Belgrano, led by Ricardo Zielinski, is the champion of the 2026 Apertura Tournament. In a closely contested final, the Pirata turned the match around against the Millonario and won 3-2 at the Mario Alberto Kempes, earning their first star in the top tier of Argentine football.
The great definition would start with a more committed Pirata than their rival. In the opening moments, they would have three clear chances: a shot from Juan Velázquez that would hit the outside of the net of Santiago Beltrán's goal, who would then save a dangerous header from Lucas Passerini at the edge of the small area and would see a good shot from Lucas Zelarayán go past his right post.
Although the Núñez club would manage to settle down after the initial onslaught from the Córdoba team, Zielinski's side remained closer to making it 1-0 in the afternoon, although it would ultimately be the Chacho's team that would take the lead first. At 17, Marcos Acuña would receive the ball on the left wing and pass it to Tomás Galván, who would see his marker Emiliano Rigoni slip by and assist Facundo Colidio, who would only have to push it in.
Belgrano would quickly seek the equalizer and would find it shortly after. At 25, Zelarayán would take a corner that Leonardo Morales would win in the air and beat Beltrán, marking his first goal with the club and making it 1-1.
After a frantic start, the actions would cool down and the match would enter a tense calm until the end of the first half. In the second half, the Pirata would once again have the clearest opportunities, like a free kick from Zelarayán that would go just past Beltrán's left post.
However, it would again be River who would manage to tilt the score in their favor. At 59, Colidio would create a great play in the midfield and assist Tomás Galván, who would cross his shot to Thiago Cardozo with his left foot for the 2-1.
After the goal, while Belgrano tried to equalize, the Millonario and the Argentine National Team would receive bad news: Acuña, visibly in discomfort, would fall to the ground on his own and would have to be carried off the field. In his place would come another world champion: Germán Pezzella.
At 80, the Pirata would have the chance to make it 2-2. After a shot from outside the area by Nicolás "Uvita" Fernández, the ball would hit Lautaro Rivero's arm and referee Yael Falcón Pérez, after a VAR review, would award a penalty. The one to take the spot kick would be Uvita himself, and he would not disappoint.
And the momentum of the Córdoba team would not end there, as three minutes later, Franco "el Mudo" Vázquez would steal the ball near the area and send in a cross that Uvita would receive in the middle of the area and convert to make it 3-2 just before the end. While River would try as best as they could to turn the score around, including a shot from close range by substitute Juan Fernando Quintero that would not go in, they would not manage to break through the Córdoba defense, and there would be no time for more: Belgrano is the champion of the 2026 Apertura Tournament.
With this title, the Pirata achieved their first star in the First Division. In addition to the sporting achievement, the Córdoba team secured a direct ticket to the group stage of the next Copa Libertadores. Furthermore, this championship is the first in Ruso Zielinski's career.
