Platense were crowned 2025 Torneo Apertura winners on Sunday after beating Huracán 1-0 at Santiago del Estero’s Madre de Ciudades stadium. The win makes the Calamar (squid) Argentine football champion for the first time in its 120-year history, and secures the team a spot in the 2025 Copa Libertadores.

The final was tight, with Platense — often criticised for an overly defensive style — locked down in its own half, and Huracán struggling to break the opposition down. That led to a very fractious and slow first half, with both teams looking to score via a free kick or corner.

The second half continued much in the same vein, but the goal finally arrived in the 63rd minute, as forward Guido Mainero took a first-time shot from a set play to take the lead. Platense was able to hold the advantage to lift the title in Santiago del Estero. 

The title undoubtedly comes as a surprise to many. Platense turned around a shaky start to the tournament with four wins in six games in March, and only secured a spot in the knockout stage after finishing in sixth place in Group B. That meant the Calamar was one of the unseeded teams, playing away from home in every matchup while visiting some of Argentine football’s most historic venues.

Platense’s win continues a trend that has emerged not only in Argentine football, but across the world. The Calamar joins several smaller clubs that have broken long dry spells in 2025, such as English FA Cup winners Crystal Palace and Dutch minnows Go Ahead Eagles, who won the KNVB Cup. In Argentine football, 2024 saw another first-time champion, with Central Córdoba winning their first-ever major silverware in the Copa Argentina.

“We’re champions because we showed humility and willingness to sacrifice,” said head coach Sergio Gómez. “Everyone did their part. We had the beautiful responsibility of making history.”

Gómez, who was emotional about winning the title in his mother’s birthplace, has worked for most of his career alongside long-time friend Favio Orsi. He dedicated the victory to the fans.

Orsi recalled his father, who had passed away recently.

“It’s a great feeling, it was very hard getting here,” he said. “I’m a football man because of my dad, I wish I could give him a hug right now.”

Many fans echoed the coach’s words, remembering loved ones who they wished could have been at the stadium to witness the historic title.

“I came [to Santiago del Estero] to fulfil my father’s dream,” an emotional fan told sports outlet Olé. “He passed away two years ago and never saw Platense as champion. I’m fulfilling his dream.”

Argentine football now goes on a six-week hiatus, with clubs like Boca Juniors and River Plate taking part in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The Torneo Clausura, which will bring the season to a close and crown a new champion, starts on July 13.