With the first half of 2026 now concluded, Argentine football pauses to assess the performance of its five most decorated institutions. Between early eliminations, footballing crises, and campaigns that fell just short of glory, the overall picture reveals very different realities among the giants of Buenos Aires and Avellaneda.
River Plate: The most consistent despite the final blow
When coldly analyzing the statistics, River Plate stands out as the club with the best performance in this stretch, even if the ending was bitter. Los Millonarios fought on all fronts and reached the grand final of the Torneo Apertura, where they unfortunately suffered defeat. Even so, their international presence remains solid after qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana round of 16, while they also remain alive domestically after reaching the Copa Argentina round of 32.
Boca Juniors and the crisis of eliminations
The other side of the coin is Boca Juniors, who close out a semester that was extremely unfavorable to their ambitions. The club from La Ribera endured an international failure after being eliminated in the Copa Libertadores group stage, which was followed by an early exit in the Torneo Apertura round of 16. The only competition they have left to salvage the year is the Copa Argentina, where they have qualified for the round of 32.
The outlook in Avellaneda and Boedo
Over in Avellaneda, Racing Club advanced to the Apertura quarterfinals and is still alive in the Copa Argentina, but its disappointing elimination in the Copa Sudamericana group stage tarnished the campaign.
Meanwhile, Independiente, with no international competition on its calendar, bowed out in the local tournament round of 16, salvaging only its qualification for the Copa Argentina round of 16.
Finally, San Lorenzo rounds out a forgettable semester: out in the Sudamericana group stage, eliminated in the Apertura round of 16, and clinging only to the round of 32 of the federal competition.
And you, who do you think did better?
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.