Boca Juniors faced O'Higgins of Chile at La Bombonera in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana playoffs on July 24, 2026.
The match began with O'Higgins close to opening the scoring at the 6-minute mark of the first half. Francisco González shot after a defensive error by Boca, but the ball hit the crossbar.
Boca lined up with Álvaro Montero in goal, Dylan Gorosito, Nicolás Figal, Ayrton Costa and Lautaro Blanco in defense, and Leandro Paredes starting in midfield alongside Sebastián Villa. The referee was Andrés Matonte.
Before the match, the club recognized Paredes for his participation in the World Cup final with the Argentine national team. Juan Román Riquelme said of Villa's return: “Everyone deserves a second chance”.
Coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena said in the preview: “We have to be protagonists in all tournaments. Today's opponent is difficult”. The return leg will be played next week in Rancagua.
