A. Montoro

Álvaro Montoro was still coming off the bench when he set up the winning goal on his senior debut for Vélez Sarsfield, introduced in the 88th minute against Huracán, and was named Player of the Match.

Montoro played his early football at Concepción Fútbol Club in his native Tucumán until he was eight, then moved to Buenos Aires to join Club Atlético Liniers before Vélez Sarsfield took him into their youth academy in 2017. Seven years later he was part of the Vélez squad that won the Argentine Primera División, and by June 2025 Botafogo had signed him for a fee of US$9 million, covering 90% of his rights, on a contract running to December 2029. He scored his first goal for the Brazilian club in July 2025, against Red Bull Bragantino in the Copa do Brasil.

Montoro's rise through the Argentina youth ranks was marked by early involvement: he was capped at under-17 level from June 2022 and moved up to the under-20 side, earning five caps. He was selected for the 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Chile, where Argentina reached the final. His own tournament finished before that, in the round of 16 against Nigeria, when he fractured his collarbone and needed surgery in Buenos Aires.

Primarily an attacking midfielder but also used on the left, Montoro is right-footed and wears the number 10 shirt at Botafogo.