Boca Juniors is planning its 2026 pre-season and is evaluating the possibility of playing two friendly matches with fans at La Bombonera in mid-January. This initiative, not yet officially confirmed, is being pushed forward by the leadership headed by Juan Román Riquelme while the team is on vacation following the conclusion of the 2025 Clausura. The return to training is scheduled for January 2nd, and for now, coach Claudio Úbeda appears to be in charge of the preparation, although the club clarified that his continuity as head coach is still under “evaluation.” The pre-season will be held entirely at Boca's facility in Ezeiza. Inside the club, as reported by Noticias Argentinas, the intention is to gain match fitness before the start of the 2026 Apertura, whose debut is scheduled for the weekend of January 25th against Deportivo Riestra. In this context, the idea of playing friendlies at the stadium serves a dual purpose: to arrive in competitive rhythm for the start of the official tournament and to allow fans who usually cannot attend matches due to the filtering system to enter the stadium. While the organization of the preparation is being defined, the leadership is also working on the transfer market and squad building for a year that will have the main challenge of returning to the Copa Libertadores after two seasons of absence. At the same time, the future of some leaders remains open. For example, 36-year-old Ander Herrera is analyzing his continuity after a season marked by injuries that limited him to 17 out of 44 possible matches. The midfielder, whose contract runs until December 2026, is deciding whether to return for the pre-season or retire, while the club awaits his return. A similar situation is faced by Edinson Cavani. The Uruguayan forward also suffered physical problems that reduced his participation to 24 matches during the year and left him out of key commitments.
