Copa Sudamericana 2026 Nears Quarterfinals as Boca Juniors Advance

The Copa Sudamericana 2026 is rapidly approaching its quarterfinal stage, with the majority of Round of 16 second-leg matches scheduled for this week. An exception is the series between River Plate and Independiente Santa Fe, which was postponed by a week due to an earthquake that affected Colombia. This delay highlights the impact of natural disasters on sporting events.

Boca Juniors decisively advanced, defeating Recoleta of Paraguay with a commanding 7-1 aggregate score. They secured victories both at home (3-1) and away (4-1). Boca's next opponent will be the winner of the match between Bolívar and San Pablo, whose second leg is scheduled for Tuesday in Brazil. This sets up an intriguing potential clash in the next round.

Another quarterfinal pairing in the upper half of the bracket will feature the winner of the River Plate vs. Independiente Santa Fe series against the victor of Vasco Da Gama vs. Olimpia of Paraguay. The River Plate and Santa Fe match begins this Wednesday, having been rescheduled from last week due to the Colombian earthquake. Meanwhile, in the lower half of the draw, Bragantino will face Atlético Mineiro, who holds a narrow 1-0 lead from the first leg. Santos also has an advantage, leading Macará of Ecuador 2-1 after their initial encounter.

Further matchups include Tigre visiting Montevideo City Torque after a 1-0 home loss in the first leg, and Cienciano traveling to Rio de Janeiro to play Botafogo, facing a significant deficit from a 6-1 first-leg defeat. The tournament continues to unfold with several teams vying for a spot in the later stages.