Boca Juniors are simply unstoppable. A 4-0 demolition of Defensa y Justicia at the Tomaghello on Thursday night clinched the Xeneize’s playoff berth and lifted them to 27 points — level with Estudiantes at the top of Zona A with a game in hand still to play. The result extended Boca’s unbeaten run to 14 matches across all competitions, the longest active streak in Argentine football. Off the pitch, Liga MX announced its Apertura 2026 format: the tournament starts July 16 — three days before the World Cup final — eliminates the Play-In round, and returns to a direct eight-team Liguilla. Rafa Márquez was confirmed as Mexico’s post-World Cup coach, succeeding Javier Aguirre after the tournament. The final regular-season rounds across Argentina and Mexico begin tonight. As always, The Rio Times delivers comprehensive Latin America coverage.
Thursday Results & News Apr 23, 2026
COMPETITION
RESULT / NEWS
NOTE
Apertura F16
Defensa 0-4 Boca
Giménez, Velasco, +2; Boca 27pts
Zona A standings
Estudiantes 27, Boca 27
Boca have a game in hand
Liga MX (off-field)
Apertura 2026 format revealed
Starts Jul 16; no Play-In; 8-team Liguilla
Mexico NT (off-field)
Rafa Márquez confirmed
Post-WC coach — succeeds Aguirre
Apertura F16 (today)
Boca vs C. Córdoba (pend.)
+ Full Fecha 16 programme Fri-Mon
Brasileirão R13 (Sat)
Palmeiras, Flamengo in action
+ Libertadores MD3 Mon Apr 28
01
Boca Demolish Defensa y Justicia 4-0 to Go Joint-Top of Zona A and Clinch Playoffs
Football
Boca’s extraordinary 2026 continued with a statement 4-0 victory at Defensa y Justicia’s Tomaghello that clinched their Apertura playoff qualification and propelled them to 27 points — level with Estudiantes at the top of Zona A, with a game in hand (vs Central Córdoba) still to play. Claudio Úbeda rotated heavily with the Libertadores trip to Cruzeiro on Monday looming, yet the depth squad produced one of the most comprehensive performances of the Apertura.
Milton Giménez opened the scoring in the first half, firing high over goalkeeper Fiermarin after an incisive Alan Velasco assist. Velasco himself doubled the lead after the break with a clinical finish on the counter, exploiting Defensa’s high line. Two further goals — including Merentiel’s late strike from the bench — completed the rout before 3,000 travelling Boca fans in Florencio Varela. The match was notable for the presence of both sets of supporters, a rarity in Argentine football that produced an atmosphere described by SportsCenter as “an image that should inspire Argentine football.”
Ander Herrera pulled out during the warm-up with a muscular complaint — a precautionary measure ahead of the Cruzeiro match — but the depth of Úbeda’s squad made the absence irrelevant. The result drops Defensa to 19 points and ninth in Zona A — outside the playoff places. Boca’s 14-match unbeaten run (W9 D5) is the longest active streak in Argentine first-division football, spanning the Superclásico victory, the 3-0 Libertadores demolition of Barcelona SC, and now this emphatic domestic display.
KEY STAT: Boca: 27 points, joint Zona A leaders (with Estudiantes), game in hand vs C. Córdoba. 14 unbeaten (W9 D5), 6/6 Libertadores pts, +16 goal difference — the best in the Apertura. The Xeneize travel to Cruzeiro for Libertadores MD3 on Monday.
02
Liga MX Announces Apertura 2026 Format: No Play-In, Eight-Team Liguilla, July 16 Start
Football
Mexican football’s governing assembly approved sweeping changes for the upcoming Apertura 2026 on Thursday. The tournament will begin on July 16 — just three days before the World Cup final on July 19 — in a bold scheduling decision that places Liga MX’s opening fixtures alongside the climax of the world’s biggest sporting event. The Play-In round, introduced in 2023, has been eliminated. The Apertura will return to a direct eight-team Liguilla format, meaning only the top eight regular-season finishers will qualify for the knockout rounds.
The reform addresses widespread criticism that the Play-In diluted the regular season’s stakes and rewarded mediocrity. Under the new structure, every regular-season match carries greater weight — ninth place is elimination, not a second chance. The assembly also approved new governance structures aimed at transparency and competitive balance.
For those tracking Latin American financial news, the Liga MX’s format shift has commercial implications: fewer knockout matches means higher per-game broadcast premiums, and the July start date — designed to capitalise on World Cup attention — positions the Apertura as the first major domestic league to resume after the tournament. The Clausura 2026 Liguilla cuartos de final begin May 2-3, with the current season’s champion crowned before the World Cup kicks off on June 11.
KEY STAT: Liga MX Apertura 2026: starts July 16, eliminates Play-In, returns to 8-team direct Liguilla. The Clausura 2026 Jornada 17 (final round) begins this weekend. Cuartos de final: May 2-3 (ida) and May 9-10 (vuelta).
Latin America Sports Daily for Friday, April 24, 2026. (Photo Internet reproduction)
Boca Juniors 4-0 Defensa y Justicia Apertura Zona A Leaders Liga MX Apertura 2026 Format Rafa Marquez Mexico
Football
03
Rafa Márquez Confirmed as Mexico’s Post-World Cup Coach: The Kaiser Takes the Reins
Football
The Mexican Football Federation confirmed that Rafa Márquez will take charge of the national team after the 2026 World Cup, succeeding Javier Aguirre who will lead Mexico as co-hosts through the tournament. The announcement — made alongside the Apertura format changes — provides clarity on the succession plan that had been the subject of speculation for months.
Márquez, widely regarded as Mexico’s greatest-ever defender, captained the national team in four World Cups and spent seven seasons at Barcelona under Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. His transition into coaching has been measured: he managed Barcelona’s B team and has held assistant roles that prepared him for the top job. The appointment signals a generational shift in Mexican football — from the experienced pragmatism of Aguirre to the technical philosophy of a player formed at the highest European level.
The timing is strategic. With Mexico co-hosting the World Cup, the tournament’s conclusion will produce an unprecedented level of public engagement with the national team. Handing the reins to an iconic figure like Márquez capitalises on that moment. The new Apertura 2026’s July 16 start — three days before the World Cup final — means Márquez’s first competitive window won’t arrive until the FIFA international break in September.
KEY STAT: Rafa Márquez: 147 caps for Mexico, 4 World Cups, 7 seasons at FC Barcelona. He will succeed Javier Aguirre after the 2026 World Cup, with his first competitive matches expected in September 2026. Mexico play in Group A alongside the co-hosts at the World Cup (June 11-July 19).
04
The Weekend Ahead: Apertura Final Round, Liga MX J17, Brasileirão R13, and Libertadores MD3 on Monday
Preview
The most packed weekend of the 2026 Latin American football calendar begins tonight. The Argentine Apertura’s Fecha 16 continues with matches across Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday — including the final regular-season fixtures that will determine the remaining playoff qualifiers. Boca lead Zona A on 27 points alongside Estudiantes, with a game in hand. Monday’s Vélez vs Unión is the Zona A spotlight fixture.
Liga MX’s Jornada 17 — the final round of the Clausura regular season — runs this weekend with the last two Liguilla berths still to be decided. Atlas (23), Tigres (22), Tijuana (22), and León (22) are separated by a single point in the fight for positions 7 and 8. The Brasileirão returns with Rodada 13 on Saturday, with Palmeiras (29 pts) looking to extend their lead and Flamengo (22 pts, game in hand) continuing their five-match winning run.
The week culminates with Copa Libertadores matchday 3 beginning on Monday April 28 — the biggest day of continental football since MD2 concluded two weeks ago. Boca travel to Cruzeiro (Group D), Flamengo host Medellín (Group A), Corinthians visit Peñarol (Group E), and Rivadavia go to La Guaira (Group C). The convergence of all three domestic leagues’ decisive moments with the continental calendar creates unprecedented fixture density.
KEY STAT: This weekend: Apertura F16 (Fri-Mon), Brasileirão R13 (Sat-Sun), Liga MX J17 final round (Fri-Sun). Monday: Libertadores MD3 opens with Boca at Cruzeiro. World Cup: 48 days away.
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