They stormed the field to celebrate the title, but Boca won: a dramatic sports moment in Messi’s hometown

A surreal and dramatic end to the season shook up Argentine soccer: Rosario Central fans celebrated the title with the players by storming the field at the end of the match, but Boca Juniors scored in the 96th minute, stunning everyone and clinching the championship.

On the final matchday, which was decisive for the Tabla Anual (the overall league standings), Rosario Central defeated Estudiantes de Río Cuarto 2-0. When the final whistle blew at their home stadium—with Boca Juniors simultaneously locked in a 0-0 draw against Defensa y Justicia—Rosario found themselves virtually crowned champions of Argentina.

At that point, chaos ensued: a piece of fake news circulating from the stands—claiming that Boca’s impending goal had been disallowed by VAR—misled the entire stadium. Fans stormed the field, and even the Rosario players themselves climbed the fences, convinced they had triumphed.

The reality, however, was quite different: almost simultaneously at La Bombonera, in the 96th minute of stoppage time, Ecuadorian forward Enner Valencia scored the decisive 1-0 goal for Boca Juniors at the very last moment. News of the legitimate goal spread a few minutes later at the Gigante de Arroyito, suddenly turning Rosario’s euphoria into an incredible sporting drama.