Racing and Vélez Guarantee Argentine Presence in Copa Libertadores Semifinals

The Copa Libertadores will once again feature an Argentine club in the semifinals. Per TyC Sports, Racing and Vélez advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Peñarol and Fortaleza, and since they will face each other in the next round, one of them is assured a place among the continent’s top four.

This continues a long tradition of Argentine representation in the latter stages of the competition. Since 2010, there have only been two editions without an Argentine semifinalist. In 2010, Estudiantes fell to Internacional in the quarterfinals, while in 2021 River Plate reached that stage but was eliminated by Atlético Mineiro.

The most recent case came last year, when River advanced to the semifinals but lost 3-0 on aggregate to Atlético Mineiro, who would go on to lose the final to Botafogo at the Monumental. That tie included a brace from Deyverson and another goal from Paulinho.

Now, with Racing and Vélez set to clash in the quarterfinals, Argentine football secures a semifinal spot for the fourth consecutive year, underlining its enduring competitiveness in South America’s premier club tournament.