- The Brazilian midfielder lost the 2021 Final at the Centenario with Flamengo, against Palmeiras, and the 2025 Final in Lima with Palmeiras, against Flamengo.
- A starter in 10 of the 12 matches the 'Verdão' have played in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, he scored a goal against Junior de Barranquilla.
Extra time had barely begun at the Centenario on November 27, 2021. Flamengo and Palmeiras were level at 1-1 when Andreas Pereira received the ball in the build-up, close to his own area. It got away from him, Deyverson pounced and finished past Diego Alves: 2-1 and a third 'Eternal Glory' for Palmeiras, sealed in the 5th minute of the first period of extra time. Andreas, then a Flamengo midfielder on loan from Manchester United, left Montevideo with one of the hardest nights of his career.
Five years on, he returns to the same stadium wearing the shirt that celebrated that night. On November 28, Palmeiras and Estudiantes de La Plata will decide the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores at the Centenario, and Andreas, 30, is the hub of Abel Ferreira's midfield. It will be his third Final: he lost the 2021 edition with Flamengo against Palmeiras and the 2025 one, by then with the 'Verdão', against the 'Fla' in Lima. Nobody in the squad arrives in Montevideo with a story so intertwined, and in the very stadium where the title will be decided.
His story has never been a straight line. Born in Belgium to Brazilian parents, he became a footballer at one of Europe's giants: Manchester United, with loan spells at Granada, Valencia and Lazio. He also had a stint at Fulham, where he made 119 appearances, scored 10 goals and provided 22 assists. He wore Belgium's youth shirts up to Under-17 level and from the Under-20s chose Brazil, making his senior debut in 2018 and playing at the 2024 Copa América. Brazilian football first got to know him in 2021, on that loan at Flamengo, and got him back in August 2025, when Palmeiras signed him from his last Premier League club.
His arrival came with urgency: the 'Verdão' were preparing the Quarter-finals of the 2025 edition against River Plate and presented him as their signing of European pedigree. He made his debut in September, to an ovation at the Allianz Parque, a few days after Carlo Ancelotti had called him up to the Brazil squad for the final round of World Cup qualifiers. Two months later he started in Lima, in the Final that Flamengo won 1-0. Once again a decider against the club of his past, once again on the side that did not celebrate.
With the 'Verdão' he quickly became a regular starter. In the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores he started ten of the twelve matches and left his mark. He rounded off the 4-1 win over Junior on the final matchday of Group F, early in the second half, with the goal that secured a place in the Round of 16.
After a red card against Cerro Porteño, he returned for the Quarter-finals against Liga de Quito and started both legs of the Semi-final against Fluminense: the 2-1 at the Maracanã and the 0-1 at the Nubank Parque that ended 5-3 on penalties. In midfield he shares duties with Marlon Freitas, Lucas Evangelista and Agustín Giay, and he is the clean outlet of a team that, according to those same lineups, moved from the 4-2-3-1 of the Group Stage to the 3-4-2-1 of the knockout rounds. He is also one of the set-piece takers: his free kicks created chances against Sporting Cristal and against Cerro Porteño.
Ahead of the second leg against Fluminense, Andreas spoke about the weight of home advantage: "At home, we know we have an extra strength off the pitch, which is the support of our fans. May tomorrow be a beautiful party so we can go through". There was a party and there was qualification. Abel Ferreira, who won the 2020 and 2021 editions and lost in 2025, is going for his third 'Eternal Glory'. His midfielder is going for his first. Palmeiras, for a fourth title, which would level them with Flamengo as Brazil's most successful club in the competition, in their second consecutive Final, as in 1999-2000 and 2020-2021, and the eighth in their history. Across from them will be Estudiantes, champions at that same Centenario in 1968, in the only previous meeting between the two.
The Centenario holds the image of 2021 for Andreas Pereira. On November 28, he has the chance to change it.
