- Boca Juniors and Atlético Mineiro will meet on 21 November at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia, to decide the CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026 champions.
- It will be their first meeting in 'La Gran Conquista', although the two clubs have previously crossed paths in three other continental competitions, with a history that includes a Final and several memorable knockout ties.
The two finalists of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026 have been confirmed. Boca Juniors and Atlético Mineiro will face each other on Saturday, 21 November, in Barranquilla, Colombia, with both clubs pursuing a title that holds special significance. The 'Xeneize' will be aiming to lift 'La Gran Conquista' for the third time, while the Brazilian side will be seeking their first triumph in the competition.
The two teams reached the Final in contrasting fashion. Boca Juniors eliminated Vasco da Gama after overturning their first-leg defeat in Buenos Aires with a 3-1 victory at the Maracanã, as Leandro Paredes took centre stage on an unforgettable night. Atlético Mineiro, meanwhile, made their three-goal advantage from Belo Horizonte count to overcome Montevideo City Torque, despite suffering a 2-0 defeat in the second leg at the Estadio Centenario.
The Final will bring together two clubs with a rich tradition in South American football, having previously contested decisive encounters in other CONMEBOL competitions. This time, however, there will be something new: the two sides have never faced each other in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
A history of titles and knockout battles
Boca Juniors and Atlético Mineiro have met eight times in official CONMEBOL competitions, with three wins for the Argentine side, one for the Brazilians and four draws. Their previous encounters came in the 1978 and 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores, the 1993 Copa de Oro and the 2000 Copa Mercosur.
Their first meeting took place in the Semi-final Round of the 1978 CONMEBOL Libertadores. Boca, who were defending the title they had won the previous year, won both matches: 2-1 in Belo Horizonte and 3-1 in Buenos Aires. That triumph was one of the key steps on Juan Carlos Lorenzo's side's path to a second consecutive 'La Gloria Eterna' title.
Fifteen years later, the two clubs met again, this time with a trophy at stake. In the 1993 Copa de Oro Final, the first leg ended in a goalless draw in Brazil before Boca secured a 1-0 victory at 'La Bombonera' thanks to a goal from Carlos Mac Allister. It was the first and, to date, only time the two sides had faced each other directly for a continental title.
Atlético Mineiro gained revenge in the quarter-finals of the 2000 Copa Mercosur. The Belo Horizonte side claimed a 2-0 home victory before earning a 2-2 draw in Buenos Aires to progress 4-2 on aggregate.
Their most recent meeting came in the round of 16 of the 2021 CONMEBOL Libertadores. After two goalless draws, the tie was decided by a penalty shootout in Brazil, where Atlético Mineiro prevailed 3-1. It was the second consecutive knockout tie won by the Brazilian side.
The record across their four knockout ties highlights just how evenly matched these clubs have been: two victories for Boca Juniors and two for Atlético Mineiro. In Barranquilla, they will write another chapter in their shared history, once again with a continental title at stake.
Two paths to Barranquilla
Boca Juniors began their 2026 continental campaign in the group stage of the CONMEBOL Libertadores. After defeating Universidad Católica and Barcelona in their opening two matches, the Argentine side collected just one point from their remaining four fixtures and finished third in Group D, behind Cruzeiro and Universidad Católica. Their elimination brought Claudio Úbeda's tenure to an end and ushered in a new era with the return of Rodolfo Arruabarrena, who took charge during the World Cup break.
Boca entered the CONMEBOL Sudamericana in the knockout round play-offs, where they faced O'Higgins. They claimed a 1-0 victory at 'La Bombonera' thanks to a Miguel Merentiel goal, but suffered a defeat by the same scoreline in Chile and needed a penalty shootout to progress, eventually prevailing 4-3. In the round of 16, they produced a more convincing display, defeating Deportivo Recoleta 3-1 in Buenos Aires before cruising to a 4-0 victory in Asunción to complete a 7-1 aggregate triumph, with Santiago Ascacíbar scoring in both legs.
Their next challenge was São Paulo, one of the teams that had finished the group stage unbeaten. Boca secured a narrow first-leg advantage through another Merentiel goal and held on to it in Brazil. Leandro Lozano opened the scoring at the MorumBIS before Domingos Duarte equalised for the hosts, but the 1-1 draw was enough for the 'Xeneize' to advance 2-1 on aggregate and reach the semi-finals.
There, they came up against Vasco da Gama. The Brazilian side claimed a 1-0 victory at La Bombonera through an Adson goal, leaving Boca needing a comeback at the Maracanã. Arruabarrena's team responded with a 3-1 victory: Lautaro Di Lollo opened the scoring, Miguel Merentiel doubled their advantage and, after Puma Rodríguez pulled one back, Leandro Paredes struck the decisive goal in the closing stages. The midfielder had suffered a muscle tear just eleven days earlier but came off the bench to become one of the heroes of their qualification. With a 3-2 aggregate victory, Boca booked their place in Barranquilla.
Atlético Mineiro, meanwhile, began their campaign directly in the group stage of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Eduardo Domínguez's side endured an inconsistent start in Group B, suffering defeats to Academia Puerto Cabello and Cienciano, recording a victory over Juventud and drawing away to the same opponents in Uruguay. However, they responded in their final two matches, beating Cienciano 2-0 and Academia Puerto Cabello 1-0 to finish top of the group with ten points from three wins, one draw and two defeats.
In the round of 16, they eliminated Red Bull Bragantino after securing a 1-0 away victory through a Tomás Cuello goal and drawing 2-2 in Belo Horizonte. The tie ended 3-2 on aggregate, with the Argentine once again playing a decisive role by scoring the goal in stoppage time that secured their progression.
The quarter-finals demanded an even greater comeback. Atlético Mineiro suffered a 2-0 defeat to Santos at the Vila Belmiro and went into the return leg needing to overturn a two-goal deficit. Bernard opened the scoring after just 19 seconds and Reinier struck twice in the first half, but the São Paulo side regained the advantage in the tie before Tomás Cuello made it 4-2 in stoppage time. With the aggregate score level at 4-4, Gabriel Delfim saved three penalties as the 'Galo' prevailed 3-1 in the shootout to reach the semi-finals.
Their final obstacle was Montevideo City Torque, one of the surprise packages of the tournament. In the first leg, Atlético Mineiro established a commanding lead with a 3-0 victory at the Arena MRV, courtesy of goals from Reinier, Bernard and Thiago Borbas. In the return leg, played in the rain at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, the Uruguayan side dominated much of the contest and claimed a 2-0 victory through late goals from Kevin Silva and Gary Kagelmacher, but ran out of time to complete a remarkable comeback. Gabriel Delfim's saves proved crucial as the Brazilian side preserved their 3-2 aggregate advantage and reached their second consecutive 'La Gran Conquista' Final.
For Boca Juniors, the occasion represents an opportunity to reclaim a competition they won in 2004 and 2005 and become the first club to lift the CONMEBOL Sudamericana trophy three times. For Atlético Mineiro, it offers another chance to secure continental silverware after reaching the Finals of the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores and the 2025 CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
On Saturday, 21 November, the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez will host another meeting between two of South American football's most historic clubs. More than three decades after their Copa de Oro Final, Boca Juniors and Atlético Mineiro will once again face each other with a continental title on the line. Only one will be celebrating in Barranquilla.
