Argentine Club Rivalry: Boca Juniors vs River Plate – Title Totals and History

How does the tally of championships position the two most successful Argentine clubs, River Plate and Boca Juniors, within a heated national debate? It’s a question that fuels lively conversations among fans and analysts alike.

This topic invites a range of perspectives from historians, journalists, club leaders, scientists, and supporters. The clash over who has more titles between River Plate and Boca Juniors grows from long histories and different official verification processes. For years, River Plate supporters have claimed parity or superiority, while Boca fans argue for greater recognition of their club’s achievements. The debate blends chronology with numerical totals.

The Boca Juniors record: titles and eras

A key turning point in this saga is the shift when Argentine football turned professional in 1931. Some media outlets discount amateur era titles that began in the 1970s, which means discussions occasionally exclude championships officially recognized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA) in earlier decades. If pre-1931 titles are not counted, River Plate leads Boca 66 to 60. Yet there is value in recounting the full history, including the amateur era, especially as documentation has become clearer in recent years.

In international competitions, Boca Juniors holds a clear edge: 18 titles to River Plate’s 12. Boca has won the Copa Libertadores six times and the Intercontinental Cup three times, while River earned the continental prize four times and the world club title once. There are also cups jointly organized by the AFA or its predecessors and the AUF that are official for both national federations, totaling four titles for Boca and six for River, even though CONMEBOL does not recognize some of these events as part of its era records.

On the national stage, River Plate led for many years, but Boca Juniors has recently reached parity and even led in certain seasons. Boca’s successes in three of the four competitions in the 2022 campaign (the league, the league cup, and the Argentine super cup held in 2023) propelled the side to 52 titles against River’s 51. River regained the lead with the 2023 league crown. When all competitions are tallied, Boca Juniors holds 74 titles to River Plate’s 70.

This is the breakdown of the tally and the major categories that contribute to the totals:

Boca Juniors: 74 titles

First Division Championships – Official league titles organized by the AFA and its predecessors (35 total):

1919 Tournament, 1920 Tournament, 1923 Tournament, 1924 Tournament, 1926 Tournament, 1930 Tournament, 1931 Tournament, 1934 Tournament, 1935 Tournament, 1940 Tournament, 1943 Tournament, 1944 Tournament, 1954 Tournament, 1962 Tournament, 1964 Tournament, Tournament 1965, National Tournament 1969, National Tournament 1970, Metropolitan Tournament 1976, National Tournament 1976, Metropolitan Tournament 1981, Apertura Tournament 1992, Apertura Tournament 1998, Final Tournament 1999, Apertura Tournament 2000, Apertura Tournament 2003, Apertura Tournament 2005, Clausura Tournament 2006, Tor New Opening 2008, Opening Tournament 2011, First Division Tournament 2015, First Division Tournament 2016/17, Super League 2017/18, Super League 2019/20, Professional League Tournament 2022

National Cups – Non-regular tournaments organized by the AFA and its predecessors (17):

Jockey Club Competition Cup 1919, Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1919, Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1923, Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1924, Jockey Club Competition Cup 1925, Stimulus Cup 1926, Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1940, Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1944, “George VI” Competition Cup 1946, Cup Argentina 1969, Copa Argentina 2011/12 and Copa Argentina 2014-15, Supercopa Argentina 2018, Copa Liga Profesional 2020, Copa Argentina 2021, Copa Liga Profesional 2022, Supercopa Argentina 2022.

International Tournaments (18):

Copa Libertadores 1977, Copa Libertadores 1978, Copa Libertadores 2000, Copa Libertadores 2001, Copa Libertadores 2003, Copa Libertadores 2007, Copa Intercontinental 1977, Copa Intercontinental 2000, Copa Intercontinental 2003, Copa Sudamericana 2004, Copa Sudamericana 2005, Supercup 1989, Recopa 1990, Winners Cup 2005, Winners Cup 2006, Winners Cup 2008, Master Cup 1992, Nicolás Leóz Gold Cup 1993.

Tournaments jointly organized by the AFA and the AUF (4): Tie Cup Competition 1919, Cusenier Honor Cup 1920, Fraternity Cup 1945, Fraternity Cup 1946

River Plate: 70 titles

First Division Championships – Official regular tournaments organized by the AFA and its predecessors (38):

1920 Championship, 1932 Championship (Argentine Football League), 1936 Championship Cup, 1936 Gold Cup, 1937 Championship, 1941 Championship, 1942 Championship, 1945 Championship, 1947 Championship, 1952 Championship, 1953 Championship, 1955 Championship, 1956 Championship, 1957 Championship, Metropolitan Tournament 1975, National Tournament 1975, Metropolitan Tournament 1977, Metropolitan Tournament 1979, National Tournament 1979, Metropolitan Tournament 1980, National Tournament 1981, 1985-86, 1989-90, Apertura Tournament 1991-92, Apertura Tournament 1993-94, Opening tournament 1994-95, Opening Tournament 1996-97, Final Tournament 1996-97, Opening Tournament 1997-98, Opening Tournament 1999-2000, Final Tournament 1999-2000, Final Tournament 2001-02, Final Tournament 2002-03, Final Tournament 2003-04, Final Tournament 2007-08, Final Tournament 2013-14, Professional League Tournament 2021, Professional League Tournament 2023.

National Cups – Official non-regular tournaments organized by the AFA and its predecessors (14):

Jockey Club Competition Cup 1914, Competition Cup 1932, Dr. Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1937, Dr. Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1941, Escobar Cup 1941, Dr. Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1942, Dr. Carlos Ibarguren Cup 1952, Championship Cup 2014, Argentina Cup 2016, Argentina Cup 2017, Super Cup 2017, Argentina Cup 2019, Argentina Cup 2019, Champions Trophy 2021.

International Tournaments (12):

Interamerican Cup 1986, Copa Libertadores 1986, Intercontinental Cup 1986, Copa Libertadores 1996, Supercopa Sudamericana 1997, Copa Sudamericana 2014, Copa Suruga Bank 2015, Recopa Sudamericana 2015, Copa Libertadores 2015, Copa Sudamericana 2016, Copa Libertadores 2018, Recopa Sudamericana 2019.

Tournaments jointly organized by the AFA and the AUF (6): Tie Competition Cup 1914, Aldao Cup 1936, Aldao Cup 1937, Aldao Cup 1941, Aldao Cup 1945, Aldao Cup 1947.

Notes and clarifications across these tallies reflect the evolving interpretation of what counts as an official title. The contemporary approach seeks to be inclusive, recognizing the full spectrum of competitions that carried official sanction from the AFA and its predecessors across different eras. These totals illustrate not only superiority in numbers but also a long, shared history of Argentine football culture and rivalry that stretches beyond the moment of professionalization.

All counts are presented to provide a complete view of the rivalry as it stands in the record books, acknowledging both contested and universally recognized achievements that have shaped these two iconic clubs. Cited from Goal