Ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the global governing body of football released an official breakdown of the honors held by each participating team. Among the highlighted clubs were Argentina’s two football giants, Boca Juniors and River Plate. However, the post did more than promote the tournament — it reignited one of Argentina’s most enduring football debates: the number of top-flight league titles each club officially claims.
According to the data published through FIFA’s official channels, Boca Juniors is credited with 35 league championships, starting with their 1920 title. River Plate, on the other hand, holds 38 titles — 37 from the professional era and one from the amateur period, also in 1920. This reflects FIFA’s unified criteria, which count all top-division titles as part of a continuous history, regardless of the era. This approach has long been a point of contention in Argentina, where fans, historians, and club officials often argue over whether amateur-era titles should be considered separately.
Critics argue that amateur-era titles should be treated distinctively due to the inconsistent structure of the league before its professionalization in 1931. At the time, competitions were often disorganized, not all major clubs participated, and parallel associations sometimes operated. These factors, critics contend, make it unfair to equate amateur titles with those from the modern professional era.
The report also highlights the international records of both clubs. Boca Juniors leads with 22 international trophies, including six Copa Libertadores and three Intercontinental Cups. River Plate follows closely with 18 international titles, including four Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup. Another interesting detail is FIFA’s classification of River Plate as “based in Belgrano” rather than its traditional home in Núñez, a nod to the official city boundaries.
By compiling and publishing these statistics, FIFA has provided a definitive institutional reference point. While the debate may persist among fans, the organization has firmly established its stance at the forefront of global football.
