Buenos Aires, November 22 (NA) — Barracas Central achieved its first international qualification, and next year it will play in the Copa Sudamericana thanks to Lanús's Copa Sudamericana title. According to the Argentine News Agency, the 'Granate's' coronation after defeating Atlético Mineiro 5-4 on penalties at the Defensores del Chaco stadium freed up a spot in the annual classification, which changed the fight for continental tournament berths and allowed the 'Guapo' to write a historic page. Rubén Insua's team was in tenth place, so the champion's jump to the Libertadores automatically opened a place in the Sudamericana, as Lanús was in eighth place. Another indirect beneficiary is Independiente. Although the situation is difficult for them, the 'Granate's' international title keeps that hope alive. Lanús's title not only meant joy for its people but also quietly reconfigured the map of Argentine football for the upcoming season, confirming that no title is celebrated in solitude: it always leaves sporting consequences that affect the entire local ecosystem. After being eliminated from the Torneo Clausura and finishing eleventh in the annual table, 'Rojo' needs one of the teams that overtook them in the overall standings to be crowned champion to free up a berth for the 2026 Sudamericana edition. Lanús's title brings it one step closer to that goal, and the outlook is favorable: all top 10 teams are still in the playoffs. In a more complex but still possible scenario appears River. The 'Millonario' dreams of qualifying for the 2026 Libertadores and, facing an uphill Clausura, it also counts on the freed-up spots. To reach the playoff for the top continental tournament without winning the local title, River would have to depend on Lanús winning again—this time in the domestic league—and thus enable a new spot.
