- It will be the third title decider between Brazilian and Argentine clubs, after Racing–Cruzeiro in 2024 and Lanús–Atlético Mineiro in 2025.
- Argentine clubs have won five of the previous seven, including the last four; Brazilian sides celebrated in 2008, with Internacional, and in 2012, with São Paulo.
On the night of Tuesday, October 20, Boca did something at the Maracanã that no Argentine club had ever managed in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana: win at that stadium. The 3-1 win over Vasco da Gama, capped by Leandro Paredes' late goal, booked their ticket to Barranquilla and extended a story the tournament is repeating with increasing frequency. On Saturday, November 21, at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Boca and Atlético Mineiro will play the eighth Final between an Argentine club and a Brazilian one, the third in a row, after Racing–Cruzeiro in 2024 and Lanús–Atlético Mineiro in 2025.
The record favors Argentine clubs, who have won five of those seven Finals, including the last four. The first came in 2008, when Internacional won the first leg against Estudiantes in La Plata and completed the title with a 1-1 draw after extra time in the second leg, in Porto Alegre. The other, in 2012, was sealed by São Paulo with a 2-0 win over Tigre at the Morumbi: Lucas Moura scored one goal and set up the other for Osvaldo in his farewell match, before leaving for Paris Saint-Germain. Fourteen years later, Lucas is still at São Paulo, the team Boca knocked out in the Quarterfinals of this edition.
Argentine clubs first made their mark in 2010, when Independiente overturned a 2-0 first-leg defeat in Goiânia back in Avellaneda: they beat Goiás 3-1 and won the decider on penalties. In 2013, Lanús drew 1-1 with Ponte Preta in São Paulo and celebrated at their own stadium with a 2-0 win. And in 2017, Ariel Holan's Independiente won the first leg in Avellaneda and lifted the trophy at the Maracanã after a 1-1 draw with Flamengo.
The streak continued over the last two editions, now with single-match Finals. In 2024, Gustavo Costas' Racing beat Cruzeiro 3-1 in Asunción to close out a campaign in which they had also knocked out Athletico Paranaense and Corinthians: it was their first international title in 36 years. In 2025, at the Defensores del Chaco, Lanús and Atlético Mineiro drew 0-0 after 120 minutes, and the 'Granate' won the shoot-out 5-4 with three saves from Nahuel Losada.
The numbers from recent years back up that trend. According to Opta, before this edition Argentine teams had lost just two of their last 17 matches against Brazilian opposition in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, with seven wins and eight draws, a run that included the last two Finals. And at the Maracanã, Boca ended another streak: Brazilian teams had gone 13 home matches unbeaten against Argentine opponents in the tournament's knockout rounds.
The picture is the reverse of the one in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, where Brazilian clubs have won the last four Finals against Argentine opponents. In 2017, both happened: Grêmio beat Lanús in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Final and Independiente beat Flamengo in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final.
Boca arrive in Barranquilla having knocked out two Brazilian sides along the way, as Racing did in 2024: they beat São Paulo 1-0 at La Bombonera and drew 1-1 at the MorumBIS, and against Vasco da Gama they overturned a 1-0 first-leg defeat with goals from Lautaro Di Lollo, Miguel Merentiel and Paredes. Their two CONMEBOL Sudamericana titles came against opponents from other countries, Bolívar in 2004 and Pumas in 2005, so this will be their first Final in the tournament against a Brazilian club. If they win, they will become the competition's first three-time champions.
For Atlético Mineiro, Argentine opposition has a history of its own. They are the first Brazilian club to play in two consecutive CONMEBOL Sudamericana Finals, and on both occasions they faced an Argentine side. Of their nine previous continental Finals, five came against clubs from that country: they won the 1997 Copa CONMEBOL and the 2014 Recopa, both against Lanús, and lost the 1993 Copa de Oro to Boca, the 1995 Copa CONMEBOL to Rosario Central on penalties, and the 2025 CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
For the second year running, the Belo Horizonte side will also have an Argentine on the bench: Jorge Sampaoli was in charge for the Final in Asunción, and now it will be the turn of Eduardo Domínguez, who knocked Boca out twice in Argentine competitions with Estudiantes.
In Barranquilla, either side can tip the historical balance. If Boca win, Argentine clubs will reach six wins in eight Finals against Brazilian opposition, and Argentina, the most successful country in the tournament with 11 titles, will add a 12th. If Atlético Mineiro win, Brazil will reach six titles and have its first champion since Athletico Paranaense in 2021: Brazilian clubs have lost all four Finals they have played since then. For the 'Galo', it would also be the major South American title still missing from their trophy cabinet.
