Following Boca Juniors' 1-0 defeat to Racing Club de Avellaneda in the Playoff semifinals, River Plate was automatically eliminated from qualifying for the next Copa Libertadores and had to settle for a spot in the second most important tournament organized by CONMEBOL. In this context, the official Copa Sudamericana account made a post to announce the return of the Núñez club to the competition. Buenos Aires, December 7 (NA) – After Boca Juniors' 1-0 loss to Racing Club de Avellaneda in the Playoff semifinals, River Plate lost its chances of qualifying for the next Copa Libertadores de América and confirmed its participation in the 2026 Copa Sudamericana, an unexpected scenario for the Núñez team at the end of the season. As anticipated by the Argentine News Agency, the result at La Bombonera was decisive for the 'Millionaire's' international future, as the team led by Marcelo Gallardo depended on the 'Xeneize's' performance to keep the dream of accessing the continental top tournament alive. While the club's main objective was to compete in the Libertadores again, the Sudamericana now presents a new opportunity for international prominence and to add another title to its extensive showcase. With its participation confirmed, the club will begin planning for the upcoming year with a demanding international calendar and the need to rebuild its squad. 'A champion returns: welcome River to the CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026,' the organization expressed in the post's description, accompanied by an institutional image that highlighted the Argentine team's history in continental competitions. River has been a protagonist in the Sudamericana, a tournament it won in 2014, which later allowed it to compete in the Sudamericana Recopa. The continental competition will be one of the central axes of the 2026 sports project, with the expectation of fighting back for the top spots in South American football.
