Santiago Beltran

Santiago Beltrán has never had to leave home to chase a career: he came up through River Plate's youth ranks and stayed. His official debut came in a reserve fixture against Talleres de Córdoba at the River Camp in Ezeiza, a match River won 3-0. He was registered with the first-team squad that season but did not get onto the pitch in the Liga Profesional or the Trofeo de Campeones, with Franco Armani holding the gloves ahead of him. A first medal followed in 2024, when he was part of the squad that beat Talleres de Córdoba to lift the Supercopa Internacional.

The senior call-up for Argentina arrived later, in a friendly against Honduras in Texas. Beltrán came on in the 81st minute as a substitute for the injured Juan Musso, and Argentina closed the game out 2-0 on goals from Lautaro Martínez, from the penalty spot, and Giuliano Simeone. He was one of four debutants that night, alongside Tomás Aranda, Nicolás Capaldo and Joaquín Freitas, in a squad where Lionel Messi stayed on the bench for the World Cup warm-up. It was his first cap for the national team.

At club level, Beltrán remains a product of the academy rather than a marquee arrival.