Heres why River fans might be cheering for their Boca rivals this weekend

Argentine footballing giants River Plate are notorious for their rivalry with Boca Juniors. But they could find themselves cheering the Xeneize on in the 2025 Torneo Clausura final, after a technicality involving how teams reach the Copa Libertadores means they can only make it into next year’s tournament if Boca win. River, under coach Marcelo Gallardo, is coming off a poor season by their standards. They didn’t make the top three of the annual table or win any of the titles they competed for. That means the only way they can get into the 2026 Copa Libertadores is if one of the teams that already has a spot wins the Clausura title.  Teams that qualify for the Copa Libertadores by winning a title give their spot to the next team down in the annual table. The Millionario sits just outside the Copa Libertadores qualification spots in fourth. The only team that could free up that space for River is Boca. Boca will play in the semifinals over the weekend, although the exact time has yet to be announced. They will face either Racing or Tigre, depending on the outcome of those teams’ matchup on Monday at 9:30 p.m.  It won’t be ideal for River either way. Qualifying with the third annual table spot only grants access to the Copa Libertadores group stage playoffs, meaning they’d have to fight their way through a mini knockout tournament to reach the Libertadores proper. That’s easier said than done, as Boca themselves can attest. Earlier this year, they were eliminated from the playoffs after losing to Peru’s Alianza Lima in a penalty shoot out.  It comes at a difficult time for River and its fans. On Friday the club bid farewell to six of the squad’s players, four of whom were part of the squad that won the 2018 Copa Libertadores against Boca in Madrid. “River Plate thanks you for all your effort, commitment, and professionalism in defending our colors and wishes you the best in your future endeavors,” the club wrote on its official website. It also tweeted a series of photos and videos to pay tribute to the players.