but in his first 50 games back in charge at the club, Gallardo has lost just five times, although his 46% win rate falls short of the 53.8% he achieved in his first 424 matches.

Club World Cup 2025 Odds

Tightening up his back line will likely be on the Argentine's agenda heading into this month's Club World Cup in America.

Los Millonarios have kept just one clean sheet in their last eight games, and that's surely a record that will have to improve if they have any ambitions of reaching the latter stages of this tournament.

They've scored in their last 10, though, and 14 of their last 15, topping their Copa Libertadores group by four points last month, and haven't lost in regulation time in their last 18 outings, last tasting defeat prior to penalties against Estudiantes (0-2) on March 1.

Player to watch: Franco Mastantuono

River Plate boast plenty of established stars on their side, notably 38-year-old goalkeeper Franco Armani and 29-year-old striker Sebastian Driussi, but it's 17-year-old wonderkid Franco Mastantuono who is likely to be worth the admission money alone for those in attendance.

According to Fabrizio Romano on Sunday, June 8, the left-footed playmaker is set to sign for Real Madrid on a six-year deal, with River Plate receiving £33.2m, to be paid in instalments, for his exit. His current club, though, are asking for their prized possession to play for them at the Club World Cup before moving to Los Blancos.

The fact that Real Madrid, arguably the world's biggest club, are so eager to sign him, and River Plate are so desperate to keep him for another month, tells you just how highly rated the teenager is.

Here are some more interesting nuggets of information about the Argentine, though - he became Los Millonarios' third-youngest player ever when he debuted in January last year, and he quickly established himself as a key member of the first team.

But it was in April this year when his crowning moment came, as he struck a sensational free-kick to open the scoring in the 2-1 Superclasico victory over Boca Juniors at the Estadio Monumental.

His rapid rise has been rewarded by Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni, who handed him his senior international debut as a substitute in their 1-0 win against Chile in Santiago on June 5.

We've seen a couple of Brazilians in the last decade, Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, move over from South America to Real Madrid and establish themselves as key figures in Spain, although it took both a little while to settle.

Soon, we will watch a young Argentine, Mastantuono, have a crack in Europe, and a strong showing at the Club World Cup would surely increase his confidence, and that of his new side, ahead of his move, giving him the best chance of breaking into the first team as soon as possible.

Football Odds

*FIFA Club World Cup: Bet £10 or more on a team to win the 2025 Club World Cup and receive £2 in Free Bets for each game your team wins in 90 minutes to use on Football Bet Builders.

Prediction: Reach the Quarter-Finals @ 9/4

Inter should sweep Group E, with this year's losing Champions League finalists eager to make up for their domestic and continental heartbreak last month. But there's a great opportunity for River Plate to finish as runners-up, with Monterrey and Urawa Red Diamonds providing competition for second place.

The Argentine club are highly fancied to follow Inter into the knockouts, where they could face Borussia Dortmund in the last 16. Fluminense, Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan HD are other potential opponents from Group F.

Once again, River Plate can count their lucky stars, as they will have avoided the real heavyweights of the competition, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

Dortmund would be favourites against Los Millonarios, but I think the South American side could cause an upset, and 9/4 offers real value for them to reach the quarter-finals.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.