Race for Copas: who gains if spots open up, latest on the battle | OneFootball

River, Boca, Riestra, and Argentinos Juniors are four of the many teams fighting for a spot.

The battle for spots in next year's international cups is heating up in Argentine football. With Platense already qualified for the 2026 Copa Libertadores by winning the Torneo Apertura and Rosario Central joining through the annual table after defeating Sarmiento, the scenario is becoming increasingly competitive.

Initially, 12 Argentine clubs will participate internationally in 2026: six in the Copa Libertadores and six in the Copa Sudamericana. However, there are still spots to be defined, and there is a possibility that more slots may open in the coming weeks.

How the spots for the Libertadores are allocated

Of the six available slots for the Copa Libertadores, two are already secured:

Platense, champion of the Torneo Apertura. Rosario Central, qualified through the annual table.

The remaining four will be determined as follows:

Two through the annual table (the third in that ranking will go to the preliminary phase).

One for the champion of the Torneo Clausura.

One for the winner of the Copa Argentina, which will be Argentinos Juniors or Independiente Rivadavia.

If Bicho de La Paternal wins the Copa Argentina and finishes among the top three in the annual table, it will free up a slot that will benefit another team in the general classification, which in turn will open an additional spot for the Sudamericana.

The case of Independiente Rivadavia and possible combinations

As for Independiente Rivadavia, runner-up of the Copa Argentina, they could only access the Libertadores if Argentinos Juniors also wins the Torneo Clausura. In that scenario, the Clausura slot would be freed, allowing the Mendoza team to enter the continental tournament.

Meanwhile, River, which was eliminated in the Copa Argentina after losing on penalties to Lepra, no longer has chances to access the Libertadores through that route and must aim for the annual table to keep the dream alive.

The asterisks: possible extra slots

Argentina could exceed 12 teams in international cups. If Racing manages to become champion of the 2025 Libertadores or Lanús wins the Sudamericana, both will open new slots for other Argentine teams, raising the total number of qualifiers to 14.

Additionally, Platense, despite its low performance in the annual table (20th), maintains its secured spot by winning the Apertura, as Conmebol prohibits the participation of relegated clubs, but the “Calamar” avoided that situation.

What will be decided in the upcoming matches

With matchday 16 of the Torneo Clausura just around the corner, the picture will start to clear up. By then, there will be three teams qualified for the Libertadores through the annual table, although the scenario will be temporary, as it will depend on the Clausura champion and the playoffs.

The three key points will be:

The third in the annual table will be able to go directly to the group stage.

And a club currently outside the cup zone could enter the Sudamericana if slots are freed.

With so many possible combinations, the final stretch of the 2025 Torneo Clausura promises to be thrilling: every point will count towards achieving the international dream in 2026.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.