Boca Juniors claimed the 2026 Liga Profesional annual table title on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Defensa y Justicia at La Bombonera, decided by Enner Valencia's goal in the 50th minute of a match that had six minutes of stoppage time added, according to TyC Sports.
The Ecuadorian forward pounced after Matías Borgogno, the Defensa goalkeeper, failed to hold a cross from Lautaro Blanco on the left. Lautaro Di Lollo's presence unsettled Borgogno, and the defender headed the loose ball into Valencia's path. The Colombian's shot took a slight deflection off Damián Fernández on its way in, TyC Sports reported.
The goal landed while Rosario Central was already celebrating at Arroyito what the club believed would be a second consecutive title. Instead, the result in Buenos Aires handed the championship to Rodolfo Arruabarrena's side.
Why it matters
The annual table rewards consistency across the Argentine top flight's regular season, and Boca had to grind for it. According to TyC Sports, Arruabarrena's team spent much of the match running into a well-organised Defensa defensive block and struggled to create clear chances.
The decisive moment came from a set-piece-style delivery rather than sustained pressure, and it arrived only after referee Sebastián Zunino extended the game. TyC Sports described Borgogno's performance before the error as impeccable, which underlines how narrow the margin was between a Defensa draw and a Boca title.
The outcome also settled a title race that had appeared headed to Rosario. Clarín reported on how the result reshaped the historical count of Argentine football titles, a measure fans of both clubs track closely.
How the final minutes unfolded
Blanco's ball from the left was struck beyond the far post and drifted towards the edge of the six-yard box. Borgogno came out to claim it, but Di Lollo arrived at the same moment and the goalkeeper could not gather the ball cleanly. It fell to Di Lollo, who directed it towards Valencia, and the forward finished from close range with Fernández unable to block it fully.
La Bombonera erupted, and the celebrations continued after the final whistle. TyC Sports reported that Valencia had promised his daughter Analía a goal for her tenth birthday, along with a celebration in the "six seven" style. He delivered both.
A separate flashpoint
The match also produced a second refereeing talking point. Infobae reported that a Miguel Merentiel goal for Boca was disallowed for an offside judged to be marginal, a decision examined closely after the game.
That call did not ultimately cost Boca, but it added to the sense of a night that turned on fine details. Defensa, for its part, left with nothing from a match in which its defensive organisation had frustrated the home side for nearly the entire 90 minutes.
What to watch
Boca now turns its attention to how the club frames the annual table triumph within its season, while Defensa will look to move on from a goalkeeping error that decided a title. The result also leaves Rosario Central to reflect on a championship that slipped away while its own match was still being celebrated.
