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Players who played for both Benfica and River Plate
5 famous players have played for both Benfica and River Plate, including Enzo Fernández, Javier Saviola, Pablo Aimar and Claudio Caniggia. 1 of them played for Benfica first; 4 started at River Plate.
Did you know?
- Claudio CaniggiaEarliest on this list to play for both: River Plate (1985–1988), then Benfica from 1994.
- Enzo FernándezLatest on this list: River Plate first, then Benfica from 2022.
- Javier SaviolaWent back for a second spell at River Plate.
All 5 players, most famous first
- Enzo Fernández
Argentina · Midfielder · born 2001- Benfica
- 2022–2023
- River Plate
- 2019–2022
- Javier SaviolaArgentina · Forward · born 1981
- Benfica
- 2009–2012
- River Plate
- 1998–2001, 2015–2016
- Pablo AimarArgentina · Midfielder · born 1979
- Benfica
- 2008–2013
- River Plate
- 1993–2000, 2015
- Claudio CaniggiaArgentina · Midfielder · born 1967
- Benfica
- 1994–1995
- River Plate
- 1985–1988
- Enzo Nicolás PérezArgentina · Goalkeeper · born 1986
- Benfica
- 2011–2015
- River Plate
- 2017–2023, 2025
Years are club stints from Wikidata (snapshot 2026-09-28); a loan that runs straight into a transfer is shown as one stint. “from YEAR” means no end year is recorded — it is not a claim about a current club.
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Questions
How many famous players have played for both Benfica and River Plate?
5 in our data, including Enzo Fernández, Javier Saviola, Pablo Aimar and Claudio Caniggia. The list covers famous footballers only — players covered by at least 45 language editions of Wikipedia — so it is not every player who ever wore both shirts.
Who was the first player on this list to play for both clubs?
In our data, Claudio Caniggia: River Plate (1985–1988), then Benfica (1994–1995).
Where does this list come from?
Club careers from Wikidata, the open database behind Wikipedia (public domain, CC0), snapshot 2026-09-28. Senior spells count, loans included when Wikidata records them; youth and reserve teams do not. Found a mistake? Tell us via the About page.