Belgrano make their Copa Libertadores Femenina debut against Independiente del Valle as the first club from Argentina's interior to reach the tournament

Belgrano play the biggest match in their women's football history on Thursday, 15 October: at 3 p.m. in Ecuador (5 p.m. in Argentina) they face Independiente del Valle on matchday one of Group B at the 2026 Copa Libertadores Femenina. It is the first international appearance for Las Piratas, who are also the only Argentine representative in the tournament and the first club from outside Buenos Aires to reach the Copa.

The venue is the Estadio Banco Guayaquil, home of Independiente del Valle's Dragonas in Chillo Jijón, on the outskirts of Quito. The Ecuadorian capital is the sole host of the 18th edition, played from 15 to 31 October with 16 teams from ten countries split between that ground and Liga de Quito's Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado.

How Belgrano got here

The ticket to Ecuador was earned in December 2025. First, the Córdoba side came from behind to beat Racing in the two-legged Clausura final. Then, on 21 December, they drew 0-0 with Newell's at Sportivo Belgrano's stadium in San Francisco and won the Trofeo de Campeonas 4-2 on penalties. According to El Gráfico, goalkeeper Sánchez was the standout: she saved two kicks and converted the final penalty herself.

The squad is coached by Mariana "Pomu" Sánchez, a former Belgrano player taking charge of her first international campaign. Victoria "Colo" Arrieto is the captain and eight of the players called up came through the club's academy. Before the trip, president Luis Fabián Artime addressed the team: "Enjoy it. This is something we have earned, you and the club earned it," as reported by the newspaper Hoy Día.

A group with pedigree

Group B offers no easy games. Independiente del Valle, the group's hosts, have won three consecutive Ecuadorian Superliga titles and finished fourth at the 2024 Libertadores. Palmeiras lifted the Copa in 2022, also in Quito, with a 4-1 win over Boca in the final. Universitario of Peru are taking part for the sixth time. The top two in each group advance to the quarter-finals.

Belgrano's remaining fixtures:

• Sunday, 18 October, 3 p.m. local time: Belgrano vs. Palmeiras, Estadio Banco Guayaquil.
• Wednesday, 21 October, 7 p.m. local time: Belgrano vs. Universitario, Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado.

The quarter-finals are on 24 and 25 October, the semi-finals on 28 October and the final on 31 October, all in Quito.

Brazil sets the bar

Corinthians arrive as defending champions with six titles, and Brazilian clubs have won 14 of the 17 previous editions. The only champions from other countries have been Colo-Colo (2012), Sportivo Limpeño (2016) and Atlético Huila (2018). For Belgrano, the debut against Independiente del Valle is also a measure of how much the gap between Argentine football and South America's elite has closed.

Belgrano's matches are available on TyC Sports Play; the whole tournament is streamed on Pluto TV and the Libertadores YouTube channel.

Sources: Primicias, Canal Showsport, Cadena 3, Hoy Día, El Gráfico, AFA, Infobae, ABC Color (EFE).