Racing Club () is a professional
football club
In association football, a football club (or association football club, alternatively soccer club) is a sports club that acts as an entity through which association football teams organise their sporting activities. The club can exist either as ...
based in
Avellaneda
Avellaneda (, ) is a port city in the provinces of Argentina, province of Buenos Aires Province, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 342,677 as per the . Avellaneda is located within the Greater B ...
, Argentina. They compete in the
Primera División, the top tier of
Argentine football. Founded in 1903, the club joined the
Argentine Football Association
The Argentine Football Association (, ; AFA) is the governing body of football in Argentina based in Buenos Aires. It organises the main divisions of Argentine football league system, Argentine league system (from Argentine Primera División, Pri ...
two years later and played its home matches at
Alsina y Colón, the current site of its stadium,
El Cilindro. Historically, it is regarded as one of the ''
Big Five'' of
Argentine football. Though mainly a football club, Racing also hosts other sports such as
artistic gymnastics
Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different types of apparatus. The sport is governed by the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
,
beach soccer
Beach soccer, also known as beach football, sand football or sand soccer, is a variant of association football played on a beach or some form of sand between two teams of five players each.
Association football has long been played informally on ...
,
boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
,
chess
Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...
,
field hockey
Field hockey (or simply referred to as hockey in some countries where ice hockey is not popular) is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with 11 players in total, made up of 10 field players and a goalk ...
,
futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football played between two teams of five players each on a court smaller than a football pitch. Its rules are based on the Laws of the Game (association football), Laws of the Game of association football, and i ...
,
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
,
martial arts
Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; ...
,
roller skating
Roller skating is the act of travelling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreation, recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on s ...
,
tennis
Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
, and
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
.
The club has won the Primera División 18 times, including an unmatched streak of seven consecutive titles—five of them unbeaten—between
1913
Events January
* January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city.
* January 3 &ndash ...
and
1919
Events
January
* January 1
** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (later Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia.
** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off th ...
, becoming the first club in the world to achieve this and the only one in the Americas.
It has also won 15
national cups, holding the record for the most titles in the
Copa Ibarguren
The Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren, also called Campeonato Argentino
by Osvaldo Gorgazzi on the RSSSF or simply Copa Ibarguren was an offi ...
,
Copa de Honor MCBA,
Copa Beccar Varela
The Copa de Honor Adrián Beccar Varela (or simply Copa Adrián Beccar Varela) was an Argentine official football competition organized by dissident " Liga Argentina de Football", the first league that organised professional competition in Argent ...
,
Copa Británica, and
Trofeo de Campeones (SAF).
On the international stage, the club has won eight titles—five organised by
CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL ( ) or CSF (; ; ), is the continental governing body of football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations. The oldest continental confederation in the world, its headquarters are located in Luque, Parag ...
and three jointly by the Argentine Football Association and
Uruguayan Football Association
The Uruguayan Football Association ( — ) is the governing body of association football, football in Uruguay. It was founded in 1900, as The Uruguayan Association Football League, and affiliated to FIFA in 1923. It is a founding member of CONMEB ...
—. These include the
1967 Copa Libertadores, the
1967 Intercontinental Cup, the
1988 Supercopa Libertadores, the
2024 Copa Sudamericana
The 2024 Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana was the 23rd edition of the Copa Sudamericana, CONMEBOL Sudamericana (also referred to as the ''Copa Sudamericana''), South America's secondary club association football, football tournament organized by CONMEBO ...
, and the
2025 Recopa Sudamericana.
In footballing terms, the team is nicknamed ''La Academia'' (The
Academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
) because it was the most successful side during the
amateur era, known for a
creole style of play that set the standard and taught its rivals how the game should be played. It is also known as ''El Primer Grande'' (The First 'Big'), as it was the first of the ''Big Five'' to win a league title, a national cup, and an international trophy. Moreover, it was the first Argentine club to win the
World Championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
(
Intercontinental Cup), achieving this historic milestone in 1967.
Its traditional colours are
sky blue
Sky blue refers to a collection of shades comparable to that of a clear daytime sky. Typically it is a shade of cyan or light teal, though some iterations are closer to light Azure (color), azure or light blue. The term (as "sky blew") is atte ...
and
white
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, chosen as a tribute to the
flag of Argentina
The national flag of the Argentine Republic, often referred to as the Argentine flag (), is a triband (flag), triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue and white. There are multiple interpretations on the reas ...
. Its neighbours and main rivals are
Independiente—nicknamed ''Los Rojos'' (The Reds)—with whom it contests the
Avellaneda Derby. Nevertheless, matches against the other three members of the ''Big Five'' (
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
,
River Plate, and
San Lorenzo) are also regarded as classics. Currently has 86,289 active club members.
History
Origins

Racing dates back to 1898, when a group of workers from the old
Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway in the municipality of Barracas al Sud—today
Avellaneda Partido
Avellaneda is a partido in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. It has an area of and a population of 663,953 in 2001. Its administrative seat is the city of Avellaneda.
The partido is located in the Greater Buenos Aires urban area, separated fro ...
—founded the ''Argentinos Excelsior Club''. This early team played friendly matches against other local sides, many of which had been formed by British immigrants, and was based on a basic and undeveloped plot of land at ''Alsina y Colón'' (Alsina and Colón) streets, near the local livestock market. The site, owned by the railway company, had originally been granted by the local municipality and was later requested by the employees themselves to be used for playing football, a sport that was rapidly gaining
popularity
In sociology, popularity is how much a person, idea, place, item or other concept is either liked or accorded status by other people. Liking can be due to reciprocal liking, interpersonal attraction, and similar factors. Social status can be d ...
in Argentina at the time.
Despite the formation of this early football team, it eventually dissolved and gave way to the emergence of other local entities, notably ''Argentinos Unidos'', ''American Club'', and ''Sud América Football Club'' ''de Barracas al Sud''. The latter was officially founded on 12 May 1901 by a group of alumni from the prestigious
Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires. What set Barracas al Sud apart was the distinctive nature of its founding membership, composed entirely of ''
criollos
In Hispanic America, criollo () is a term used originally to describe people of full Spanish descent born in the viceroyalties. In different Latin American countries, the word has come to have different meanings, mostly referring to the local ...
''—Argentine-born individuals of European descent—making it the first football club in the country to be established exclusively by native citizens, rather than by
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
or foreign communities.
The founding members were: Arturo and Zenón Artola, Germán Vidaillac, Leandro Boloque, Pedro Viazzi, Pedro Werner, Alfredo and Raimundo Lamoure, Ignacio Oyarzábal, Ricardo Martín, Ernesto Martín, Salvador Sorhondo, Julio Planisi, Francisco Balestrieri, Bernardo Etcheverry, brothers Evaristo and Alfredo Paz, Enrique Poujade, Elías Camels, José Güimil, Juan Sepich, José Paz, Antonio Capurro, and Alejandro Carbone.
Barracas al Sud quickly found local success in its early football matches. However, internal disagreements among its members led to a significant split: on 16 March 1902, a large group broke away to establish a new institution, the ''Club Atlético Colorados Unidos del Sud''. The venture ultimately proved unsuccessful, and as a result, Barracas al Sud itself failed to achieve the momentum it had originally aspired to.
In the wake of these setbacks, members from both clubs began to gather informally in the waiting room of the Barracas Iglesia railway station. It was there that a spirit of reconciliation took root, and they adopted the motto ''“''United until death''”'' as a symbol of their renewed unity and shared purpose. Thus, on 25 March 1903, ''Foot'' ''Ball Racing Club'' was officially founded. The club’s name was inspired by a French magazine read by Germán Vidaillac—one of the founders, of French descent—which featured the word ''“Racing”'' prominently. Although the club had already begun operating, its
official charter was formalised on 7 February 1904, during a meeting held at the Lamour brothers’ estate, where the founding act was drafted and recorded.
First years in football

Initially, the club began by wearing a plain white shirt in order to reduce costs. However, on 23 July 1904, it formally adopted a black and yellow vertically striped jersey, similar to that of the
Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club
Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club (mostly known for its acronym CURCC) was a Uruguayan sports club, originally established by Great Britain, British railway workers for the practise of cricket. Nevertheless, the club would be notable for its as ...
. Due to the resemblance, the decision was reversed just a week later, and a new kit—featuring a chequered pattern in light blue and pink—was introduced at the behest of Alejandro Carbone.
Around this time, Racing also relocated to a new pitch situated on Miguel O'Gorman (now 25 de Mayo) street. The ground featured a modest wooden structure affectionately known as ''La Caseta Multifunción'' (The Multipurpose Booth), which served various practical roles for the club during its early years.
Racing registered with the
Argentine Football Association
The Argentine Football Association (, ; AFA) is the governing body of football in Argentina based in Buenos Aires. It organises the main divisions of Argentine football league system, Argentine league system (from Argentine Primera División, Pri ...
in 1905 and began competing in the lower divisions of
Argentine football league system
The Argentine football league system include tournaments organised by the Argentine Football Association. Clubs affiliated to the body compete in the tournaments, which are split into categories or divisions.
Rules establish a system of promot ...
. In 1906, the club registered to play in
Second Division.
[El ascenso fue un paso necesario](_blank)
by Alejandro Fabbri on Perfil.com, 8 March 2015 That same year, due to frequent flooding at the Miguel O'Gorman pitch, Racing returned to its earlier grounds at Alsina y Colón.
In 1908, Racing reached the final of the Second Division but was defeated 2–1 by
River Plate. However, the match was annulled due to a pitch invasion by River’s supporters. A replay was held on 27 December, in which Racing suffered a surprising and controversial 0–7 defeat. That same year, the club changed its kit once again, this time adopting a blue shirt with a white horizontal stripe across the chest.
In 1910, Racing once again reached the final of the Second Division, this time facing
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
. Racing emerged victorious with a 2–1 win, thus securing the long-awaited promotion to the top tier. That same year, as Argentina celebrated the centenary of the
May Revolution
The May Revolution () was a week-long series of events that took place from 18 to 25 May 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, ...
, founding member Pedro Werner proposed a change to the club’s kit to reflect the national colours of the
flag of Argentina
The national flag of the Argentine Republic, often referred to as the Argentine flag (), is a triband (flag), triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue and white. There are multiple interpretations on the reas ...
. The proposal was approved, and a new design was created—featuring light blue and white. However, the iconic strip made its official debut only on 8 June 1913, in a match against
Unión, which Racing won emphatically by 8–1.
''La Academia'' and the seven consecutive


Racing made its
Primera División debut on
7 May 1911, drawing 1–1 against
San Isidro. In that same tournament, the club finished in an impressive fourth place.
In 1912, Racing secured its first national trophy, the
Copa de Honor MCBA, with a 3–0 victory over
Newell’s Old Boys. That same year, the club also played its first international match, facing
River Plate of Uruguay in the
Copa de Honor Cousenier, where Racing narrowly lost 2–1.
In 1913, alongside the introduction of the now-iconic sky blue and white kit, Racing enjoyed a landmark season, securing four titles. The first was the
Copa de Honor MCBA, earned with a 5–1 victory over
Estudiantes (BA). The second was the
Copa de Honor Cousenier, in which Racing defeated Uruguay’s
Nacional 4–3 on aggregate, claiming its first international trophy. The crowning achievement, however, came in the
Argentine Primera División
The Primera División (; ), known officially as Liga Profesional de Fútbol, or Torneo Betano for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Argentina and the highest level of the Argentine football league system. Organ ...
, where Racing triumphed 2–0 over San Isidro in the final—securing the club’s first top-flight league title.
The year 1914 began with Racing being crowned champions of the
1913 Copa Ibarguren, secured with a 3–1 victory over Newell’s Old Boys. Despite this title corresponding to the previous season, the 1914 campaign also brought further silverware. Racing won the league
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
once again, defeating Ferro Carril Oeste by 2–0, with Estudiantes (BA) finishing as runners-up. The team delivered a dominant performance throughout the season, scoring 42 goals and conceding only 7 in just 12 matches. In addition, Racing claimed another Copa Ibarguren title, edging
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central (), more commonly referred to as Rosario Central, or simply Central, is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on 24 December 1889, ...
1–0 in the final.
[Copa Ibarguren overview](_blank)
by Osvaldo Gorgazzi at RSSSF
From 1915 onwards, the team began to be nicknamed ''La Academia'' (The Academy), a reflection of its elegant
creole style football, which was seen as setting the standard in the Argentine game. The moniker is said to have taken hold following a memorable 3–0 away victory over
River Plate. After the match, Racing supporters made their jubilant return to Avellaneda chanting: ''“La Academia, la Academia!”''. That season marked Racing’s third league
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
, secured with a 1–0 victory over San Isidro in a play-off and finishing unbeaten, with 22 games won and 2 drawn. Racing also added to its growing trophy cabinet by winning the
Copa de Honor MCBA, defeating
Tiro Federal 2–1 in the final.
In
1916, Racing clinched the league
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...
for the fourth consecutive year, once again defeating Ferro Carril Oeste by a 2–0 scoreline, with
Platense finishing as runners-up. The club also secured the
Copa Ibarguren
The Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren, also called Campeonato Argentino
by Osvaldo Gorgazzi on the RSSSF or simply Copa Ibarguren was an offi ...
, delivering a commanding 6–0 victory over Rosario Central in the final. Around this time, the
Avellaneda derby began to take shape.
Independiente, historically associated with
socialist
Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
ideals, had recently established itself in the
Avellaneda
Avellaneda (, ) is a port city in the provinces of Argentina, province of Buenos Aires Province, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 342,677 as per the . Avellaneda is located within the Greater B ...
Partido. Its ideological stance stood in sharp contrast to Racing’s leadership, which was aligned with the conservative
National Autonomist Party.
In the 1917 season, Racing once again secured a
quadruple, although three of them would be officially awarded the following year. The first was the league
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
, their fifth consecutive title, clinched after a victory over
Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP), with River Plate finishing as runners-up. The other three trophies were the
Copa de Honor MCBA, won after a 3–2 over River Plate;
Copa Ibarguren
The Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren, also called Campeonato Argentino
by Osvaldo Gorgazzi on the RSSSF or simply Copa Ibarguren was an offi ...
, won after a 3–2 triumph over Rosario Central, and the
Copa Aldao, Racing’s second international title, earned by defeating Uruguay’s Nacional 4–3 on aggregate.
In 1918, Racing achieved a
treble, with one of the titles officially awarded the following year. The first was the league
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
, which they won undefeated, crowned after a 4–1 victory over Platense, with River Plate once again finishing second. They also claimed the
Copa Ibarguren
The Copa Dr. Carlos Ibarguren, also called Campeonato Argentino
by Osvaldo Gorgazzi on the RSSSF or simply Copa Ibarguren was an offi ...
, defeating Newell’s Old Boys 4–0 in the final. Later came the
Copa Aldao, marking the club’s third and final Río de la Plata trophy, secured with a 2–1 win over
Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol (), more commonly referred to as Peñarol, is a Uruguayan professional football club based in Montevideo. The club currently competes in the Uruguayan Primera División, the highest tier in Uruguayan football.
The nam ...
.
In 1919, Racing joined the breakaway league, the
Asociación Amateurs de Football
The Asociación Amateurs de Football (AAmF) was a dissident football association of Argentina that organised its own championships from 1919 to 1926. The Argentine Football Association did not recognise those championships until both associatio ...
, where it won the league
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
for the seventh consecutive time, defeating
Tigre 2–1, with
Vélez Sarsfield as runners-up. It was also their third unbeaten title, sealing the legendary ''heptacampeonato'', making Racing the first club in the world to win seven league titles in a row. The streak ended in
1920
Events January
* January 1
** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20.
** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
, with Racing finishing as runners-up, but the team reclaimed the crown in
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil.
** The Spanish lin ...
with a 3–0 victory over River Plate, the same side that had halted their run the year before. Racing’s final amateur title came in the
1925 season, after a 1–1 draw against
Excursionistas, a result that denied
San Lorenzo the league title.
League title drought and ''La Guardia Imperial''
The professional era of Argentine football began in 1931, with Racing joining the breakaway
Liga Argentina de Football, which was later recognized by the
Argentine Football Association
The Argentine Football Association (, ; AFA) is the governing body of football in Argentina based in Buenos Aires. It organises the main divisions of Argentine football league system, Argentine league system (from Argentine Primera División, Pri ...
in 1934. Racing played its first professional match on June 4, 1931, defeating
Platense 5–1.
In 1933, Racing won two titles. The first was the
1932 Copa Beccar Varela, which—though corresponding to the previous season—was secured with a 3–0 victory over
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
, in a final group that also included
Tigre. The second was the
Copa de Competencia (LAF), claimed after a 4–0 win over
San Lorenzo in the final.
On August 5, 1937, the Argentine Football Association introduced proportional voting in its decision-making process. Five clubs were granted three votes each:
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
,
Independiente, Racing,
River Plate, and
San Lorenzo. From that point on, both the public and the sports media began referring to them collectively as the
''Big Five''.
In 1945, Racing won the
Copa de Competencia Británica after defeating Boca Juniors 4–1 in the final. Despite securing three domestic titles during this early professional era, the period was largely marked by a lack of league championships, with the team often finishing in mid-table positions.
During these years, the club expanded its membership base despite its title drought. A journalist—reportedly Américo Barrios—nicknamed the club’s supporters ''
La Guardia Imperial'' (The Imperial Guard) and ''La Número Uno'' (The Number One) in recognition of their loyalty during this period without championships. Around the same time, following the
1946 season, the team left Alsina y Colón to build a more modern venue.
Return to league titles

In 1949, Racing returned to glory by clinching the league
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
after a 2–1 victory over
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
, ending
River Plate’s hopes of catching them. During this period, the club’s dominance on the pitch made it widely disliked by rival supporters, some of whom claimed Racing was benefiting from
political
Politics () is the set of activities that are associated with decision-making, making decisions in social group, groups, or other forms of power (social and political), power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of Social sta ...
favoritism—particularly from Finance Minister Ramón Cereijo, who had arranged a government loan under
President Perón to finance the construction of the club’s new stadium.
In 1950, Racing won the league
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...
once again. Despite a 3–0 loss to
Banfield, the result eliminated Boca Juniors from title contention. On September 3 of that same year, the club inaugurated its new stadium,
El Cilindro, with a 1–0 victory over
Vélez Sarsfield.
In 1951, Racing finished the
league tied for first place with Banfield, prompting a playoff final. After a 0–0 draw in the first match, a second final was held, where Racing secured a 1–0 victory to claim its third consecutive championship. This made Racing the first team to win three consecutive professional championships, despite playing the decisive match at
San Lorenzo’s
stadium
A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...
with most of the crowd against them, with
Stábile as head coach and an exceptional attacking line featuring
Méndez,
Bravo,
Simes
SIMes (or H2Imes) is an N-heterocyclic carbene, ''N''-heterocyclic carbene. It is a white solid that dissolves in organic solvents. The compound is used as a ligand in organometallic chemistry. It is structurally related to the more common ligan ...
,
Boyé and
Sued. The following year, they finished
runners-up to River Plate.
In 1958, under the management of
Della Torre
The House of Della Torre (Torriani or Thurn) was an Italian noble family who dominated Lombardy and much of northern Italy between the 12th and 14th centuries. They owned the Lordship of Milan, before being expelled by the Visconti. They were membe ...
, Racing secured the league
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...
after a 3–3 draw with
Lanús
Lanús () is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, metropolitan area. The List of cities in Argentina, city has a populati ...
, finishing ahead of both Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo. At a time when Argentine football was suffering from low attendance following the
national team
A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport.
The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
’s
failure
Failure is the social concept of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and is usually viewed as the opposite of success. The criteria for failure depends on context, and may be relative to a particular observer or belief system. On ...
at the
1958 FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
, Racing stood out with a solid defense led by
Dellacha and a dynamic attacking line featuring
Corbatta,
Pizzuti,
Manfredini,
Sosa, and
Belén. The following year, they finished
runners-up to San Lorenzo.
In 1960, despite finishing fourth in the
league, Racing recorded the biggest official win in its history with an 11–3 victory over
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central (), more commonly referred to as Rosario Central, or simply Central, is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina, that plays in the Argentine Primera División. The club was officially founded on 24 December 1889, ...
.
In 1961, under the management of
Ongaro, Racing won the league title after defeating San Lorenzo 3–2, with the latter finishing as runners-up. This was the first time since its inauguration that the championship-deciding match was played at El Cilindro, rather than away or on neutral ground. The team stood out for its collective style of play and reliance on Argentine players—except for two Uruguayans—at a time when many clubs sought foreign signings to promote so-called "show football" in Argentina. They qualified for the
1962 Copa Libertadores but were eliminated in the group stage, sharing the group with
Nacional of Uruguay and
Sporting Cristal
Club Sporting Cristal S.A., shortened to Sporting Cristal, is a Peruvian sports club located in the city of Lima, best known for its association football, soccer team. It was founded on 13 December 1955 in the Rímac District, Rímac district by e ...
of Peru.
José's Team and international success
In 1965, the club underwent a significant institutional crisis, prompting the appointment of the recently retired
Pizzuti as head coach. Pizzuti’s inaugural
match
A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by friction generated by striking the match against a suitable surface. Wooden matc ...
in charge culminated in a 3–1 triumph over
River Plate. He promptly committed to integrating the club’s promising youth prospects—namely
Perfumo,
Basile,
Cejas, and
Díaz—thereby laying the foundations of a formidable squad that would embark upon an extraordinary 39-match unbeaten run. This team rapidly endeared itself to the supporters, who immortalized it through a chant, dubbing it ''Equipo de José'' (José's Team). The unbeaten streak was ultimately halted in 1966 with a 2–0 away defeat to River Plate; however, this setback did not preclude the team from securing the
championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
title following a goalless draw against
Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP). Notably, the sole loss was inflicted by the very club that would finish as runners-up that season.
In 1967, Racing finished second in the
Torneo Metropolitano after losing the final 3–0 to
Estudiantes (LP) at San Lorenzo. At the same time, they competed in the
Copa Libertadores
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...
, placed in a group with River Plate,
Bolívar and
31 de Octubre from Bolivia, and
Santa Fe and
Independiente Medellín from Colombia. A trip to
Medellín
Medellín ( ; or ), officially the Special District of Science, Technology and Innovation of Medellín (), is the List of cities in Colombia, second-largest city in Colombia after Bogotá, and the capital of the department of Antioquia Departme ...
nearly ended in tragedy, but the players arrived safely. In the semifinals, Racing advanced from a group that included River Plate again,
Colo-Colo
Colo-Colo (), officially Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo, is a Chilean professional football club based in Macul, Santiago. Founded in 1925 by David Arellano, it competes in the Chilean Primera División, from which the club has never been ...
from Chile, and
Universitario from Peru, which required a playoff to decide the standings. The
finals
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
against Uruguayan
Nacional ended with two 0–0 draws, and Racing won the title after a playoff held at
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
.
Norberto Raffo
Norberto Santiago Raffo (27 April 1939 – 16 December 2008) was an Argentine footballer who played as a striker. He was the Copa Libertadores de América Topscorer in Copa Libertadores 1967 with 14 goals for eventual champions Racing Club, t ...
was the top scorer with 13 goals.
At the end of the year Racing won the
Intercontinental Cup by defeating
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
in a playoff game. The first match had been played at
Glasgow
Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
where Racing was beaten 1–0 while they won the second game 2–1 in
Avellaneda
Avellaneda (, ) is a port city in the provinces of Argentina, province of Buenos Aires Province, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the seat of the Avellaneda Partido, whose population was 342,677 as per the . Avellaneda is located within the Greater B ...
. The playoff was played in
Montevideo
Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
where Racing achieved its second continental championship winning 1–0 with a goal scored by
Juan Carlos Cárdenas. The starting line-up for the playoff match on 4 November was:
Agustín Cejas;
Oscar Martín,
Roberto Perfumo,
Alfio Basile,
Nelson Chabay; João Cardoso, Juan Carlos Rulli, Juan J. Rodríguez,
Humberto Maschio;
Norberto Raffo
Norberto Santiago Raffo (27 April 1939 – 16 December 2008) was an Argentine footballer who played as a striker. He was the Copa Libertadores de América Topscorer in Copa Libertadores 1967 with 14 goals for eventual champions Racing Club, t ...
,
Juan Carlos Cárdenas.
Juan José Pizzuti was the coach.
Relegation

During the 1970s Racing did not win any titles, although the team finished 2nd to San Lorenzo in the
1972 Metropolitano, with 43 points in 34 matches. That year was the debut of
Ubaldo Fillol
Ubaldo Matildo Fillol (; born 21 July 1950), nicknamed ''el Pato'' (in English: "the Duck"), is an Argentine football coach and former goalkeeper. He took part in the 1974, 1978 (where he won the championship with his team and was voted Best Goa ...
, who some regard as the best Argentine goalkeeper ever. Fillol set a record of 6 penalty shots stopped in the same season. From 1974 and 1978 Racing made poor campaigns and was near relegation in
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
when the team finished next to last (
San Telmo
San Telmo ("Saint Pedro González Telmo") is the oldest ''Barrios of Buenos Aires, barrio'' (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. A well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis, it hosts some of its oldest buildings. One of the birthplace ...
was finally relegated).
In
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
, Racing was relegated to the
Primera B by finishing last in the aggregate table, which was determined by a points average of the previous two seasons. However, the relegation system was changed, and if it had not been changed, Racing probably wouldn't have been relegated. The old system had the two last-placed teams go down, and Racing finished 17th out of 19 that year. The first year in the second division, Racing finished second behind
Deportivo Español and so had to play a promotion playoff, where Racing eliminated
Deportivo Morón and
Lanús
Lanús () is the capital of Lanús Partido, Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. It lies just south of the capital city Buenos Aires, in the Greater Buenos Aires conurbation, metropolitan area. The List of cities in Argentina, city has a populati ...
but lost to
Gimnasia y Esgrima (LP) in the finals (1–3 and 2–4).
One year later, after two seasons in the second division, Racing returned to the top division for the
1986–87 season after winning a playoff for the second promotion place against
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
in December 1985. Racing won the first game 4–0 and the second match finished 1–1, with Racing winning the series 5–1 on aggregate.
Return to international success

Racing won its third international competition in 1988, when the team won the first edition of the
1988 Supercopa Libertadores, defeating Brazilian team
Cruzeiro in the finals, with Alfio Basile still as coach. That same year Racing won the non-official Supercopa Interamericana beating
Herediano from
Costa Rica
Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...
3–0. The following year, Racing played the inaugural edition of the
Recopa Sudamericana
The CONMEBOL Recopa Sudamericana (), also known as Recopa Sudamericana or CONMEBOL Recopa, and simply as Recopa (, ; "Winners' Cup"), is an annual international club Association football, football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1988. It ...
in
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
against the winners of the
1988 Copa Libertadores,
Club Nacional. Nacional won the first leg in
Montevideo
Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
1–0; Racing wasn't able to turn the score around in the second leg in Buenos Aires, and the Uruguayan club won the title.
In
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
, Racing played the
Supercopa Libertadores finals against Cruzeiro again. In the first match, Cruzeiro defeated them 4–0 in
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is the List of largest cities in Brazil, sixth-largest city in Brazil, with a population of around 2.3 million, and the third largest metropolitan area, containing a population of 6 million. It is the List of cities in Sout ...
. Racing won the second match 1–0 but the cup was awarded to the Brazilian team with a 4–1 aggregate score.
Racing came very close to winning the league title in the 90s; in the
1993 Apertura they finished third, tied with Velez and just one point from the champion, River Plate. In the
1995 Apertura they finished runner-ups.
Bankruptcy and resurrection

In July 1998, club president
Daniel Lalín declared
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
, leaving many supporters outraged. Lalin had been accused as the main reason for the club's debt because he spent large amounts of money on players, instead of bringing them up from the youth academy. In March 1999, a top member of the club said Racing "had officially ceased to exist". However, with the massive support of the fans, they convinced the club to implement the
Trust law
A trust is a legal relationship in which the owner of property, or any transferable right, gives it to another to manage and use solely for the benefit of a designated person. In the English common law, the party who entrusts the property is k ...
, saving it from liquidation. In December 2000, the club was taken over by ''Blanquiceleste SA'' and was managed by the company until 2008.
They won the
league title in December 2001 for the first time in 35 years, and the title was celebrated at
Estadio Jose Amalfitani,
Vélez Sarsfield's home stadium, after the last fixture with them finished in a draw.
[
In 2008, the club was almost relegated and had to play a promotion play-off against Belgrano. This was due to poor performances in the last 3 seasons, including a last-place finish in the 2008 Clausura. The first leg was played in Córdoba on 25 June and ended 1–1. In the second leg, Racing won 1–0 at home, and with a 2–1 aggregate score, was able to maintain its permanence in the top tier.
In 2012, Racing reached the 2012 Copa Argentina Final, where the squad lost to ]Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...
2–1.
In June 2014, Diego Cocca was hired as head coach. Two days after Cocca signed his contract, former player and fan favorite Diego Milito left Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...
and returned to the club to play the 2014 Torneo de Transición. In December 2014, Racing won its 17th Primera División title in the last fixture of the tournament. If Racing drew but River Plate won their match against Quilmes, then the title would've gone to River. However, the team defeated Godoy Cruz 1–0 to secure the 1st place and be crowned champions for the first time in 13 years.
They won the league in 2018–19. Lisandro López was the top scorer of the tournament with 17 goals, and at the age of 36 he was the oldest player to be league top scorer. In December 2019, Racing became champion of the Trofeo de Campeones de la Superliga Argentina by beating the defending champion of the Copa de la Superliga, Tigre, 2–0, with both goals from Matías Rojas.
In 2020, aeronautical company Aeroset was announced as Racing's new main sponsor. The deal was renewed in 2022.
In November 2022, Racing became champions of the Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional by defeating the last champions of the 2022 Primera División, Boca Juniors, 2-1.
In February 2023, Racing became champion of the Supercopa Internacional by beating rival Boca Juniors, 2-1.
In May 2023, the international online casino company Betsson was announced as Racing's shirt sponsor for the 2023-2024 season.
In November 2024, Racing became champion of the Copa Sudamericana
The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, also known as Copa Sudamericana (; ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America, since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club com ...
after 36 years since their last international cup, by beating Cruzeiro, 3-1.
At the beginning of 2025 Diego Milito becomes the new president of the club, in 27 February Racing became champion of the Recopa Sudamericana
The CONMEBOL Recopa Sudamericana (), also known as Recopa Sudamericana or CONMEBOL Recopa, and simply as Recopa (, ; "Winners' Cup"), is an annual international club Association football, football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1988. It ...
, beating Botafogo
Botafogo (local/standard alternative Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: ) is a beachfront neighborhood (''bairro'') in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is a mostly upper middle class and small commerce community, and is located between the hills of M ...
, 4-0.
Stadium
Racing Club plays its home games at "Estadio Presidente Perón" (named in honor of former President of Argentina Juan Domingo Perón), popularly known as "''El Cilindro de Avellaneda''" (due to its cylindrical shape) and "the Coliseum". It was opened in 1950 and restructured in 1997.
The field measures 105 x 70 m. Racing's stadium is the second largest in Argentina after the River Plate stadium. In the beginning, the venue could host a capacity of 120,000 but subsequent restructurings reduced its capacity to 64,161.
Players
Current squad
Other players under contract
Reserve squad
Out on loan
All-time player records
Most appearances
Top Scorers
Current coaching staff
, -
, Head coach , , Gustavo Costas
, -
, Assistant coach , , Francisco Berscé
, -
, Assistant coach , , Gonzalo Costas
, -
, Fitness coach , , Federico Costas
, -
, Alternate fitness coach , , Cristian Argentieri
, -
, Alternate fitness coach , , Federico Trídico
, -
, Goalkeeping coach , , Gustavo Campagnuolo
, -
, Video analyst , , Federico Anastasi
, -
, Video analyst , , Alejandro Fusario
, -
, Doctor , , Alejandro Dardano
, -
, Doctor , , Juan Martín Linares
, -
, Kinesiologist , , Agustín Güiraldes
, -
, Kinesiologist , , Rosendo Regueiro
, -
, Kinesiologist , , Ignacio Astraldi
, -
, Kinesiologist , , Enzo Musitelli
, -
, Masseur , , Aníbal Luis González
, -
, Nutritionist , , Karina Gavini
, -
, Nutritionist , , Matías Beier
, -
, Sports psychologist - Neuroscience , , Andrea Ricagno
, -
, Coordinator first team football , , Damián Kimelman
, -
, Kit man , , Oscar Gregorio Alvarez
, -
, Kit man , , Carlos Chirón
, -
, Press chief , , Fabián Alves da Costa
, -
, Professional football manager , , Miguel Rosello
, -
Coaches since 2000
Honours
Senior titles
Other titles
Titles won in lower divisions:
*Segunda División
The Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Segunda División, commonly known as Segunda División or La Liga 2, and officially known as LaLiga HyperMotion for sponsorship reasons, is the men's second professional association football division of the Spa ...
(3): 1910, 1924 , 1926
* Copa Bullrich (1): 1910
Notes
See also
* List of world champion football clubs
This list includes the official ''(de jure)'' world champion football clubs recognized by FIFA. The official competitions that grant this world title are the Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004), Intercontinental Cup (1960–2004), the FIFA Club W ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
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Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club () is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Avellaneda, Argentina. They compete in the Argentine Primera División, Primera División, the top tier of Argentine football league system, Argentine f ...
Association football clubs established in 1903
Basketball teams in Buenos Aires Province
r
Volleyball clubs in Argentina
r
1903 establishments in Argentina
Football clubs in Avellaneda
Copa Libertadores winning clubs
Copa Sudamericana winning clubs
Intercontinental Cup winning clubs