Fernando Cavenaghi

River Plate

Born in O'Brien, Buenos Aires Province, Cavenaghi played for Rivadavia de Chacabuco and Bravado in the regional leagues between the ages of nine and twelve. Cavenaghi made his professional debut for River Plate in the 2000–01 season in which he scored one goal in five appearances. In his first full season he scored 17 goals in 23 appearances, including a hat-trick against Estudiantes.

Spartak Moscow

In July 2004, Cavenaghi moved abroad for the first time, joining Spartak Moscow for a fee of US$12 million, then a record for a Russian team. He failed to adapt to Russian football, and was frozen out of the team following the arrival of manager Vladimir Fedotov in April 2006, whom he publicly criticised for his tactics. He was put up for sale that December.

Girondins de Bordeaux

On 22 January 2007, Cavenaghi was sold to French club Bordeaux. He signed a four-and-a-half-year deal for a €7 million fee. Through an Italian passport earned by his ancestry, he could work freely in the European Union. On 3 February he played his first Ligue 1 match against Nice. In his first season, Bordeaux won the Coupe de la Ligue with a 1–0 win over Lyon in the final, with Cavenaghi an unused substitute. During the 2007–08 season he scored 22 goals in 35 appearances for Bordeaux. In the 2008 Trophée des Champions, Cavenaghi came on as a 70th-minute substitute for Alou Diarra in a goalless draw against Lyon at the Stade Chaban-Delmas. Though both he and David…

In December 2002, manager Hugo Tocalli named Cavenaghi in the Argentina under-20 team for the 2003 South American U-20 Championship in Uruguay. He was top scorer with eight goals – four in each stage – as the Argentines won the title, and scored the only one against Colombia on 28 January to seal the Championship. In October, Cavenaghi was again called up by Tocalli for the squad at the 2003 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. In the last 16 against Egypt in Dubai, he scored both goals, including the golden goal, in a 2–1 victory. He scored a golden goal again in the quarter-finals against the United States in Abu Dhabi. Argentina finished fourth and Cavenaghi was one of four top scorers with four goals apiece, though the Golden Shoe award went to Eddie Johnson of the United States. However, due to not being released by River Plate for the 2004 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament, Cavenaghi would not get any chances with Marcelo Bielsa. He had then the fifth better goal average in River Plate history, very close to Alfredo Di Stéfano, but he missed the 2004 Summer Olympics, won by Bielsa's team. Bielsa resigned soon after the gold medal and Cavenaghi got a first chance in Argentina senior team on 29 December, in a non-official match against Catalonia. José Pekerman, the new Argentina coach, used him as a substitute for Diego Milito. The game was a 3–0 win at the Camp Nou. In March 2008, Cavenaghi's form for Bordeaux earned him a first official call up to the senior…

Cavenaghi is the oldest of four brothers (Marcos, Belén, and Nicolás) to Edgardo Cavenaghi and Mónica Ferrero and has been a River Plate fan since his infancy. Cavenaghi married his wife, Soledad Gaynor, in 2007 and had his first child, Benjamín, on 2 October 2008. Benjamín currently plays in the youth system of Uruguayan club Deportivo Maldonado and was called up in 2024 to represent Uruguay in the under-17 national team. In 2010, Cavenaghi's daughter, Sofie, was born.

River Plate

Argentina Primera Division: 2002 Clausura, 2003 Clausura, 2004 Clausura, 2014 Final Primera B Nacional: 2011–12 Primera B Nacional Copa Sudamericana: 2014 Recopa Sudamericana: 2015 Copa Libertadores: 2015 Internacional

Campeonato Gaúcho: 2011 Bordeaux

Ligue 1: 2008–09 Trophée des Champions: 2008, 2009 Coupe de la Ligue: 2006–07, 2008–09 APOEL

Cypriot First Division: 2015–16 Argentina U20

South American Youth Championship: 2003 Individual

South American U-20 Championship Golden Shoe: 2003 Argentine Primera División top scorer: 2001–02 Clausura Cypriot First Division top scorer: 2015–16