Leandro Paredes Seeks His First International Title with Boca Juniors
A World Cup winner and one of Boca Juniors' biggest stars, Leandro Paredes has one major ambition left: lifting an international trophy with the club where his career began.
Leandro Paredes has won the World Cup, conquered South America with Argentina and collected trophies across Europe. But there is one achievement still missing from his career: winning an international title with Boca Juniors, the club where his professional journey began.
The Argentine midfielder will have that opportunity when Boca Juniors faces Atlético Mineiro in the 2026 Copa Sudamericana final. It will be a particularly meaningful occasion for Paredes, who returned to Argentina in 2025 after more than a decade playing in European football.
At 32, the World Cup winner is one of Boca's most influential players and has already helped the club reach another continental final. Now he has the chance to add a different kind of achievement to an already impressive career.
From Boca Juniors Prospect to World Cup Champion
Paredes made his professional debut with Boca Juniors in 2010, at just 16 years old. During his first spell with the club, he won the 2011 Apertura championship and the 2012 Copa Argentina, before leaving Argentine football to continue his development in Europe.
His career took him through Italian football, Russia and France, with spells at Roma, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. He enjoyed particular success at PSG, where he won several domestic titles and established himself as a regular member of Argentina's national team.
His greatest achievement came at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where Argentina defeated France in the final. Paredes also won the Copa América in 2021 and 2024, becoming part of one of the most successful generations in Argentine football history.
Despite all those accomplishments, winning a continental trophy with Boca remained an ambition he had never fulfilled. His return to La Bombonera in July 2025 gave him the opportunity to pursue it.
The Goal That Sent Boca Juniors to the Final
Paredes has already played a decisive role in Boca Juniors' journey to the 2026 Copa Sudamericana final, producing one of the most important moments of the club's campaign.
In the semifinal second leg against Vasco da Gama, Boca arrived at the Maracanã needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit from the first match. The Argentine side took control with goals from Lautaro Di Lollo and Miguel Merentiel, but Vasco's second-half response threatened to send the tie to penalties.
Paredes, who had been recovering from a muscle injury, entered the match in the 57th minute. With just two minutes remaining in regulation time, he unleashed a long-range strike to seal a 3-1 victory and a 3-2 aggregate triumph.
The goal sent Boca into the final and underlined the importance of a player who had returned to the club hoping to deliver precisely these kinds of moments.
His contribution has been particularly significant in a season that has already seen Boca celebrate a domestic championship. But the continental prize would carry an entirely different historical significance.
A Chance to End Boca Juniors' International Title Drought
Boca Juniors will face Atlético Mineiro on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia, with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 PM ET.
The Argentine club is chasing its third Copa Sudamericana title, having previously won the competition in 2004 and 2005. It is also looking to end an 18-year wait for another international trophy.
For Paredes, the final represents the opportunity to achieve something he could not during his first spell at Boca. He has already lifted some of football's most prestigious trophies with Argentina, but a continental title wearing Boca's blue and gold would add another special chapter to his career.
Atlético Mineiro, meanwhile, arrives determined to win its first Copa Sudamericana after losing the 2025 final to Lanús on penalties. With both clubs chasing a long-awaited triumph, the stakes could hardly be higher.
Paredes returned to Boca Juniors as a World Cup champion. Now he has the chance to become a continental champion with the club that launched his career.
Leandro Paredes' Biggest Achievements
- With Argentina: FIFA World Cup champion in 2022 and Copa América winner in 2021 and 2024.
- With Boca Juniors: Winner of the 2011 Apertura, 2012 Copa Argentina and 2026 domestic championship.
- 2026 Copa Sudamericana: Seeking his first international club title with Boca Juniors against Atlético Mineiro.
