Boca looks to rediscover its continental edge against São Paulo in the Sudamericana quarterfinals

There was a time when facing Boca on a cup night was bad news for any South American opponent. That team that squeezed you on the road, that found a way to get results when there seemed to be no margin for it, has gradually faded from view in recent years. Now, with the Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals against São Paulo right around the corner, the old question resurfaces: does Boca still have any of that mystique it once carried?

Three finals, no titles

The track record isn't encouraging if you look at it coldly. Boca came within a step of continental glory on three recent occasions: the 2012 Libertadores final against Corinthians, the 2018 decider against River, and the 2023 final against Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro. Three tough blows, sure, but they at least confirmed something: the club was still among the continent's leading contenders, standing toe to toe with the giants.

What followed was different. In 2024, Boca didn't even play the Libertadores and was eliminated by Cruzeiro on penalties in the Sudamericana round of 16. In 2025 came one of the hardest blows to swallow: a loss to Alianza Lima in the Libertadores qualifying stage, knocked out before even reaching the group stage. And back in that same round in 2026, sharing a group with Barcelona of Ecuador, Cruzeiro and Universidad Católica of Chile, Boca again failed to make it into the top eight.

A present that's starting to show signs of life

In the domestic league, Arruabarrena's team is coming off a 1-0 win over Lanús and a bittersweet 2-2 draw against Gimnasia de Mendoza, a match it had won before letting it slip late. Nothing to celebrate, but not a crisis either. Where there was something worth holding onto was in the Copa Argentina: Boca eliminated Vélez on penalties to advance to the quarterfinals, a series that demanded composure right at the decisive moment, something that hasn't always been abundant lately.

That ability to hold steady in a tense one-on-one situation might turn out to be more than just a footnote. Because what's coming now demands exactly that: surgical composure in high-stakes moments.

São Paulo, a chance to rebuild something

The next obstacle is São Paulo. The first leg of the quarterfinals is set for this Tuesday, at 9:30 p.m., at La Bombonera, with the return leg later in Brazil. It's a demanding series, no doubt, but also the perfect stage to measure how much is left of that team once feared across the continent.

The club's last international title was the 2008 Recopa Sudamericana, following the Libertadores it won the year before. Since then, nearly two decades have passed without lifting a continental trophy. That's why this Sudamericana run is more than just another opportunity: it's a chance to recover something Boca hasn't shown on the road in a long time, that blend of confidence and stature that once made it different whenever a visiting team walked through the door.