- Eleven days after suffering a muscle tear, Leandro Paredes came off the bench against Vasco da Gama and stepped up as the hero in a breathtaking finale.
- Having returned to the club in July 2025, the ‘Xeneize’ icon capped an unforgettable night by adding another chapter to his personal mythology—a love story with a club that has fresh challenges on the horizon.
There is one night in the career of Juan Román Riquelme, regarded by the vast majority of Boca Juniors supporters as their greatest-ever idol, that immediately comes to mind whenever his devoted followers recall the most emotional moments of his illustrious years in the blue-and-gold No. 10 shirt. That second leg against Libertad in Paraguay in the 2007 CONMEBOL Libertadores Quarter-finals remains one of the most cherished memories of his exploits.
After a draw in the first leg at ‘La Bombonera’, Riquelme started despite having suffered a muscle tear in his right thigh. What followed that afternoon in Asunción was a memorable masterclass, another virtuoso performance from ‘El Torero’, who produced a moment of brilliance 16 minutes into the second half to open the scoring in a 2-0 victory that would take Boca into the Semi-finals and, eventually, to CONMEBOL Libertadores glory.
Nineteen years later, an heir to the ‘Xeneize’ throne delivered a night his supporters will cherish forever, writing an unforgettable chapter in his own mythology. The fans’ adoration for their No. 5 and captain now has a defining moment, one they will revisit in conversations for years to come: the night Leandro Paredes, just eleven days after suffering a muscle tear, settled a CONMEBOL Sudamericana Semi-final against Vasco da Gama in the dying moments at the iconic Maracanã.
Paredes, too, went into a decisive second leg hampered by a muscle tear, with Boca needing to secure their place in the next round away from home. And he, too, found a way to change the course of the tie with his shooting prowess. The boy who had grown up admiring Riquelme fulfilled another dream, living out one of those nights that football-loving children must have imagined countless times: he came off the bench and, just as a penalty shootout seemed inevitable, scored the goal that sent the ‘Xeneize’ into the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final. “I can’t find the words to describe what I’m experiencing, what I’m feeling,” he said after the victory. “I can only thank this entire group of players, who are giving everything they have and more to take this club where it belongs. I also want to thank the medical staff and my family, who have been there for me and know what I live through, what I go through.”
His involvement in the second leg had been a race against time. The injury he suffered against Instituto had threatened to rule him out of the entire tie and forced him to watch the first-leg defeat from the sidelines. But his recovery changed the outlook: he travelled to Rio de Janeiro, came through the final training session before the match and made himself available to Rodolfo Arruabarrena. Paredes’ first victory had been to earn a place among those who could help Boca overturn the deficit.
“We both wanted me to be on the pitch, to be able to play, but we both knew it was a huge risk. It was a risk we were taking, with so few days having passed since the injury. We thought starting on the bench was the best option, and I think it worked out very well,” Paredes reflected after securing a place in the Final.
With Boca leading 2-0, the coach called on him 11 minutes into the second half to replace Rodrigo Battaglia. Goals from Lautaro Di Lollo and Miguel Merentiel had given his team-mates a lead that was enough to take them through, and Paredes came on to help control possession. But Vasco responded to their coach’s half-time changes, and José Luis Rodríguez pulled a goal back to level the aggregate score once more. The Maracanã roared back to life, and the outcome of the tie was again in the balance. Boca needed another goal or would have to stake their place in Barranquilla on a penalty shootout.
Then Paredes, still carrying his injury, seized his moment in the Brazilian night to make history. With time running out, he received the ball outside the penalty area and unleashed a right-footed strike that Léo Jardim could not keep out. The ball went in, and the 3-1 scoreline sparked wild celebrations among the supporters who had followed the team to the iconic Maracanã. Everything surrounding his involvement in the second leg—the injury, the days of recovery, the uncertainty—came together in that celebration. The captain had made it back in time to deliver the decisive blow.
“As for Lea, it has been a difficult week, with everything that must have been said. Obviously, the result perhaps vindicates me, but I don’t think I was wrong either. It was a difficult decision. I felt the second half was the ideal time to bring him on, when the opposition had put in more work and were more tired. The important thing is that he felt no discomfort. I know the effort he made; we’ve spoken a lot. But he is a captain, a leader, and he showed that today, beyond the goal, from the bench and in his day-to-day work,” Arruabarrena said.
In July 2025, a capacity crowd had packed ‘La Bombonera’ to welcome him home. Paredes was returning to the club where he had developed as a player, having built a career in Europe and become a world champion with Argentina. That reception also carried an expectation: to see him deliver in blue and gold on nights like those he had experienced on football’s most demanding stages. Just over a year later, the Maracanã has provided one of the most powerful images of his return.
The biggest challenge still lies ahead. On 21 November, Boca will contest the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final in Barranquilla, seeking to complete their journey towards ‘La Gran Conquista’. On Colombian soil, Paredes will have another opportunity to add to his story with the club. But when supporters look back on the most emotional nights of his career, one will already be among the first they remember: the night he arrived with time against him and found, at the very end, just enough of it to take them to another Final.
