Santa Fe heads to the Monumental hoping to repeat the feat that made it champion

One win in 14 tries. That's the weight Santa Fe carries every time it sets foot on Argentine soil in Conmebol competitions, and that number is exactly what makes the upcoming night at Estadio Más Monumental so special. The 'Cardenal' visits River Plate for the second leg of the Sudamericana 2026 round of 16, with the tie for a quarterfinal spot wide open after a scoreless 0-0 draw in the first leg at El Campin.

Does it sound like an impossible task? A bit, if you look at the history. But there's also a story Santa Fe can tell itself before kickoff: the only time it ever won in Argentina, it ended up as continental champion.

The precedent that gives hope

Eleven years ago, in the 2015 Copa Sudamericana, Santa Fe visited Independiente in Avellaneda and came away with a 1-0 win on a goal from Leyvin Balanta. It wasn't just any victory: it was part of the run that carried the club to the title that year, the biggest achievement in its international history. That result remains, to this day, Santa Fe's only win on Argentine soil in Conmebol competition.

The rest of the record leans heavily the other way. Santa Fe has played 14 official matches in Argentina in continental tournaments, going 1-2-11 in wins, draws and losses. The first visit came in the 1967 Copa Libertadores, when the club fell 4-0 to River itself and 4-1 to Racing. Since then, the list of setbacks includes losses to Independiente and Rosario Central in 1972, a 2-0 final defeat to Lanus in the 1996 Copa Conmebol, and later losses to Estudiantes and Velez Sarsfield.

The relationship with River specifically hasn't been kind either: Santa Fe lost 2-1 in the 2016 Recopa Sudamericana and dropped the same 2-1 scoreline again in 2021. Its last visit to Argentina, in 2023, ended in a 1-0 loss to Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata.

There is, however, one more data point that offers some comfort. In 2018, Santa Fe drew 0-0 with River at that very same Monumental, the other occasion the club left Argentine soil unbeaten. Add that match to the 2015 win, and it's just two unbeaten nights in 14 visits.

A tie still up for grabs

The scoreless draw in the first leg leaves everything to be decided tonight. Pablo Repetto's side knows that any win, no matter how narrow, sends it straight into the quarterfinals. Winning in Argentina has been almost the exception for Santa Fe throughout its history, but the last time it happened, the club ended up on top of South America. Eleven years later, the 'Cardenal' is once again dreaming of repeating that feat, this time against River Plate.

The match is set for Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. Colombia time, at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires.