Where to watch Boca Juniors vs. São Paulo in the 2026 Copa Sudamericana

The Copa Sudamericana quarterfinals begin with one of the tournament’s most appealing matchups: Boca Juniors against São Paulo. The first leg takes place Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. Argentine time at La Bombonera, with Chilean referee Piero Maza in charge. The return will be played one week later at the Morumbi.

Both clubs are South American giants seeking a place in the semifinals. Neither would have chosen the Sudamericana over the Copa Libertadores, but results placed them in this competition, where both remain among the title favorites. The winner of the series will meet the team that advances from Independiente Santa Fe against Vasco da Gama.

Boca reached the last eight by crushing Paraguay’s Recoleta 7-1 on aggregate, winning the first leg 3-1 and the second 4-0. Earlier, Boca eliminated Chile’s O’Higgins on penalties, 4-3, after a 1-1 aggregate draw. The club had played in the Copa Libertadores during the first half of the year, finishing third in its group behind Chile’s Universidad Católica and Brazil’s Cruzeiro and moving into the Sudamericana.

Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s team is in good form despite a disappointing 2-2 draw with Gimnasia in Mendoza on Saturday, which slowed its progress in the Torneo Clausura. Boca has also reached the Copa Argentina quarterfinals, where it will play Vélez.

Arruabarrena will be without injured players Ayrton Costa, Tomás Aranda and Milton Delgado. Facundo “Jagger” Herrera is expected to replace Costa, Alan Velasco remains in the attacking midfield role, and Tomás Belmonte takes over in central midfield. Leandro Paredes returns to the starting lineup after missing the match against Gimnasia, although he has muscle discomfort following a heavy schedule without a break during the 2026 World Cup.

São Paulo has had an uneven Brasileirao campaign and sits 11th with 33 points from nine wins, six draws and 10 losses. In the Sudamericana, it topped Group C with 12 points from three wins and three draws, then beat Bolivia’s Bolívar 4-2 on aggregate. Its squad includes former Boca striker Jonathan Calleri, who captains the Brazilian club.