River Signs First Pro Contract with Bruno Cabral, Star of the Messi Cup

There are kids who at 16 are still dreaming of their debut, and then there are kids who already get to pose with five trophies in the same photo. That is the case of Bruno Cabral, who emerged as the standout player of the inaugural Messi Cup and is now reaping the rewards: River has just signed him to his first professional contract.

The forward put pen to paper alongside club officials and is now tied to the Núñez based institution through December 31, 2028. River left nothing to chance in protecting him, setting a release clause of 100 million dollars, a figure that makes clear just how much the club is banking on the youngster.

So where does all this buzz around a kid who is only just getting started come from? From what he did on the field just a few days ago. River were crowned champions of the first ever Messi Cup, the tournament organized by Lionel Messi, after beating Atlético de Madrid in the final. Cabral scored twice in that decisive match, and he didn't stop there: he finished the tournament as top scorer with seven goals and walked away with the MVP award as well.

The photo that circulated after the title win says it all: championship medal, trophy, final MVP award, tournament MVP award and top scorer prize, all together, all belonging to the same 16 year old. That's no small feat for a tournament that is just starting to carve out a place on the youth soccer calendar.

The Messi Cup Grows for 2026

The success of this first edition has already prompted an immediate response: the Messi Cup will expand from 8 to 16 teams in the Under-16 category for the 2026 edition. From Argentina, Newell's will return after taking part in the first tournament, and Boca, who were not part of the inaugural event, will join them.

The list of participants for the next edition promises a high level of competition: Inter Miami CF, Ajax, Inter Milan, Atlético de Madrid, Benfica, FC Barcelona, Palmeiras, Arsenal, Flamengo, UE Cornellà, Manchester City, Independiente del Valle and Chelsea will all take part, along with the three Argentine clubs. River will arrive as defending champions, and with Cabral already locked up on a professional contract, the bar for the next tournament has been set pretty high.