Overview
- Racing beat Boca Juniors 1-0 at La Bombonera with a goal from Maravilla Martínez, eliminating Boca and closing River Plate’s last route to the 2026 Copa Libertadores.
- River finished fourth in Argentina’s annual table and needed Boca to win the Clausura to free a Libertadores berth, a scenario that ended with Boca’s semifinal exit.
- CONMEBOL Sudamericana’s official account posted a welcome message confirming River’s place in the 2026 edition.
- River’s absence breaks its run of consecutive Libertadores appearances since 2015, with its last miss reported as 2014 after a decade of sustained participation that included titles in 2015 and 2018.
- River will enter the Sudamericana directly in the group stage under the format where group winners go to the round of 16 and runners-up face a playoff against Libertadores third-place teams, while Independiente’s Sudamericana hopes hinge on Racing winning the Clausura.