The defeat of River Plate against Racing for the round of 16 of the Closing Tournament in it Avellaneda Cylinder, eliminated one of the remaining chances for the team led by Marcelo Gallardo in order to qualify for Copa Libertadores 2026. It was the only one where he depended on himself.
It was a vibrant match played this Monday: the Academy took the lead with both Santiago Solari. The Millionaire he turned it around with the goals of Ian Subiabre and Juan Fernando Quinterobut the set of Gustavo Costas tied thanks to the goal against Lucas Martínez Quarta. AND, Gaston Martirenaat the end, unleashed the delirium of the local public.
By not being able to be champion, the Band left its luck tied to three other teams to obtain a ticket for the previous phase of the international tournament: it will achieve it if a place is released in the annual table, where River Plate finished in fourth place. Therefore, you will have to wait for the champion of the Clausura Tournament be Boca Juniors either Argentinos Juniors to have access to the repechage position granted by the Libertadores Cup.
But the whole of Doll has a third possibility. With the recent conquest of Lanús in South America He added one more combination in his favor: if he Garnet he is the Clausura champion, he will free up a place in the Annual Table that will fall to Núñez’s team.
Article 27.10 of the Professional League Regulations states: “If an Argentine team is the Champion of the Copa Conmebol Sudamericana 2025, it will obtain an additional place in the Copa Conmebol Libertadores 2026. If this winning team of the Copa Conmebol Sudamericana 2025 already occupies one of the qualifying positions provided for in articles 27.1., 27.2., 27.4., 27.5. or 27.6., Its place will be occupied by the next best-placed team in the General Table of Positions 2025 (article 24), as appropriate (River Plate), producing the rearrangement of Positions in the places of the Copa Conmebol Libertadores 2026 in accordance with the regulations referred to here, until covering all of them (including the Copa Conmebol Libertadores 2026 and Sudamericana 2026)“.
The team of Gallant had already seen other qualification avenues closed after being eliminated from the Libertadores Cup by Palmeiras and the Argentine Cup for Independent Rivadavia. For this reason, the annual table had become the last hope for the Núñez club. If you don’t achieve the goal, River Plate will have to settle for competing in the next edition of the South American Cupan outcome that would mark the end of an adverse year for the institution.
River Plate was champion of the Libertadores Cup on four occasions: 1986, 1996, 2015 and 2018, the last two under the technical leadership of Gallardo. Seven years ago the coronation came with the added value of beating Boca Juniors in the final in the remembered match played in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadiumin Madrid.
Being able to be present in the future Libertadores Cup It represents a sporting challenge due to the prestige of the event, but also an economic objective. If you don’t get it for the first time in twelve years River Plate will not play in the continent’s main club tournament.
