Ángel Labruna

River Plate's all-time top scorer and La Máquina legend.

Ángel Amadeo Labruna (28 September 1918 – 19 September 1983) was an Argentine footballer and coach who played as a forward. With 323 goals scored in official matches, which include 295 league goals, Labruna is the all-time top scorer of Primera División. Labruna was also part of the celebrated River Plate offense, nicknamed La Máquina (The Machine), and he was considered one of the best South-American footballers of his generation.

Quick Facts

Full name: Ángel Amadeo Labruna
Born: 28 September 1918
Birthplace: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died: 19 September 1983
Height: 1.71 m / 5 ft 7 in
Position: Forward
Total caps: 537
Total goals: 300

Lore & Background

Labruna was born on 28 September 1918 at the Palermo barrio in Buenos Aires. His father, Ángelo, was an Italian immigrant from Avellino. Labruna was the secondborn child, growing up with his older sister Nélida and younger brother Eduardo Fernando. He played in the sixth division of Club Barrio Parque from age 12 to 14 as captain.

After a talk with vice-president Antonio Liberti, River Plate's sixth division was founded and all Club Barrio Parque players switched to River Plate. Labruna officially signed in 1932, playing as an inside-right. He debuted unofficially in an exhibition game on 25 May 1937. He scored his first goal with the first-team in an exhibition against Talleres de Córdoba on 12 October 1938, in the 80th minute.

Labruna made his Primera División debut on 18 June 1939 as a replacement for José Manuel Moreno. He played for River Plate for 20 years, winning 9 domestic championships (1941, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1957) and being top scorer twice (1943 with 23 goals, 1945 with 25). He was part of La Máquina along with Muñoz, Moreno, Pedernera, and Loustau. He holds the record of 16 goals in the superclásico derby.

He left River Plate in 1959, having played 515 matches and scoring 317 goals, including 293 in the Argentine first division, making him the competition's all-time highest goalscorer along with Arsenio Erico. At age 41 years and 14 days, he became the oldest-ever outfield player in Primera División. He later played for Chilean C.S.D. Rangers, Uruguayan Rampla Juniors, and Platense. He played 37 matches for Argentina, scoring 17 goals, winning two South American Championships (1946 and 1955), and played in the 1958 FIFA World Cup.

As a coach, he won the Nacional 1971 with Rosario Central and multiple titles with River Plate, including Metropolitano 1975 and Nacional 1975, breaking an 18-year title drought. He died on 19 September 1983 from a heart attack at age 64, buried at La Chacarita Cemetery.

Reader's Guide

Labruna's first goal for River Plate's first-team is documented in the source as occurring on 12 October 1938 in an exhibition match against Talleres de Córdoba, scored in the 80th minute. For accurate reference, rely on the source's account of his debut and first goal in exhibition play.

Did You Know?

He was part of the legendary River Plate forward line La Máquina, which played only 18 games together.
Labruna's father signed him up for a River Plate membership in November 1928 to improve his physique through gymnastics.
He chose association football over basketball because there was no available position in basketball.
A 6.7-metre bronze statue of Labruna was unveiled outside River Plate’s Monumental stadium in 2021.