River Plate will face Atlético de Madrid in the semifinals of the under-16 Messi Cup in Miami after defeating Flamengo 2–1. The upcoming clash sets up a direct rematch of the 2025 tournament final, where the Argentine side secured the inaugural title.

The semifinal matchup was confirmed following Atlético de Madrid’s 3–1 victory over Barcelona. River advanced through the group stage and the subsequent rounds under coach Martín Pellegrino, relying primarily on players from the 2011 category following their 2010 predecessors’ success last year.

Rematch of the 2025 Inaugural Final in Miami

Last year’s tournament concluded with River defeating Atlético de Madrid 2–0 in the final at the IMCF Stadium, featuring a brace by Bruno Cabral. This season’s squad features several new faces alongside returning champions Mateo Lescano and Elián Suljic, while younger prospects like Heraldo Fiorotto, Mateo Amarilla, and Thiago Marín have taken on prominent roles for the club. Marín, a central midfielder from the 2011 category born in Virreyes and nicknamed Coco, was selected as the standout player in the opening match against Chelsea. His background includes a title in youth football after he was part of River’s under-12 delegation in 2023 that won the inaugural edition of The Football Games, organized by the Fundación José Ramón de la Morena and the Mexican company Asdeporte, where River defeated Flamengo 3–1 in the final with goals from Thiago Marín, Mateo Amarilla, and Heraldo Fiorotto. He was also called up to an under-15 select team for Argentina that played in Paraguay for the Men's Evolution League of that category.

River’s campaign in Florida opened with a scoreless draw against Chelsea, a game where Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi drew attention by wearing a red and white jacket from his own clothing brand while watching from the stands. The image generated humorous reactions and excitement among the club’s supporters on social media, with fans leaving comments such as Con un conjunto con los colores de River, no hay señal más grande que esta, Es más gallina Enzo Pérez y Labruna juntos, and a request asking Un año a jugar la Libertadores te pido. The team subsequently secured victories against Ajax and Inter Milan to finish at the top of Group A before overcoming Flamengo 2–1 in the preceding knockout phase with goals from Bautista Burgueño and Jorge Sosa.

Messi Cup Doubles Team Count and Sets Match Rules

The second edition of the Messi Cup features 16 participating teams, doubling the size of the initial tournament. Matches consist of 60 minutes divided into two 30-minute halves, proceeding directly to penalty shootouts without extra time if scores remain level during the knockout rounds.

The semifinal fixture is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, at 16:00, giving River’s squad two days of rest following a demanding stretch of four consecutive matchdays.

Viewing Options Across South America

Broadcast coverage for the tournament is provided by ESPN, with simultaneous live streaming available through the Disney+ platform via its Premium Plan. Regional kickoff times for the semifinal match are set for 16:00 in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile; 14:00 in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; and 13:00 in Mexico.

Opening Ceremony and Messi’s Remarks to the Youths

Lionel Messi was one of the major protagonists of the tournament, participating in the opening ceremony before the matches began to address the young players who traveled to Miami. Disfruten del torneo, más allá del resultado: competir, vivir la experiencia, hacer amigos de diferentes países y diferentes culturas, he told them, adding, Más allá de lo que pase con cada uno en lo personal en el futuro, espero que se lleven momentos inolvidables de este campeonato. Realizing that his words needed to be translated into English, Messi caused smiles among the attendees by playfully remarking, Perdón, me olvidé que vas a traducir, la hice re larga, ¿no?