Boca Juniors moved closer to a place in the 2027 Copa Libertadores after beating arch-rival River Plate 1-0 at La Bombonera on Sunday. The win secured one of the top three spots in the overall table of the Argentine championship, one of the criteria Argentina uses to qualify teams. It made Boca the 11th club to be confirmed for next year’s tournament.
Eleven teams already through
With the season winding down, the 2027 field is slowly taking shape. Eleven clubs have already qualified, although not all of them are guaranteed a place in the group stage yet. The competition has 28 direct entries to the group stage, with the remaining four spots going through the Pre-Libertadores.
The qualified clubs are Flamengo, Palmeiras, Belgrano, Boca Juniors, Júnior Barranquilla, Independiente del Valle, Olimpia, Alianza Lima, Carabobo, Deportivo Táchira and Metropolitanos. Flamengo, Palmeiras, Belgrano, Júnior, Independiente del Valle, Olimpia, Alianza Lima and Metropolitanos are already placed in the group stage. Boca, Carabobo and Deportivo Táchira have yet to have their entry stage determined.
Boca’s path to the group stage
Boca were knocked out in the first round of the Pre-Libertadores earlier this year, so the club still needs a route into the group stage. It must finish in the top two of the overall table or win one of the titles still being contested in Argentina. Boca have qualified for the playoffs of the Torneo Clausura and reached the semifinals of the Copa Argentina. They are also in the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético-MG, which offers another way into the Libertadores group stage.
Boca became the second Argentine side to qualify, after Belgrano, who won the Torneo Apertura.
Brazil and Argentina battle for extra spots
In Brazil, Flamengo and Palmeiras have mathematically secured group-stage places with five rounds left in the Brasileirão. Flamengo lead the table with 73 points, while Palmeiras have 70, and neither can now lose its spot in the top four. Brazil’s fifth direct place will go to the Copa do Brasil champion. The fifth-placed team in the league and the Copa do Brasil runner-up will enter the Pre-Libertadores.
Argentina have five direct places and one team in the Pre-Libertadores, making them the second-largest contingent behind Brazil, which has five direct places and two in the preliminary stage. The two rivals also have extra places at stake in finals. Besides the Sudamericana final between Boca and Atlético-MG, Palmeiras and Estudiantes are contesting the Libertadores final for their respective countries.
Source: ge.globo.com
