Why the International Super Cup Exists and Who Competes in It

River and Talleres will face each other this Wednesday at 8 PM in Asunción, Paraguay, in search of a new title: the International Super Cup. The winner will add another star to their record, as the trophy counts as a national cup. How does it arise and how is it classified?

This competition was born in 2022 from an agreement between the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council for four years, with the intention of moving the Argentine Super Cup abroad. Originally, the match was supposed to be played between the champions of the Copa Argentina and the Professional League.

However, the first edition had a significant modification. Instead of being played abroad, a new tournament was created that pitted the champion of the Champions Trophy, which is played between the champions of the two tournaments of the year, with the leader of the annual table (the team with the most points between both tournaments).

First Edition: Boca-Racing

In 2022, the Xeneize came from being the champion of both tournaments that year (League Cup and Professional League) so they had to play the Champions Trophy against the Academia, which at that time finished as the best of the annual table. In that final, those led by Fernando Gago at the time would claim victory, qualifying to play the International Super Cup.

In 2023, this cup was played and Racing was the first winner after defeating Boca again, a team that reached the final because the cup still didn't have an established format and a rival had to be defined.

Why are River and Talleres playing?

For this edition, River reached the final after winning the 2023 Champions Trophy. Their rival is Talleres, who took their place in the final because the Millonario also led the annual table.

The future of the cup:

Looking ahead to the next season, the International Super Cup will for the first time have two teams classified exclusively by their titles: Estudiantes, champion of the Champions Trophy, and Vélez, winner of the Professional League. This could be the penultimate edition, as, for now, it is unknown if after the four years, which end in 2026, agreed upon, this cup will continue to be played.