Boca Juniors has stepped back into the continental arena, reentering the preface to the Libertadores campaign. How does the club stack up at this pivotal juncture?
Expectations are high that Boca will again rank among South America’s four strongest sides in 2023. After a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Racing in the quarterfinals, Jorge Almirón’s squad is chasing another Libertadores final and the elusive seventh title, a triumph that would lift the club above Independiente as the most decorated in the Americas.
Since its birth in 1960, Boca has been a perennial finalist, reaching 11 finals and claiming six trophies while dropping five. Their progress to a clash with Palmeiras marks a twentieth semi final appearance when all competition formats are counted, a tally that places them alongside River Plate and Peñarol in terms of deep runs in the tournament.
The club’s first semi final win came in 1963, when Boca defeated Peñarol, only to be humbled by Pelé’s Santos in the final. They replicated a semi final success in 1965, but fell to Independiente in a three-match series. Although not always counted as semi finals, their 1966 and 1970 campaigns featured second stages with two groups of four, where the winners advanced to the decider.
The late 1970s marked a resurgence. In 1977 the format shifted to two groups of three, and Boca knocked out Deportivo Cali and Libertad before lifting their first Libertadores trophy by beating Cruzeiro. The following year, they repeated that path against River Plate and Atlético Mineiro, defeating Deportivo Cali in the final. In 1979, wins over Independiente and Peñarol were not enough to prevent a final loss to Olimpia.
It took more than a decade for Boca to reemerge among the top four and to reach a pair of semi finals in 1991, when Colo Colo interrupted their run amid a tense atmosphere in Santiago. The club’s golden era began in 2000, as it captured a legendary triumph at the Azteca after defeating America de Mexico, followed by a final victory over Palmeiras. In 2001 the squad earned a title on penalties against Palmeiras again, and the 2003 campaign saw Boca triumph over America de Cali, before reversing a prior edge against Santos. The 2004 season culminated in a historic Superclasico, won on penalties at the Bombonera, yet the club could not replicate the success the following year after a final setback to Once Caldas.
In 2007 Boca lifted another trophy after a semi final victory over Deportivo Cúcuta and then defeating Gremio in the final. A year later, 2008, brought a final loss to Fluminense. The 2012 edition saw Boca down Universidad de Chile under the guidance of Jorge Sampaoli but fall to Corinthians in the final, a heartbreak that stayed with the club for years.
Four years later, in 2016, Boca faced an unexpected defeat against Independiente del Valle but bounced back to win the 2018 edition, defeating Palmeiras and continuing the storied Madrid saga where no revenge could be exacted at the moment of truth. The 2019 campaign brought another semi final exit, this time against River Plate, and the 2020 edition saw Boca unable to overcome Santos in a tightly fought final run.
Across the whole history, Boca has earned 20 appearances in semi finals or the late stages prior to finals. Eleven times they advanced to the final stage, eight times they were eliminated, and the club keeps pressing forward with the aim of defeating Palmeiras in the 2023 Libertadores campaign and adding another chapter to a legendary continental legacy.