- The iconic Montevideo venue will host the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores final between Estudiantes de La Plata and Palmeiras on 28 November. The clash will be a repeat of the final in which Pincha were crowned champions at the same stadium in 1968.
- With 412 matches and 21 finals staged there, it is the venue that has hosted the most matches and final ties in the competition. It was also the setting for the first match in the history of the 'Eternal Glory' in 1960.
Estadio Centenario is part of the history of football and the continent's most prestigious club competition. It has witnessed memorable matches, from the first FIFA World Cup final between Uruguay and Argentina in 1930 to the inaugural match of the CONMEBOL Libertadores and major international triumphs for South American clubs.
The numbers help illustrate the scale of the stadium's connection with the competition, a relationship that stands out across the tournament's long history. On 28 November, the Uruguayan capital will host the 22nd final played at the venue, as the Argentine and Brazilian sides battle to be crowned champions of the 2026 edition.
The beginning of a continental story
The relationship between Estadio Centenario and the CONMEBOL Libertadores began on 19 April 1960. On that day, Peñarol hosted Bolivia's Jorge Wilstermann and won 7-1 in the opening match in the competition's history.
The emphatic victory became part of the tournament's record books, with Alberto Spencer among the leading figures after scoring four goals. Carlos Borges, who netted twice, also made his mark by scoring the competition's first-ever goal in the 13th minute.
Six champions and 21 finals
The stadium has also developed a special connection with the CONMEBOL Libertadores finals. It has hosted 21 finals across different eras, each with its own format, when ties were decided over two legs and could include a play-off match if required.
Six teams have celebrated winning the title at the Centenario: Estudiantes de La Plata (1968 and 1970), Independiente (1973), Boca Juniors (1977), Nacional (1980 and 1988), Flamengo (1981) and Palmeiras (2021). The list features clubs with a rich continental tradition and includes both teams involved in the upcoming final.
Every final played at the stadium
1960. Peñarol 1 - Olimpia 0 (first leg).
1961. Peñarol 1 - Palmeiras 0 (first leg).
1962. Peñarol 1 - Santos 2 (first leg).
1964. Nacional 0 - Independiente 0 (first leg).
1965. Peñarol 3 - Independiente 1 (second leg) — a third match was played at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile..
1966. Peñarol 2 - River 0 (first leg).
1967. Nacional 0 - Racing 0 (second leg) — a third match was played at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile.
1968. Estudiantes 2 - Palmeiras 0 (play-off match).
1969. Nacional 0 - Estudiantes 1 (first leg).
1970. Peñarol 0 - Estudiantes 0 (second leg).
1971. Nacional 1 - Estudiantes 0 (second leg) — a third match was played at the Estadio Nacional in Lima.
1973. Independiente 2 - Colo Colo 1 (play-off match).
1977. Boca 0 (5) - Cruzeiro 0 (4) (play-off match).
1980. Nacional 1 - Internacional 0 (second leg).
1981. Flamengo 2 - Cobreloa 0 (play-off match).
1982. Peñarol 0 - Cobreloa 0 (first leg).
1983. Peñarol 1 - Grêmio 1 (Ida).
1987. Peñarol 2 - América de Cali 1 (second leg) — a third match was played at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile.
1988. Nacional 3 - Newell's Old Boys 0 (second leg).
2011. Peñarol 0 - Santos 0 (first leg).
2021. Palmeiras 2 - Flamengo 1 (single-match final).
One final, two teams with history
Estudiantes de La Plata have particularly significant memories of Montevideo. In 1968, after the teams shared the wins across the first two legs of the final against Palmeiras, the Argentine side won the play-off 2-0 at the Centenario. Felipe Ribaudo and Juan Ramón Verón scored the goals that gave El León their first CONMEBOL Libertadores title.
Two years later, the La Plata side were crowned champions again. A 0-0 draw against Peñarol in the second leg, played at the Uruguayan stadium, was enough: Osvaldo Zubeldía's team had won the first leg 1-0 in La Plata and went on to claim their third consecutive title.
Palmeiras, meanwhile, also know what it feels like to lift the continent's biggest club trophy at this venue. On 27 November 2021, Verdão beat Flamengo 2-1 in Montevideo to secure their third title.
Raphael Veiga opened the scoring for Abel Ferreira's side in the fifth minute of the first half, before Gabriel Barbosa drew Flamengo level midway through the second period. Five minutes into the first half of extra time, Deyverson scored the decisive goal for the São Paulo side, sealing the title and giving Palmeiras their second consecutive triumph.
