Merentiel plays through 102-degree fever, scores winner as Boca edges São Paulo in Sudamericana quarterfinal

Running a temperature of 102 degrees and with his voice half broken, Miguel Merentiel took the field anyway. That decision ended up deciding an entire match. The Uruguayan struck in the 52nd minute to score the only goal of Wednesday's clash at La Bombonera, where Boca Juniors beat São Paulo 1-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana.

The story grabbed attention the moment the final whistle blew. Merentiel, who had missed training sessions with flu symptoms, was not only in the starting lineup but became the hero of the night. Asked about it by ESPN, he had no trouble admitting he had played sick: "Yeah. I didn't want to miss it. You always have to be there, you have to be available for the coach," he said, still catching his breath after the match.

For the forward, the fever seemed like a minor detail compared to the chance to play a continental quarterfinal at home. That goal also leaves Boca with a slim but hugely valuable advantage heading into the second leg in Brazil. Merentiel himself was clear about what's ahead: "I'm happy with the win, but we know it's going to be a tough game over there and we need to show up and give everything," he said, already looking ahead to the clash at the Morumbí.

Wearing the lead like a badge

The Uruguayan held nothing back when assessing what this result means. "Going in with a lead is always huge. We're going to fight and try to lock up the qualification," he stressed, well aware that a 1-0 scoreline is never a fully comfortable cushion, but it's one Boca will look to manage carefully in Brazil.

Going in with a lead is always huge. We're going to fight and try to lock up the qualificationMiguel Merentiel

The most striking moment came at the end of the interview. When reporter Diego Monroig asked him directly whether he was feeling okay health-wise, beyond the goal and the win, Merentiel was honest: he said he was fine, but quickly admitted the fever was still affecting him. "I can't really talk well," he admitted, almost by way of explaining why his voice sounded different than usual in the mixed zone.

That contrast, the same player who had just decided a Copa Sudamericana match confessing seconds later that he could barely get the words out, ended up being the lasting image fans took from Boca's win. The second leg will be played at the Morumbí, and Boca will arrive with the slim advantage Merentiel valued so highly, though well aware there will be no room to relax in Brazil.