- In the 2000 edition, both sides claimed 3-2 home victories before Timão prevailed on penalties in the return leg at the Pacaembu.
- Luizão, who would go on to win the 2002 FIFA World Cup with Brazil, was the standout player in the tie, scoring four goals.
Rosario Central and Corinthians will meet in the Round of 16 of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, and it will not be the first time they have faced each other at this stage of La Gloria Eterna. In fact, the only two previous meetings between the Argentinian and Brazilian sides came in the two legs of the 2000 CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16, when Timão advanced on penalties.
Just as this year’s tie promises two high-profile encounters, with Ángel Di María’s Rosario Central facing a Corinthians side featuring Dutchman Memphis Depay and Englishman Jesse Lingard, the teams traded 3-2 home victories in the 2000 Round of 16.
El Canalla struck first in the opening leg at the Gigante de Arroyito on 3 May, through goals from Juan Antonio Pizzi, Javier Cappelletti and Rafael Maceratesi. Luizão scored twice for the São Paulo side.
The return leg at the Pacaembu on 9 May went Corinthians’ way. Luizão, the star of the tie, scored another brace and Edílson added the third, while Pizzi and Gordillo found the net for the team then coached by Edgardo ‘El Patón’ Bauza. The Argentinian would later win the CONMEBOL Libertadores twice as a coach, with Liga de Quito in 2008 and San Lorenzo in 2014.
With the aggregate score level, Oswaldo de Oliveira’s Corinthians won the penalty shootout 7-5. Luizão and Pizzi, the leading scorers for Timão and El Canalla respectively, both converted their spot-kicks.
“Central have what it takes to win the CONMEBOL Libertadores,” Pizzi said in an interview with CONMEBOL Libertadores last April.
In the quarter-finals of the 2000 CONMEBOL Libertadores, Corinthians overcame Atlético Mineiro before losing on penalties to their arch-rivals Palmeiras in the semi-finals. Palmeiras would then be beaten by Boca Juniors in the final.
That Timão side featured Dida, Vampeta, Ricardinho, Edílson and Luizão, all of whom would go on to win the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea/Japan with Brazil, as well as a young Marcos Senna, who later represented Spain.
In the following edition, in 2001, Rosario Central reached the CONMEBOL Libertadores semi-finals, still the best performance in the club’s history, with Bauza as head coach.
Next August, following the World Cup, Central and Corinthians will write a new chapter in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16, 26 years after their first encounter. Timão won their only title in the competition in 2012, while Central continue to pursue their first. La Gloria Eterna awaits at the end of the road.
