Boca Juniors advances to Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals, will face Sao Paulo

With Recoleta already on their knees heading into the second leg, the round of 16 tie had essentially been decided before it even started. Boca Juniors sealed its ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana with a 7-1 aggregate score against the Bolivian club, a margin that leaves no doubt about who controlled the tie from start to finish.

The Xeneize arrived at this round after finishing among the top teams in its group during the initial phase, which allowed it to jump straight to the round of 16 without having to go through the playoff round that the teams who finished second were forced to play. That format, built around six group stage matches as the starting point, shaped the bracket of sixteen teams battling for a spot among the continent's best eight.

On the other side of the bracket that now opens up in the quarterfinals is Sao Paulo, which turned in a performance almost identical to Boca's. The Tricolor paulista eliminated Bolivar with a 4-2 aggregate score, leaning on home field advantage to tip the balance in its favor. It was not a series full of scares: the Brazilian side managed the lead well and avoided any last minute frights against an opponent that, at altitude, always makes things difficult.

A matchup with history between Argentina and Brazil

The fact that Boca and Sao Paulo meet in the quarterfinals is no small thing for fans of either club: these are two of South America's most decorated institutions, and matchups like this tend to stick in the memory. Both arrive with momentum after settling their respective round of 16 ties without much trouble on aggregate, though as anyone who follows the Sudamericana knows well, that guarantees nothing in a round where a single mistake can turn everything upside down.

Boca delivered a resounding rout that speaks to a clear gap in quality over Recoleta across the two matches. Sao Paulo, for its part, had to work a bit harder to shake off Bolivar, but the final result was just as emphatic. Now both sides are gearing up for a clash that promises to be among the most attractive of this stage, with a semifinal matchup waiting as the reward for whoever manages to advance.

With these two names already confirmed, the 2026 Copa Sudamericana is starting to reveal what lies ahead. Other quarterfinalists have yet to be determined, but the Boca-Sao Paulo tie is already shaping up as one of the marquee matchups of the round, given the prestige of both clubs and what it would mean for their fans to get one step closer to the final.