Boca Juniors Chase Third Copa Sudamericana Title and Historic Record
Boca Juniors return to the Copa Sudamericana final after 21 years and are just one victory away from becoming the competition's most successful club. The Xeneize will look to repeat their triumphs from 2004 and 2005 and end an international trophy drought that dates back to 2008.
It has been 21 years since Boca Juniors last lifted the Copa Sudamericana. Two decades have passed, bringing changes in managers, players, and even generations of supporters. But one thing remains unchanged: the Xeneize's obsession with winning international trophies.
Now, following a spectacular comeback against Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã, the Argentine giants are back in a continental final with an opportunity to stand alone at the top of the competition's history.
Boca Juniors have won two Copa Sudamericana titles, the same number as LDU Quito, Independiente, Lanús, Athletico Paranaense, and Independiente del Valle.
If they lift the trophy on November 21, they will become the first club to win the competition three times.
But to understand what this opportunity truly means, it is worth revisiting the two finals that established the Argentine side as one of the great protagonists in Copa Sudamericana history.
Copa Sudamericana 2004: Palermo and Tévez Complete Comeback Against Bolívar
Their first triumph came in 2004, when Boca Juniors faced Bolivia's Bolívar in a final that could hardly have started worse.
The Argentine side traveled to La Paz for the first leg and suffered a 1-0 defeat, leaving them needing a victory at La Bombonera to claim the title.
But that Boca team had two forwards capable of changing any match: Martín Palermo and Carlos Tévez.
In the return leg, Jorge Benítez's side came out determined to overturn the deficit and found their heroes in two of their biggest stars.
Palermo opened the scoring before Tévez added the second goal, sending La Bombonera into a frenzy as Boca Juniors celebrated a 2-0 victory and a 2-1 aggregate triumph.
It was the first Copa Sudamericana title in Boca Juniors' history, a trophy that also proved the club could continue conquering South America despite the departures of several key figures from its most successful era.
What nobody imagined was that just one year later, they would be back in the final.
Copa Sudamericana 2005: An Unforgettable and Controversial Final Against Pumas
If the 2004 final was defined by a comeback, the 2005 edition had absolutely everything.
Boca Juniors, now managed by Alfio Basile, faced Pumas UNAM, a Mexican side hoping to secure one of the most important trophies in their history.
The first leg took place at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City and ended in a 1-1 draw.
Rodrigo Palacio gave the Argentine side the lead, but Joaquín Botero equalized to leave the tie wide open ahead of the return leg.
La Bombonera welcomed the second leg with an extraordinary atmosphere.
Martín Palermo once again delivered on a big occasion, opening the scoring for Boca, but Bruno Marioni equalized from the penalty spot to push the final to its limit.
The match ended 1-1, and with the aggregate score tied at 2-2, the champions had to be decided in a penalty shootout.
However, before the shootout, one of the most controversial incidents in the competition's history took place.
Ismael Íñiguez was racing completely clear toward the Boca Juniors goal when Roberto Abbondanzieri rushed off his line and brought down the Mexican player.
The incident sparked outrage among the Pumas players, who demanded that the Argentine goalkeeper be sent off for denying what they believed was an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
But the referee showed only a yellow card.
It was a decision that became one of the most disputed moments of the final, as there were strong arguments that Abbondanzieri should have received a red card, leaving Boca Juniors with ten men.
The goalkeeper remained on the pitch and, to make matters even more frustrating for the Mexican side, went on to become the central figure in the penalty shootout.
And fate had an even bigger role reserved for Pato Abbondanzieri.
After a tense series of penalties, it was the Argentine goalkeeper himself who stepped up to take the decisive kick. Abbondanzieri converted from the spot to seal Boca Juniors' 4-3 shootout victory, sparking wild celebrations at La Bombonera.
The very player who could have been sent off during the match ended up scoring the penalty that delivered the trophy to the Argentine club.
It remains an unforgettable story, particularly for Pumas supporters, who came agonizingly close to winning their first continental title.
With that victory, Boca Juniors secured their second consecutive Copa Sudamericana title and became the competition's first back-to-back champions.
More than two decades later, no other club has managed to repeat the achievement of winning the tournament in consecutive seasons.
Boca Look to End an 18-Year International Trophy Drought
Although Boca Juniors continued to reach major finals in the following years, their last international triumph came in 2008.
One year after winning the 2007 Copa Libertadores, the Argentine side lifted the 2008 Recopa Sudamericana after defeating Arsenal de Sarandí 5-3 on aggregate.
Since then, the club have been unable to lift another international trophy.
An 18-year drought that stands in stark contrast to the remarkable continental history of one of South America's biggest clubs.
The opportunity to end that wait came after a spectacular comeback against Vasco da Gama.
After losing 1-0 at La Bombonera, Boca Juniors traveled to the Maracanã knowing they had to win and delivered a 3-1 victory thanks to goals from Lautaro Di Lollo, Miguel Merentiel, and Leandro Paredes, who scored the decisive goal in the closing minutes.
Now, Rodolfo Arruabarrena's side await the winner of the semifinal between Montevideo City Torque and Atletico Mineiro ahead of the grand final on November 21 in Barranquilla, Colombia.
The Xeneize already know what it means to win this competition, but this time the prize would be even greater.
Because ending a long international trophy drought is not the only thing at stake. Boca Juniors have the opportunity to become the most successful club in Copa Sudamericana history and write another golden chapter in their extraordinary continental legacy.
Key Takeaways From Boca Juniors' Copa Sudamericana Finals
- Boca Juniors won the 2004 Copa Sudamericana after overturning their deficit against Bolívar, with goals from Martín Palermo and Carlos Tévez at La Bombonera.
- In 2005, the Xeneize defeated Pumas UNAM on penalties after a final marked by Roberto Abbondanzieri's controversial challenge on Ismael Íñiguez. Pato himself went on to convert the decisive penalty that secured the championship.
- If they win the 2026 edition, Boca Juniors will become the first three-time Copa Sudamericana champions and end an international trophy drought dating back to their 2008 Recopa Sudamericana triumph.
