- They share Group D of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores alongside Universidad Católica of Chile and Barcelona of Ecuador.
- They first met in the 1977 edition—the first continental title won by Boca—decided on penalties.
The first time Boca Juniors and Cruzeiro Esporte Clube faced each other was not, in fact, a single match: it happened three times, in none other than a final—the 1977 CONMEBOL Libertadores. After Boca’s 1–0 win at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires and Cruzeiro’s 1–0 victory at the Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, the decisive third match was played on September 14 of that year at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. Boca prevailed on penalties (5–4), thanks to Hugo Gatti’s memorable save against Vanderlei, securing the first of its six titles (1977–78, 2000–01, 2003, and 2007). Three of those (1977, 2000, and 2001) were won via penalty shootouts.
Now, Boca and Cruzeiro will meet again in Group D of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, which also includes Universidad Católica of Chile and Barcelona of Ecuador. The most recent meeting dates back to the Round of 16 of the 2024 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, when Boca won 1–0 at home in the first leg, lost 2–1 in the return leg after playing the full 90 minutes with ten men due to Luis Advíncula’s early red card, and was eliminated in another dramatic penalty shootout (5–4). Cruzeiro’s goalkeeper that night was Cássio, who secured his third elimination of Boca (the previous two coming with Corinthians). Cássio remains at Cruzeiro but will miss the 2026 edition due to a multi-ligament injury in his left knee.
Following the 1977 CONMEBOL Libertadores final, Boca and Cruzeiro—almost as if by destiny—met again in another final, the 1992 Supercopa Masters. Boca were crowned champions after a 2–1 victory at Vélez’s stadium.
In the 1994 CONMEBOL Libertadores, the Argentine and Brazilian sides once again shared a group. Cruzeiro first won at La Bombonera (1–2) and then at the Mineirão (2–1). Boca, finishing last, were eliminated (Cruzeiro would later fall in the Round of 16 to Unión Española of Chile). However, what remained etched in memory was the performance of a 17-year-old Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima in the match in Belo Horizonte (scoring the 2–1 winner).
As Carlos Mac Allister, Boca’s left-back that day, later recounted, Ronaldo spent the entire match asking him to trocar camisetinha—that is, to swap shirts. At the end of the game, frustrated by the defeat, Mac Allister refused to give his shirt to the future O Fenômeno.
The encounters between Boca and Cruzeiro continued in the 1996 Supercopa (quarterfinals, with the Brazilian side advancing on penalties); the 1997 Supercopa (first round, one home win each); the 2008 CONMEBOL Libertadores (two 2–1 wins for Boca and qualification to the quarterfinals); and the 2018 CONMEBOL Libertadores (a 2–0 win for Boca in Argentina, a 1–1 draw in Brazil, and progression to the semifinals). With 16 matches in their history, the balance tilts slightly in Boca’s favor, with seven wins, four draws, and five victories for the Brazilian side. But everything remains to be seen.
Boca and Cruzeiro—champions of the CONMEBOL Libertadores in 1976 and 1997—already know that the final of the current edition will be played on November 28 in Montevideo, the Uruguayan capital that once hosted them in a black-and-white decider. In 2026, Boca and Cruzeiro will bring their traditional colors to the stage from the very beginning.
