Joaquín Freitas
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 December 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | San Fernando, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | River Plate | ||
| Number | 35 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2022–2023 | Acassuso | ||
| 2024–2025 | River Plate | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023 | Acassuso | 5 | (0) |
| 2025– | River Plate | 21 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2026– | Argentina | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 24 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 6 June 2026 | |||
Joaquín Freitas (born 2 December 2006) is an Argentine professional association football player who plays as a forward for the Argentine Primera Division club River Plate and the Argentina national team.
Club career
Acassuso
Freitas completed his initial training at Acassuso, an institution based in the town of the same name in Greater Buenos Aires. In 2022, while playing in the club's youth divisions, he became the top scorer in the youth tournament of the seventh division of the Argentine Football Association with 26 goals, an achievement that earned him a call-up to the Argentina national under-20 team coached by Claudio Gugnali.[1]
On 29 May 2023, at just 16 years old, Freitas made his official debut with the Acassuso senior team under coach Alejandro Friedrich in the sixteenth round of the Primera B against Deportivo Armenio, entering at the 25th minute of the second half.[2]
River Plate
In January 2024, Club Atlético River Plate showed interest in the young striker and signed him, initially acquiring 75% of his transfer rights.[3] Freitas first joined the club's Fourth Division and quickly rose to the Reserve squad, where he made his official debut on 11 October 2024.[1]
During 2025, under the management of Marcelo Escudero, Freitas participated in preseason training with the reserve squad and formed a starting attacking partnership with Bautista Dadín. He scored his first goal in April against San Martín (SJ) and maintained a scoring streak that included a goal in the Superclásico against Boca Juniors in May. He finished the season with 9 goals and 3 assists in 31 matches.[4]
On 16 November 2025, Freitas made his first division debut against Vélez Sarsfield under the management of Marcelo Gallardo. At the end of the year, he signed his first professional contract, running until 31 December 2028, with a release clause set at $100 million.[5]
By 2026, without having completed preseason with the first team, Freitas scored a brace against Talleres de Córdoba in the first match of the reserve tournament. Due to the lackluster performance of the first team's forwards, he was called up again and eventually became a regular member of the squad. He played a decisive role against Ciudad de Bolívar in the Copa Argentina, coming on in the second half and drawing the penalty that Juan Fernando Quintero converted to secure the victory and passage to the next round.[6]
Freitas scored his first goal in the first division against Banfield, the third goal for the home team in their 3–1 victory. The match also served as Marcelo Gallardo's farewell as the club's historic manager. The goal was set up by an assist from Tomás Galván after a great team play.[7]
In April 2026, an agreement was reached to purchase 100% of Freitas' player rights. The agreement included performance-based bonuses and a 25% sell-on clause for Acassuso in any future transfer, capped at 1 million dollars.[3]
References
- 1 2 "Joaquín Freitas, el juvenil de River Plate que marcó su primer gol en Primera". Infobae. 27 February 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "Acassuso - Dep. Armenio: resultado, goles y resumen del partido". TyC Sports. 29 May 2023. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- 1 2 "River Plate acordó la compra del 100 % del pase de Joaquín Freitas". Tribuna. 3 April 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "Quién es Joaquín Freitas, el jugador de River que no hizo pretemporada y es el elegido de Gallardo". El Destape. 22 February 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "La joya de River que ya debutó en Primera y firmó su primer contrato". Diario Olé. 22 December 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "El penal de Martínez a Freitas en River vs. Ciudad Bolívar". TyC Sports. 17 February 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- ↑ "River le regaló a Marcelo Gallardo una despedida con triunfo y ovación ante Banfield". La nueva Provincia. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 7 April 2026.
- 2006 births
- Argentine men's footballers
- Club Atlético Acassuso footballers
- Club Atlético River Plate footballers
- Argentine Primera División players
- Argentina men's international footballers
- Living people
- Men's association football forwards
- Footballers from Buenos Aires Province
- Sportspeople from San Fernando de la Buena Vista