Javier Pedro Saviola (born December 11, 1981 in Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentine football player.

He made his debut for Argentine side River Plate at the age of 16, and went on to be a prolific goalscorer and develop a reputation as a phenomenal prospect.

Saviola starred in the World Youth Cup in 2001, held in and won by his homeland. He proved his status by being top scorer and being voted player of the tournament. The same summer, he moved on to FC Barcelona where he had two irregular seasons, as coaches (Louis Van Gaal and later Frank Rijkaard) were not convinced, and did not allow Saviola to become a staple of the team.

In the summer of 2004, Saviola was transferred, on loan, to AS Monaco FC of the French league.

Under coach Marcelo Bielsa , Saviola had few playing opportunities for the Argentine national team, but with Bielsa's resignation in 2004, coach José Pekerman announced he will be employing Saviola much more.