River Plate gave a warm "welcome home" this Monday to defender Gonzalo Montiel, a player who came through the ranks of the Argentine club and is remembered as the author of the penalty goal that gave the Albiceleste its third World Cup title in Qatar 2022. "Welcome home, world champion," the Núñez-based club wrote on its official X account, alongside an image of the former Sevilla player wearing the River jersey.

With Montiel's arrival, the club now boasts four members of the historic 'Scaloneta' squad that won the World Cup in Qatar on December 18, 2022. The other three players are goalkeeper Franco Armani, defender Germán Pezzella, and left-back Marcos Acuña. Additionally, River Plate shared an emotional video featuring Montiel wearing both the iconic red-striped jersey of the club and the sky-blue-and-white Argentina jersey, with the defender stating, "I'm ready to write a new story."

The club also posted an image showing a replica of the World Cup trophy alongside Montiel's Argentina jersey, featuring the number 4, and River Plate's jersey. This was accompanied by the caption: "How many world champions play for your club?" A message that highlights the club's prestige, which, along with Atlético de Madrid, tops the list of teams with the most World Cup winners from Qatar.

The 28-year-old right-back returned to River after concluding his time at Sevilla, where he played 81 matches, scored three goals, and provided five assists since joining in 2021. He also had a brief stint in Europe with Nottingham Forest in England for one season. Before moving to Europe, Montiel spent seven consecutive seasons at River Plate, winning nine titles, including the 2018 Copa Libertadores against arch-rival Boca Juniors and two Recopa Sudamericana trophies.

In this new phase, Montiel has set significant goals: competing for the Argentine league title, the Copa Libertadores, and the Club World Cup, which River Plate will play in mid-year in the United States. Furthermore, he aims to maintain strong performances to remain an essential piece of the Albiceleste as they approach the final stages of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The decisive penalty he scored against France in the Qatar 2022 final will forever remain in the memory of Argentinians as the goal that secured the country's third World Cup title, after the victories in Argentina 1978 and Mexico 1986. Now, Montiel returns to the club where his career began, ready to continue making history and contributing to River Plate's success this season.