Clausura 2026 Round of 16 Bracket Set: River to Face Lanus, Final in La Plata

The round of 16 for the Torneo Clausura 2026 was defined on Sunday after Lanus drew 1-1 with Central Cordoba at the Madre de Ciudades stadium in Santiago del Estero. The result confirmed River Plate as Lanus's opponent in the next phase.

Central Cordoba took the lead in the 30th minute when defender Tomas Guidara scored an own goal. Eduardo Salvio equalized for Lanus ten minutes later following a play started by Marcelino Moreno.

“The only possibility of having a Superclasico is in a hypothetical final.”

The draw leaves Lanus in fifth place in zone A, while Central Cordoba finished last in the group and has now gone twelve matches without a win. The playoff matches will be single-leg fixtures hosted by the team with the better regular-phase standing.

If a match ends in a draw, two 15-minute extra-time periods will be played, followed by a penalty shootout if the tie persists. This same system will apply to the quarterfinals and semifinals.

The final is scheduled for Saturday, December 12, at the Estadio Unico Diego Armando Maradona in La Plata. The champion will qualify for the Copa Libertadores and the Trofeo de Campeones.

The bracket includes matchups such as Boca Juniors versus Independiente Rivadavia and Rosario Central versus Gimnasia Mendoza. A potential Superclasico can only occur in the final, while a Rosario derby is possible in the semifinals.