Boca Juniors Kicks Off Copa Sudamericana Campaign Against O'Higgins

Buenos Aires, Argentina – Boca Juniors begins its Copa Sudamericana campaign on Thursday, hosting Chile's O'Higgins in the first leg of the Round of 32. The match, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. local time at the iconic La Bombonera stadium, will be officiated by Uruguayan referee Andrés Matonte.

This fixture marks Boca's entry into the tournament after a difficult first semester. The club parted ways with coach Claudio Úbeda and brought in Rodolfo Arruabarrena. Their elimination from the Copa Libertadores in the group stage, finishing third behind Universidad Católica of Chile and Brazil's Cruzeiro, led them to this competition.

Despite a less-than-ideal start to the year, Boca Juniors, a two-time winner of the Copa Sudamericana (2004, 2005), is considered among the favorites. The team welcomes back Leandro Paredes, who rejoined training after participating in the 2026 World Cup with the Argentine national team. Paredes is expected to compete for a starting spot, potentially replacing Milton Delgado, while Dylan Gorosito could feature for the injured Leandro Lozano. New signings Álvaro Montero and Sebastián Villa are also slated to debut.

O'Higgins, managed by Argentine Lucas Bovaglio, finished second in their Copa Sudamericana group behind São Paulo. In Chile's top division, they currently sit tenth. The Chilean squad includes several Argentine players, such as Alan Robledo, Miguel Brizuela, Martín Sarrafiore, Tomás Avilés, and Francisco González.