Argentina’s recent glittering success on the international stage has been in sharp contrast to its top clubs’ fortunes. Almost eight years have passed since River Plate beat out arch-rivals Boca Juniors in Madrid to lift the Copa Libertadores, the nation’s last success in the competition, and since then Brazil’s best have dominated.
This season, moreover, is an unusual one. Neither Boca nor River are disputing the Libertadores knockout stages, the first time since 2014 that this has occurred. Perhaps that has its own significance, with that year coinciding with San Lorenzo’s first and to date only Copa title. Now, with not just the Superclásico rivals but all of Argentina’s Big Five missing from the Libertadores last-16, perhaps it is time for another club to step up and put Brazil in its place.
Estudiantes would seem on paper the most likely candidate. The La Plata club boasts four wins in the tournament, a mark that ties it for fourth place in the all-time table alongside River and Flamengo.
Estudiantes have started the second half of the year slowly with three defeats and a win in the Liga Profesional, most recently going down 2-0 to Riestra. But the Pincha’s Copa pedigree makes them a tough side to bet against.
In Tuesday’s last-16 opener they looked to be cruising to victory before a late equaliser from Chile’s Universidad Católica pegged them back; now they will have to do the business in Santiago next week in order to progress to a quarter-final clash against either Rosario Central or Corinthians.
Central’s own campaign against the São Paulo giant kicked off on Thursday, after this column went to press (so apologies if reading this after a 5-0 loss). Jorge Almirón’s men have ranked among the most consistent teams in Argentina for the past year and a half and have the X-Factor in the shape of Ángel Di María, for whom the Libertadores is one of the few major titles he is yet to lift in his dazzling career.
Almirón too has been the distance internationally, taking Lanús all the way to the final against Gremio in 2017. The Canalla have never won the Libertadores and, with their legendary winger and captain in tow, will be going all out for glory in 2026.
Or perhaps a real Cinderella story is in store. We have not had a legitimate surprise winner since 2016, when Colombia’s Atlético Nacional fought through, and Argentina’s last two participants to be mentioned certainly fit that category. Platense, playing their first Copa by virtue of winning the 2025 Apertura, and fellow debutants, Copa Argentina holders Independiente Rivadavia, caused a stir by strolling through the group stage against far more distinguished opposition.
The Mendoza team went unbeaten and inflicted a famous Maracanazo win over Fluminense, and followed that up by drawing against the same opponent on the same hallowed turf on Tuesday to give themselves a great chance to advance to the quarters.
Platense, meanwhile, were unfortunate to see Coquimbo Unido snatch a 1-1 draw with almost the last kick of the game after dominating, but the dream very much lives on. As it does for all of Argentina’s remaining participants, our best chance of breaking the Brazilian stranglehold once and for all.
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