With just days to go before the Superclásico between River Plate and Boca Juniors at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, we look back at the most iconic players who wore both shirts.

Claudio Paul Caniggia

Trained at River, he made his debut in 1985. He then moved to Europe (Hellas Verona, Atalanta, Roma, Sporting Lisbon) and upon returning to Argentine football, he chose Boca in 1995. He became a key figure in some clásicos, scoring important goals for the club from La Ribera, including a memorable celebration with Diego Maradona.

Gabriel Omar Batistuta

At 19, the native of Avellaneda, Santa Fe, joined River Plate, where he played 24 matches and scored just 4 goals. He then moved to their historic rival, where he flourished and won the Clausura 1991 tournament, finishing as the team’s top scorer. That performance opened the doors to Fiorentina, where he became one of Serie A’s famed Capocannoniere.

José Luis Villarreal

A midfielder who spent seven years with Boca Juniors, where he won titles and dominated the midfield alongside Blas Giunta. He later transferred to Atlético Madrid for a brief spell before returning to River, where he struggled to adapt at first but eventually won championships.

Oscar Ruggeri

A tough and commanding center-back. He made his debut with Boca in 1980 and won the Metropolitano 1981 title with the legendary team managed by Silvio Marzolini, alongside Diego Maradona. In 1983, he made his debut with the Argentine national team in a match against Chile, under the guidance of Carlos Salvador Bilardo. In 1985, after a players’ strike in Argentine football, he joined River, where he would go on to win the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup the following year.

Jonatan Maidana

Boca signed him in 2005. He played his first match under Coco Basile and went on to win the Copa Libertadores 2007, Clausura 2006, Apertura 2008, Copa Sudamericana 2005, and Recopa Sudamericana 2006. After a stint with Metalist in Ukraine, he returned to Argentina wearing the colors of his former club’s fiercest rival. At River Plate, he became a defensive leader and captain, winning it all. Under Marcelo Gallardo, he won: two Copa Libertadores titles (2015 and 2018), two Copa Argentina titles (2016 and 2017), two Supercopa Argentina titles (2017 and 2019), one Copa Sudamericana (2014), two Recopa Sudamericana titles (2014 and 2016), and the Suruga Bank Championship (2015).