Inter vs. River Plate: match guide

Excitement is building for the Nerazzurri’s final match in Group E of the FIFA Club World Cup, with Chivu's side set to face River Plate in a decisive clash as both sides aim to progress to the knockouts. Kick-off is scheduled for 18:00 local time on Wednesday 25 June (03:00 CEST on 26 June in Italy) at Lumen Field in Seattle. River Plate currently top Group E with four points, level with Inter.

PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS

River and Inter have never met competitively, but they did face each other in a friendly in Milano in 1961. That summer, a special international tournament was organised to celebrate the centenary of Italy’s unification. The 'Torneo Italia' featured Inter, Juventus, Napoli, Roma, Racing Paris, River Plate, Santos and Spartak Praha. After a 7–1 victory over Spartak, Inter faced River Plate at San Siro on 21 June 1961 in front of around 75,000 spectators. It was a match that Corriere della Sera described as "fantastic and thrilling". Inter’s starting XI that day was as follows: Da Pozzo, Picchi, Masiero, Zaglio, Guarneri, Balleri, Bicicli, Lindskog, Bettini, Suárez, Corso. The friendly ended in a 1–1 draw. Inter took the lead in the 31st minute through a header from Corso, who converted a cross from Bicicli following quick combination play with Suárez and Zaglio. River equalised in the second half through a free-kick from Moacyr. The draw was enough to send Inter through to the final of the tournament, where they lost 4–1 to Pelé's Santos.

PLAYERS WHO HAVE WORN BOTH SHIRTS

There’s no shortage of players who have represented both clubs over the years. Among the many to have worn both shirts are: Matías Almeyda, Gabriel Batistuta, Esteban Cambiasso, Juan Pablo Carrizo, Hernán Crespo, Julio Cruz, Ramón Díaz, Daniel Passarella, Sixto Peralta, Nelson Rivas, Alexis Sánchez, Santiago Solari and Nelson Vivas.

NERAZZURRI STATS

In their latest outing against Urawa Red Diamonds, Chivu's men had 80.4% of the ball – the highest possession percentage recorded in the competition since 2016. Inter dominated proceedings, underscored by the Nerazzurri's tally of 746 completed passes (262 in the final third), more than triple the number their Japanese opponents managed (114).

CAPTAIN'S NUMBERS

A key figure in Inter's victory over the Japanese outfit was captain Lautaro Martínez, who has scored ten goals in ten appearances in international club competitions (Champions League and Club World Cup) in 2025. He's found the net in both of the Nerazzurri's matches in the ongoing tournament so far, cementing his status as a vital presence in Chivu’s team.

THE EXTRA MAN

Nicolò Barella, a vital figure in midfield, played a key role in Inter's victory last time out. Against Urawa, he created seven goalscoring opportunities and provided the assist for the Nerazzurri's opening goal. The ten chances he's created across the team's opening two matches represent a record for an Inter player at the Club World Cup. Unsurprisingly, the midfielder was named in the competition's matchday 2 Top 11.

OPPONENTS: RIVER PLATE

River Plate are one of South America's most legendary clubs. They qualified for the Club World Cup thanks to their position in the CONMEBOL ranking. Over the course of their illustrious history, they have won 37 Argentine league titles – a national record – and lifted the Copa Libertadores four times, most recently in 2018 after a historic final against fierce rivals Boca Juniors. That 2018 triumph remains the last time an Argentine side have won the competition, which has been dominated by Brazilian clubs since 2019. In 2024, River were knocked out in the semi-finals by Atlético Mineiro, losing 3–0 in the first leg before a goalless draw in the return fixture. In the current 2025 edition, Los Millonarios went unbeaten in the group stage, collecting 12 points thanks to three wins and three draws. These results saw River finish top of Group B, ahead of Universitario, Independiente del Valle and Barcelona de Guayaquil. Looking ahead, River are set to face Paraguayan side Libertad Asunción in the round of 16 in August.

On the domestic front, River Plate reached the quarter-finals of the Argentine Apertura tournament , where they were eliminated by Platense (who went on to win the competition) on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Before this, River had comfortably beaten Barracas Central 3-0 in the round of 16. They finished the regular season with 31 points (eight wins, seven draws, one defeat), earning them second spot in Zone B behind Rosario Central. In the Copa Argentina, Los Millonarios got past Ciudad Bolívar in the first round and will face Club Atlético San Martín in the next stage of the competition.

GROUP E: MATCHES AND TABLE

MATCHDAY 1 River Plate 3-1 Urawa Red Diamonds (12' Colidio (R), 48' Driussi (R), 58' pen. Matsuo (U), 73' Meza (R)). Monterrey 1-1 INTER (25' S. Ramos (M), 42' Lautaro (I)).

MATCHDAY 2 INTER 2-1 Urawa Red Diamonds (11' Watanabe (U), 78' Lautaro (I), 90+2' Carboni (I)) River Plate 0-0 Monterrey

MATCHDAY 3 25 June, 18:00 local time (03:00 CEST on 26 June in Italy) INTER vs. River Plate - Lumen Field, Seattle 25 June, 18:00 local time (03:00 CEST on 26 June in Italy) Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Monterrey - Rose Bowl, Los Angeles

TABLE

REFEREE

The man in charge of Inter vs. River Plate will be Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev, who will be assisted by his compatriots Andrey Tsapenko and Timur Gaynullin. New Zealander Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh will perform the role of fourth official.

Referee: Tantashev (UZB) Assistants: Tsapenko (UZB) - Gaynullin (UZB) Fourth Official: Kawana-Waugh (NZL) VAR: Al Marri (QAT) AVAR: Evans (AUS) SVAR: Guzman (NIC)

DISCIPLINARY SITUATION

SUSPENDED Inter: - River Plate: Castano, Galoppo, E. Perez

ONE BOOKING AWAY FROM SUSPENSION Inter: Asllani, Barella, Lautaro River Plate: Acuna, Pezzella, Meza

INTER VS. RIVER PLATE, WHERE TO WATCH ON TV

Inter vs. River Plate will be streamed live on DAZN. All 63 Club World Cup matches will be streamed live and for free on DAZN, thanks to an exclusive agreement with FIFA. Every fan can follow Inter and the excitement of the Club World Cup wherever you are, in many languages, and on every device: smart TV, smartphone, tablet or console. The match between Inter and River Plate will also be live on Mediaset channels (Canale 5). On Infinity, you can watch it on the app or on mediasetplay.mediaset.it/