Newell’s Old Boys · Rosario
La Hinchada Más Popular
La Hinchada Más Popular is the barra brava of Newell's Old Boys: the 2016 war, the 2021 bunker, the 2025 indictment and the December 2025 arrests.
Illustrative archive photograph. Football ultras · Biso · CC BY 4.0. Framing adapted to the header. This image does not identify the group described.
At a glance
La Hinchada Más Popular in 30 seconds
La Hinchada Más Popular is the name by which, according to Perfil, the barra brava of Newell’s Old Boys presented itself in 2011, distinct from the leproso fan base as a whole. The press records the 2016 war and the control attributed to Los Monos, the armoured bunker found in 2021 under a stand at the Coloso, an internal dispute over the leadership in 2024, the January 2025 indictment of an alleged boss as head of an unlawful association and the arrests reported in December 2025.
- Club
- Newell’s Old Boys
- City
- Rosario
- Stadium
- Coloso del Parque (Marcelo Bielsa)
- Situation
- Indictment of an alleged boss for unlawful association, with no sentence (La Capital, January 2025)
Documented history
La Hinchada Más Popular, Newell's Old Boys' barra brava
La Hinchada Más Popular is the name that Perfil 442 recorded in 2011 as the self-definition of the barra of Newell’s Old Boys. It is not the name of the whole fan base, made up of members and supporters of the Coloso Marcelo Bielsa. The sources describe stages of violence and criminal influence in Rosario, the discovery of a bunker inside the stadium, the relationship with a board under judicial investigation and the situation at the end of 2025.
The name and the 2011 leadership
Perfil 442 (November 2011) wrote that the man in command of the barra was the leader of the group «calling itself “La hinchada más Popular”». According to the same article, the previous leader had been killed in a confusing episode the year before. The piece does not date the group’s founding or explain the origin of the name.
See this section's source ↗2016: the war and the control attributed to Los Monos
Perfil 442 (November 2024), citing Infobae, recalls that in 2016 a war over Newell’s barra left «four dead in three weeks» and that the stand ended up in the hands of Los Monos, a criminal gang from Rosario. This is an attribution by those outlets about a past stage.
See this section's source ↗2021: the armoured bunker at the Coloso
La Nación reported on 28 September 2021 the discovery of an armoured bunker of the barra inside the stadium, which had been used for eight years to store the flags and was pulled down on orders from Santa Fe. La Nación records the phrase «There cannot be spaces governed by the barrabrava in a club». La Capital recalls that a former leader was shot dead in October 2021.
See this section's source ↗2024: an internal dispute with all the leaders in prison
La Capital (5 August 2024) described an internal dispute over the leadership in which all the leaders ended up in prison and, according to the newspaper, all answer to Ariel Máximo «Guille» Cantero, to whom the prosecutors cited by La Capital attribute the running of the barra from Marcos Paz prison. It is an attribution by the prosecution and the press, not a sentence.
See this section's source ↗January 2025: the indictment and the relationship with the board
La Capital (13 January 2025) reported the indictment of Cantero «as head of an unlawful association», according to the prosecutors in the case. The newspaper adds that the file contains conversations between leaders of the paravalanchas, club board members and the president, who testified as a witness and presented himself as a victim of extortion. An indictment is an accusation in the investigation phase and not a conviction.
See this section's source ↗December 2025: arrests and Los Menores
Suma Política (13 December 2025) reported that the person identified as the barra’s leader was arrested on 29 September and that prosecutor Pablo Socca argued that the barra «remains under the control of Los Monos». The same text describes the gang Los Menores as an aspirant to the stand and records the prosecutor’s warning that there will be «a bloody war similar to what happened in Central».
See this section's source ↗Frequently asked questions
Getting to know La Hinchada Más Popular
What is La Hinchada Más Popular?
It is the name by which the barra brava of Newell’s Old Boys presented itself, according to Perfil 442 (2011). It does not designate the club’s whole fan base.
Is the barra the same as Newell’s fan base?
No. The barra is the organised group; the leproso fan base includes thousands of members and supporters with no link to it.
Who leads it?
According to Suma Política (December 2025), the person identified as the leader was arrested on 29 September and, according to a prosecutor, the barra remains under the control of Los Monos. La Capital (2025) attributes the leadership to Ariel Máximo «Guille» Cantero, who has been indicted.
What is Los Monos?
A criminal gang from Rosario that, according to prosecutors cited by La Capital and Suma Política, exercises control over Newell’s barra.
What happened with the bunker at the stadium?
La Nación reported in September 2021 that an armoured bunker of the barra was found under a stand at the Coloso and that Santa Fe ordered it pulled down.
Are there open cases?
Yes. La Capital reported in January 2025 the indictment of Cantero for unlawful association. It is an indictment, with no sentence.
What relationship with the board is attributed to it?
La Capital records that the case file contains conversations between leaders of the paravalanchas and board members and the club’s president, who testified as a witness and presented himself as a victim of extortion.
Where does Newell’s play?
At the Coloso del Parque, officially the Marcelo Bielsa stadium, in Rosario.
Does La Hinchada Más Popular have a declared ideology?
No source consulted records an ideological self-definition of the group. La Capital (2025) documents a relationship with the club’s board that prosecutors are investigating; it is not a political position.
When was Newell’s barra founded?
No press source consulted dates its founding. The first reference to the name is from Perfil 442 (November 2011), which speaks of a group «calling itself» that.
Who is its rival?
Rosario Central, in the Rosario derby. La Nación (2016) reported that Newell’s barrabravas attacked the home of a Central official during a derby, and Perfil 442 (2024) recalls that in 2016 the boss of Central’s barra «arranged» Newell’s barra, after which the stand ended up in the hands of Los Monos.
Where is the barra located at the Coloso?
La Nación (September 2021) found the barra’s bunker under one of the stadium’s stands, which controlled that section; no source consulted names the stand.
What does «La Hinchada Más Popular» mean?
No press source consulted explains the origin of the name; Perfil 442 (2011) only records that the group calls itself that.
Sources
The documents behind this history
Each source keeps its date and scope. Titles appear in their original language. An insider account, an announcement and an official decision document different facts.
- Bernardi se cansó de ser amenazado ↗
442 / Perfil · 11 November 2011
The name «La hinchada más Popular» and the 2011 leadership.
- Quién era "Pillín" Bracamonte, el jefe de la barra de Rosario Central que fue asesinado ↗
442 / Perfil (NA) · 10 November 2024
The 2016 war in Newell’s and the control attributed to Los Monos.
- Escándalo en Newell's: encontraron un búnker blindado de la barra brava dentro del estadio ↗
La Nación · 28 September 2021
Discovery and demolition of the barra’s bunker at the Coloso.
- La barra de Newell's y una interna por la jefatura en la que todos los referentes quedaron presos ↗
La Capital · 5 August 2024
Internal dispute over the leadership and the killing of a former leader in October 2021.
- Barra brava de Newell's: los vínculos por los que la Justicia puso la lupa sobre la dirigencia ↗
La Capital · 13 January 2025
Indictment for unlawful association and the barra’s relationship with the board.
- Las otras "elecciones" en Newell's: ¿quién se queda con la barra brava? ↗
Suma Política · 13 December 2025
Arrests, control attributed to Los Monos and the aspirations of Los Menores.
- Clásico sin paz: incidentes antes y después del duelo entre Central y Newell's ↗
La Nación (DyN agency) · 23 October 2016
Attack by Newell’s barrabravas on the home of a Central official during the derby and stone-throwing by Central fans at police.
Documentary review: 23 October 2026. English edition: 21 October 2026. Editorial team: Mundo Ultras.
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