Lautaro Rivero: From a teenager selling sandwich cakes on the street to the Argentina national team

Hupu October 4th News The Argentina national team's roster has been announced. The team will play a friendly match with Venezuela and Puerto Rico. Scaloni unexpectedly included several names that fans had never imagined, one of which is Lautaro Rivero, who now has a dream situation in the riverbed, and the story of his hard work on the streets in the past is worth a book.

He grew up with his five siblings, and started at the club of Los Alcones, not far from home, near his hometown Moreno. In addition, he also played football in the community with his friends. He then played for the North Villaluro and La Victoria Club, and then came to the riverbed at the age of 14. "I am very humble and willing to sacrifice; first of all, I hope my family can live a better life and have everything they deserve. I hope my mom, dad and siblings can all live a good life. Thanks to them, I can work here, day after day. I have a lot of difficulties to overcome, and for them, I will do my best," he said in an interview with River Plate in 2022.

He was initially a left midfielder, but his good physique and conditions allowed him to retreat and become a central defender. There he began to make his mark, and he had worn captain armbands in many youth-level teams. In 2021, he was promoted to the reserve team, and he also played in the fourth-level league, and began a period of adaptation. At the end of 2023, when he was about to become a free agent, he signed his first professional contract. In 2024, he was loaned to Córdoba.

In 2025, he was outstanding and became one of the best centre-backs in the Argentina league, with such outstanding performances as when he was at Stade Maracana against Flamenco, which was one of the stars of Côte d'Arcône in that historic 2-1 victory. After returning to the riverbed, Rivero gradually won a place until he became one of the leaders of the riverbed's defense line. Not long ago, in the match between River Pearl and competition, he performed well and staged a truly exciting game that completely restricted his opponent. For many game days, fans have recognized his continued efforts, his passion for defense and his spirit of never giving up any ball rights.

Now all the sacrifices he made on and off the court seemed worth it, as Scaloni's coaching staff called him to call him into the national team for this series of friendly matches in the United States. The boy who was selling sandwich cakes next to traffic lights a few years ago will soon share a locker room with Messi and other world champions.