River Plate gets off to a furious start in the Club World Cup: 3-1 win against Urawa!

River Plate gets off to a furious start in the Club World Cup: 3-1 win against Urawa!

An exciting start for River Plate from Buenos Aires: On June 17, 2025, the club makes a successful start to the Club World Cup, defeating the Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan 3-1 in Seattle. Referee Felix Zwayer from Germany led the tireless duel in which the Argentine team had the upper hand from the start.

The first few minutes were characterized by powerful play from the South Americans. In the 12th minute, Facundo Colidio contributed the first goal to this important victory when he headed the ball into the net. This early lead gave the team confidence.

Turning point of the game

After halftime, the second goal came from Sebastian Driussi, who benefited in the 48th minute when Urawa's defender Marius Höibraaten made a serious mistake. Unfortunately, Driussi was injured during the action and had to leave the field, which meant another setback for the team.

However, Urawa Red Diamonds didn't give up and managed to convert a penalty kick through Yusuke Matsuo in the 58th minute after a foul by Marcos Acuña. This goal provided a thrill after Argentina's comfortable lead.

But River Plate proved its strength later on. Maximiliano Meza restored the old distance in the 73rd minute. His header down from Acuña's corner was another example of the difficulties Urawa's defense had been struggling with all evening.

Franco Mastantuono: A talent on the rise

Particularly notable was 17-year-old Franco Mastantuono, who played for River Plate and played a crucial role in attack. Not only is he one of the youngest performers in the team, but he has also established himself as Argentina's youngest senior international player. After this successful Club World Cup, Mastantuono will move to Real Madrid for a staggering sum of 63 million euros - which shows that he not only has talent, but also a good knack for the big stages of football. The New York Times highlights that his input on River Plate's first goal was not insignificant.

Another interesting aspect was Urawa's captain Marius Höibraaten, who caused a stir during the handshake process before the start of the game by refusing to greet the other team. His unconventional behavior caused some conversation and is considered an idiosyncratic tactic.

Looking at Group E

While River Plate are happy with their first win, it will be exciting to see how the other teams in Group E fare. On Wednesday night, German time, CF Monterrey from Mexico and Inter Milan, the Champions League finalists, will meet. The situation in the group remains exciting and could give River Plate further incentive to bring the title to Buenos Aires.

Further information about the Club World Cup can be found at kicker.de.