In the country of world champions, players take their first steps in neighborhood clubs, in the AFA youth teams and in the First Division.
Finally, some shine in the National Team.
There are those who explode right away and in their teens are better known than others who have been playing for years.
There are those who immediately emigrate to well-known leagues - or not so well - and then enter the radar of the Argentine team's coaching staff.
The Professional League Cup, our everyday football, enters the final stretch.
Since January, promising young players have already debuted and other Under 20s are consolidated in their teams.
That's what this look is about.
Of footballers who have not yet turned 20 years old, they are present because at least they played a couple of games in the tournament but they are also the future that will feed the Albiceleste.
Those summoned
Tap to explore data
TOMAS O'CONNOR
ELIAN IRALA
CHRISTIAN ORDOÑEZ
TOBIAS RUBIO
NEHUEN BENEDETTI
AARON ANSELMINO
JERONIMO DOMINA
TOBIAS PALACIO
CLAUDIO ECHEVERRI
ALVARO MONTORO
FRANCO MASTANTUONO
Fountain:
Infographic:
Clarín
Soccer is a game of 11. Therefore, there is no top five or top ten to make this choice, this observation about the current situation of the Argentine tournament.
There are eleven players who to date are still 19 years old or younger, some consolidated in the starting team and others who are asking for a lead, with the exception of the player from Rosario Central who is turning 20 today.
People also press because they want to see them.
It happened in the final of the Argentine Super Cup between River and Estudiantes on Wednesday the 13th at the Mario Alberto Kempes stadium.
El Millonario was losing 1-0 and 20 minutes into the second half the fans began to sing to Martín Demichelis: “Show the kids, the whore that gave birth to you.”
Two minutes later Claudio Echeverri, 18 years old, entered.
Franco Mastantuono, 16, was also in the bank, but he did not enter.
The story changed in the last 10 minutes, River won 2-1 with goals from Zaid and Rodrigo Aliendro, and the critical voices calmed down.
With this panorama, these are the eleven Sub 20s, from oldest to youngest, who are protagonists in the League Cup.
Thomas O'Connor
The Rosario midfielder
is turning 20 this Monday, March 25
, the only exception in the consideration of this note because it was published on the same day.
He debuted in May of last year against Platense (he scored a goal in the 4-0 win) and is already established in Miguel Angel Russo's team.
Of the 9 games in the current tournament, he started 7. Last March 10, Central beat Instituto 1-0 and in the definition of the goal he showed all his quality.
Three days later, the club leader managed to renew his contract (until December 2026) and protected him with a termination clause of 20 million dollars.
🔴 RC Lens - Mercato: Who is Tomás O'Connor, milieu argentin ciblé par les Sang et Or?
#carc #rclens #rcl
Plus info 👉 https://t.co/If6rELAPTZ pic.twitter.com/hQdkToyrTH
— Mercato Football Club © 🇫🇷 (@MercatoFC_fra) March 18, 2024
Elian Irala
Under the guidance of Galician Ruben Darío Insua he debuted in the First Division in January 2023 against Arsenal.
And that year he is already confirmed as a starter.
He is a central midfielder with good footing, removal, recovery and deployment.
He was only absent against Racing because he was sent off on the previous date against Unión.
In the 2-0 victory against Tigre he assisted Diego Herazo in the second goal.
In early March, he renewed his contract with the club until December 2027, although the release clause was not disclosed.
Heart.
Attitude.
Sacrifice.
And a lot of quality.
Elian Irala plays with the DNA of San Lorenzo.
Always.
pic.twitter.com/c2nWjK0DGB
— San Lorenzo (@SanLorenzo) March 22, 2024
Christian Ordoñez
Another of the jewels of La Fábrica
- the name that the club gave to its inferiors -, which debuted very early in the First Division, on January 30, 2003, against Gimnasia (3-1) when Alexander Medina was still there as coach.
It was not a good year for Vélez, who only escaped relegation on the last date of the 2023 League Cup against Colón.
Although he has already played 32 games, with the coaching changes he had ups and downs and went from starter to substitute.
Now, having recovered from a knee injury and with the arrival of Gustavo Quinteros, he regained his starting place, with good performances.
In April of last year he extended his contract until December 2025.
📊🌟 Christian Ordoñez missed only 1 pass [24/25] in Vélez's victory against Gimnasia.
19 years old.🪄 pic.twitter.com/odLbcbzAKf
— FutbolScan (@futbolscan) February 10, 2024
Tobias Rubio
The kid Rubio marks the experienced Fabra for the Copa Libertadores. Photo: EFE
The defender had a contract until December 2026 but at the end of February he achieved an improvement in his numbers and extended it for another year.
The arrival of Gustavo Costas had a lot to do with it, who immediately gave him the confidence to be part of the Academy's central duo.
But after the 2-0 defeat against Godoy Cruz, he was relegated to the substitute bench, where he remained for the last three games.
Even so, he is one of the club's biggest promises.
Nehuen Benedetti
⚽ He started it and he finished it.
The admitted Nehuén Benedetti combined on offense and concluded a good clearance from Zapiola to get back on top
▶️ #EDLP 2 - #Racing 1 pic.twitter.com/APGEqSb7RO
— Students of La Plata (@EdelpOficial) January 21, 2024
The left-hander joined the professional team led by Eduardo Domínguez in the middle of last year, after signing his first contract that links him with the club until December 2025. He has been with the club since 2015 and made his debut in the First Division last November against Central Córdoba .
Last March 9, against Sarmiento, he played his second match.
So far, he only has 61 minutes in total.
The midfielder can play both on the right and on the left.
As he is one of the DJ's bets, last February he renewed his contract for another year, until December 2026.
Aaron Anselmino
It is not easy to get a place in Boca's First Division.
It takes time, more so for a position that the Colombian Frank Fabra defended for several years.
Of course, he also played a lot.
But the man from Pampa is adding games little by little (five games with Almirón and one with Martínez).
As the Football Council takes it into account, in mid-January of this year he signed the renewal of his contract until December 2028 with a termination clause of 20 million dollars.
"It looks bigger.
With the growth, the head that he has and the desire to learn that he shows, he is on his way to being a great soccer player,” said Juan Román Riquelme, president of Xeneize.
On Saturday, against Gimnasia y Tiro, he was a starter and highly praised by coach Diego Martínez.
Argentina will have a great center back in the next Sub 20 with Aaron Anselmino.
Security at the back so that the Echeverri, Mastantuono, Carboni, Montoro, Subiabre, Prestianni, López, Ruberto, etc. can have fun upstairs.
It will be a great team.
🔜🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/tbieoalAGA
— Sudanalytics (@sudanalytics_) March 24, 2024
Jerónimo Dómina
Of the eleven chosen,
the Unión forward is the one with the most games and goals in the First Division
.
His first and last name became well known when he scored his first goal at Tatengue (in a 2-0 win over Gimnasia), since the next day he was applauded by all his high school classmates and the video of that emotional moment was released. went viral.
During 2023 he played most of the games as a starter.
Although this year he always started from the bench and in the match with Central Córdoba he missed a goal under the goal, he is still one of the club's promises.
In June last year he signed his first contract until December 2025.
Jerónimo Dómina is 17 years old and yesterday he scored his first goal in Unión: today he was received like this in high school ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FQ5ItXFSdc
— Diario Olé (@DiarioOle) June 5, 2023
Tobias Palacio
The youth of the Sub 17 is one of the great promises of the
Seedbed of the World
.
Last year and with the arrival of Pablo Guede to
Argentinos Juniors
he was promoted to the senior squad, but he only debuted this year.
He started against River on the first matchday and never left the position, always with good and solid performances.
El Bicho is one of the leaders in zone A along with River and Vélez.
Last year, in the youth team coached by Diego Placente, he played in all 7 South American games and also all 7 in the World Cup of the category.
In December last year he signed his first contract until the end of 2026.
Tobias Palacio, playing for the National Team.EFE/José Jácome
Claudio Echeverri
It is one of the jewels of Argentine football and has already been sold to one of the great teams in the Premier League: Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
And next year he will share the squad with Julián Alvarez.
He shone in the Under 17 World Cup last year, he was the protagonist in the Pre-Olympic last January and he has more and more minutes in Martín Demichelis' team.
Last Sunday the 17th, in the 3-1 victory against Gimnasia, he scored his first goal in Primera.
He was a great goal, facing in the area, snubbing a rival and finishing with a barbaric left foot.
At 19 years old he will no longer be playing in the country.
El Diablito plays his last months at River, before leaving for Manchester City. Photo: AFPAFP)
Alvaro Montoro
He is one of the youth players who is 16 years old and has already played games in the League Cup.
He came to
Vélez
from his native Tucumán at the age of 9 along with his brother Francisco, three years older than him.
On February 2, both signed their first contract with the club, until December 2025, with a termination clause of 12 million euros.
The kid has Italian citizenship and before signing he was already in the sights of Barcelona in Spain.
He debuted on February 18 of last year against Huracán and had a luxury introduction: in the last play, he brought the ball down with quality and assisted Emanuel Mammana for the winning goal.
See this post on Instagram
A post shared by Alvarito Montoro (@alvaro_montoro10)
Franco Mastantuono
He is the youngest in Argentine football.
Only next August he will turn 17 years old.
He is one of the youngest to debut in River and the youngest to score his first goal in the club's Primera, surpassing the mark that Conejo Javier Saviola had.
The kid in Blue is also a great tennis player but he finally decided on soccer.
On March 19, he renewed his contract with the club for one more year (until December 2026) and the termination clause is the highest of all: 45 million euros that will be extended to 50 at the edge of the transfer window. .
With the sale of Echeverri, the offensive midfielder is the greatest promise, we will see how much longer Argentine fans will enjoy him.
Franco Mastantuono, another River promise.