The regular season of the Professional League Cup has wrapped up, and the focus now shifts to the play-offs, where the outcomes will shape next year’s landscape.
With the season finished, qualification for the 2024 International Cups will be determined by the combined table. Points from the LPF Cup and the early-year LPF Tournament are added together, but several spots still hinge on the progress of the knockout rounds and the Argentine Cup, which remains unsettled as the playoffs unfold.
WHICH TEAMS QUALIFIED FOR THE LIBERTADORES CUP
Argentina’s premier club competition has already secured several guaranteed berths. River Plate earned their Libertadores spot by winning the LPF tournament, followed by Rosario Central and San Lorenzo, the latter advancing to the preparatory phase.
This is what the ANNUAL TABLE OF THE PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE 2023 looked like
Yet the final configuration can still change depending on the LPF Cup winner. If the champion comes from River Plate or Rosario Central, another team moves up in the annual table, which currently would open a slot for Godoy Cruz, a club already in the quarterfinals. Racing and Belgrano remain in the South American zone, while three teams (Hurricane, Banfield and Platense) have been eliminated from further consideration and could only reach the international stage by capturing the title.
There remains one open spot, allocated by the Argentine Cup, with Defensa y Justicia and Students contesting a spot; the cup loser would settle for the Sudamericana.
THOSE CLASSIFIED FOR THE SOUTH AMERICAN CUP
Even though seven berths have already been decided, only Boca Juniors and Lanús are certain to head for the other half of the glory. The five teams occupying positions 5 through 11 rely on the upcoming two weeks for clarity.
As previously noted, Godoy Cruz (5th) will participate in the decisive round if they fail to become champions or fail to gain an advantage when River Plate or Rosario Central do so; the loser of the Students match (7th) and Defensa y Justicia (9th) will have a consolation shot; Racing (8th) and Belgrano (11th) still dream of the title.
Similarly, the club that will emerge from the Argentine Cup as the favorite is Argentinos Juniors, who surpassed Atlético Tucumán and Platense on goal difference, sitting in 12th place.
Note: The information above reflects the status of qualification as the season progresses and may change with each knockout result.