100,000 Boca Juniors fans expected to descend on Rio for Libertadores final

“An unprecedented invasion”, is what it’s being referred to by the Brazilian media as the city of Rio de Janeiro braces itself for an avalanche of Xenezies fans ahead of the final of the 2023 Copa Libertadores as Rio based Fluminense face the Argentine side on 4 November.

You can watch the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors vs Fluminense live stream on FuboTV (free trial available)

The first sign of the surge in demand on behalf of the Argentine fans was the virtual ticket office collapsing after the deluge of demand after Boca progressed to the final after the penalty shootout win against Palmeiras which forced CONMEBOL to suspend sales and as things stand with the final over a week away, one of the biggest tourist hotspots in South America has no spare rooms in hotels and guesthouses with Boca fans snapping everything up.

After the surge to secure a ticket for the finals, flight prices to both Rio and Sao Paulo (400 km from Rio) skyrocketed and then quickly sold out. Many Xeneizes fans are not deterred by the 2,500 kilometres drive from Buenos Aires to Rio which takes approximately 36 hours.

Full screen

Fan zone alternative

There are no tickets left for the game after Boca sold out their 20,000 allocation and the final VIP packages ranging from $500 to $1,000 went on sale last week, also sold out within an hour.

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The local Rio de Janeiro city council are making plans to deal with the massive influx of Argentines, the majority who will be travelling without a ticket for the game and have started preparations for a Fan Zone which will be close to the Copacabana Hilton Hotel with a food park, beer garden, live music and giant screen for fans to follow the action as Boca look for their seventh Libertadores triumph.

You can watch the Copa Libertadores final between Boca Juniors vs Fluminense live stream on FuboTV (free trial available)