Estudiantes de Río Cuarto
Asociación Atlética Estudiantes, mostly known as Estudiantes de Río Cuarto is an Argentine sports club located in the city of Río Cuarto, Córdoba Province. Although many sports are practised at the club, it is mostly known for its football team, which currently plays in the Argentine Primera División after achieving promotion in 2025.
Apart from football, other sports practised at the club are basketball, field hockey, futsal, tennis, and artistic gymnastics.
History
The club was established on 21 September 1912 by a group of students of "Colegio Nacional nº 1", in the city of Río Cuarto.Estudiantes played at the highest level of Argentine football, Primera División, on 3 consecutive occasions, having qualified to play the Nacional championship in 1983, 1984 and 1985. In its debut season in [1983 Argentina|Argentine Primera División|1983], the team was eliminated after finishing 4th. of 4 teams. In 1984, Estudiantes was eliminated at the first stage, finishing 3rd in their group of 4 teams. The squad also achieved a 2–2 draw against River Plate, winning only one game v. Entre Ríos' Atlético Uruguay.
Estudiantes made their best campaign in Primera in 1985, finishing 2nd in its group and therefore qualifying to the next stage. During the group stage the team faced Boca Juniors, achieving a 1–1 tie in the first match although the Xeneizes then easily defeated them 7–1 in the return fixture. In the 2nd stage Estudiantes would be finally eliminated by San Martín de Tucumán.
Estudiantes had never played in the second division so the team qualified to Torneo Nacional via regional league. In 2019 Estudiantes won the 2018–19 Torneo Federal A championship therefore the squad qualified for the Primera Nacional. Estudiantes made their debut in the second division in 2019–20 but the tournament was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic
After that, Estudiantes lost two consecutive chances to promote to Primera División, both in the same season, 2020 Primera Nacional. The team lost the championship final to Sarmiento de Junín 3–4 on penalties, and the second came in Torneo Reducido, when Estudiantes lost another penalty shoot-out v Platense in search of the second promotion.
After those two failed attempts, finally in November 2025, Estudiantes defeated Deportivo Madryn 3-1 on aggregate and returned to the highest level after 40 years.