While Marcelo Gallardo is thinking about how he will put together next year’s squad and has plans to strengthen the forward line to avoid suffering the attacking poverty he has suffered in the lower divisions in recent months Flow There is one teenager who continues to generate enormous enthusiasm among fans. Due to the goals, many of them with definitions of enormous quality, typical of an experienced attacker, Bruno Cabral He became publicly known for his gluttony Messi Cupthe U16 competition, where Millonario recently became champion at the Inter Miami Stadium after beating Atlético de Madrid 2-0.
With seven wins in five gamesCabral was the top scorer of the youth tournament, which Messi witnessed in several matches before traveling to India to take part in various events. In addition to the eternal photos with the great world football star, Rivers number 9 was also selected best player in the competition and concluded a spectacular year on a personal level.
Champion of the eighth division, in which he played a crucial role since he contributed 34 goals and became the player who scored the most goals in the six categories that make up the circuit of the AFA, Cabral He also shone with the Sub 15 from Argentina to Paraguay. There he failed to win the title of the Evolution League organized by Conmebol, as the national representative lost the final on penalties against Brazil after a 2-2 draw. However, his performance was outstanding, the result of ten goals: two in the decisive duel and before that a brace against Uruguay, a goal against Paraguay, two against Chile and a hat-trick against Bolivia.
Such numbers did not go unnoticed by European talent scouts. in the United States, a reason that inevitably wakes River up. Cabral does not have a professional contract, He can’t sign it for the time being either. You cannot start your first job until August 16, 2026, if you reach the required minimum age of 16. Such a situation happened with Franco Mastantuonowhose signature came as soon as he had expressed the three wishes.
Born in Lomas de Zamora, Cabral joined River in 2023. After passing a test, he requested a transfer to Camioneros, Hugo Moyano’s club, which has its facilities in Esteban Echeverría, and joined the Prenovena of the Núñez institution.
River, champion of the Messi Cup
The striker was aware that he had a big opportunity and put his best foot forward with the chance that was presented to him at the end of 2022. While he was happy about the title the team won in Qatar, Cabral dreamed of wearing the red sash. “During the holidays, I trained intensively to stay in shape. I knew that it was my big opportunity and that River 2010 was a strong category. They placed me at number 9, I was lucky to do well and in the same week they accepted me into the AFA. It was an unforgettable day for me and my whole family, who are River fans. Now I enjoy every day what it is like to play here,” he said on the official website.
Cabral is ruthless in the opponent’s zone and is not limited to just having the arch between his eyebrows. He knows how to deal with the midfielders, gets involved in the action and is able to hold the ball, a fact that was repeated in the result of the Messi Cup, when River had a minute less two minutes into the second half due to the sending off of Valentin Sayago, who was responsible for his assist on the first goal.
Thanks to his precise shots with the right shoe, Cabral was the exclusive figure of the team led by Martín Pellegrino, a 46-year-old man who did not have the privilege of defending the colors of River but who passed through Deportivo Riestra, Excursionistas, General Lamadrid, Barracas Central and Dock Sud, among others. The striker scored a penalty goal in a 2-2 draw on his Group B debut against Barcelona last Tuesday. The next day he was left out of the starting line-up in the 2-1 defeat against Manchester City and returned to the starting line-up Three goals in a 5-1 win against Inter Milanon Thursday. On Saturday afternoon he was the author of the last 3-1 victory over Chelsea and in the final he showed up in all his glory to solve the story within two minutes.
Far from being simply an exceptional year, Cabral had already demonstrated his goalscoring qualities in 2024, when he also made the Olympic return with the 2010 category, then with Javier Claut in the technical direction, after starting the season under the leadership of Cristian Viola. He was involved in 25 goals, including one to beat Boca, as happened in 2025.
Cabral, the son of Marcial and Jésica, took his first steps in football in different parts of the city. He started in Los Leones de Lomas de Zamora and appeared in Fortín de Rivarola, Juncal FC and Parque Chas before entering the Camioneros stronghold. In addition to learning from the coaches he met growing up, The young man observes a world champion in detail: “I look at Julián Álvarez a lot. He’s complete and I try to think about him.”
Although the skills of Felipe López, the number 10, and the performance of Sayago, whose older brother played in the Independiente first team, were highlights of the team, Cabral Rivers was the main representative in the Messi Cup. His goals gave him a rise to fame of sorts. River’s goal will be to keep him grounded and take care of him, not only so that his development stays on the right track, but also to prevent a power of the old continent from taking advantage of the fact that he cannot count on a contract and trying to seduce his parents to emigrate abroad through an economic offer disguised as a job proposal, meaning the acronym formerly known as Patria Potestad and now legally called “parental responsibility”. will.
Aside from the fact that the matter could be a cause for concern, Cabral has no intention of leaving the country, but instead wants to succeed with the jersey he loves. “I want to have fun, I had a very nice year. I’m working on getting to the first division. Then I want to win the Libertadores and become world champion,” he said when asked about his dreams at a press conference minutes after celebrating at Chase Stadium, Messi’s football home.
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