- Cerro Porteño and Palmeiras will renew their rivalry in the Round of 16 after already facing each other in the Group Stage of the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
- The Paraguayan side, who finished top of their group, found in coach Ariel Holan the footballing guidance they needed for the biggest continental nights.
'Ciclón de Barrio Obrero' showed the full range of their strengths in the Group Stage. They began with a setback away in Peru, but victory over Junior in Asunción on Matchday 2 proved to be the turning point. From there, they collected three wins and a draw, scoring five goals and conceding just once.
The Asunción-based side will compete in the Round of 16 of the continent's premier club competition for the second consecutive edition, and they earned their place with authority. With Holan — a coach who already knows what it takes to win continental silverware after guiding Independiente to the 2017 CONMEBOL Sudamericana title — leading the way, and an attack spearheaded by the partnership of Pablo Vegetti and Cecilio Domínguez, belief is growing in the Paraguayan capital that this could finally be the year they lift the trophy that has so far eluded them.
Cerro Porteño and Palmeiras have developed one of the competition's enduring rivalries. They have faced each other 18 times in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. While the 'Verdão', the current runners-up, lead the overall head-to-head record, recent history tells a different story: Cerro Porteño had the upper hand in the Group Stage of this year's edition. They drew 1-1 in Asunción before the 'Azulgrana' produced a statement victory in São Paulo, where a Vegetti goal secured the three points that helped propel them to the top of the group.
Cerro Porteño in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
Group F - Matchday 1: Sporting Cristal 1-0 Cerro Porteño (37' 2H Felipe Vizeu)
Group F - Matchday 2: Cerro Porteño 1-0 Junior (12' 2H Jonatan Torres)
Group F - Matchday 3: Cerro Porteño 1-1 Palmeiras (27' 2H Miguel own goal / 33' 1H Arias)
Group F - Matchday 4: Junior 0-1 Cerro Porteño (13' 1H Pablo Vegetti)
Group F - Matchday 5: Palmeiras 0-1 Cerro Porteño (3' 2H Pablo Vegetti)
Group F - Matchday 6: Cerro Porteño 2-0 Sporting Cristal (6' 2H Pablo Vegetti / 22' 2H Cecilio Domínguez)
Round of 16 - First Leg: Palmeiras vs. Cerro Porteño — Wednesday, August 12, 7:00 p.m. (local time), Allianz Parque, São Paulo
Round of 16 - Second Leg: Cerro Porteño vs. Palmeiras — Wednesday, August 19, 7:00 p.m. (local time), La Nueva Olla, Asunción
Cerro Porteño Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Ariel Holan
Ariel Holan took charge of Cerro Porteño last April with an immediate and demanding objective: to guide the team through a CONMEBOL Libertadores group featuring Palmeiras, the reigning runners-up; Junior, champions of Colombian football in 2025; and Sporting Cristal, one of Peru’s leading clubs.
The Argentine coach gave the Paraguayan side a clear identity that allowed them to produce an outstanding Group Stage campaign. High pressing, quick reactions after losing possession and defensive solidity became the defining traits of a Cerro Porteño team that ultimately finished top of the group.
Full Cerro Porteño Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Goalkeepers: 1. Manuel Roffo - 25. Roberto Fernandez - 49. Matias Vera.
Defenders: 3. Alvaro Espinola - 6. Brian Luciatti - 13. Angel Benitez - 14. Lucas Quintana - 15. Blas Riveros - 16. Ivan Ramirez - 22. Matias Perez - 23. Victor Velazquez - 24. Alexis Cañete - 42. Victor Sanchez - 44. Lucas Merolla.
Midfielders: 2. Fabricio Dominguez - 5. Jorge Morel - 8. Cristhian Paredes - 17. Gabriel Aguayo - 18. Pablo Gamarra - 26. Robert Piris Da Motta - 30. Gaston Gimenez - 32. Cesar Bobadilla - 38. Orlando Cristaldo - 43. Aaron Bobadilla - 45. Fernando Zayas - 46. Carlos Chena - 48. Matias Ortiz - 50. Oscar Ramirez.
Forwards: 4. Axel Gomez - 10. Cecilio Dominguez - 11. Juan Iturbe - 19. Pablo Vegetti - 21. Sergio Araujo - 27. Jonatan Torres - 28. Carlos Franco - 29. Harold Mosquera - 31. Ignacio Aliseda - 34. Mizael Alcaraz - 35. Marcelo Chaparro - 36. Freddy Noguera - 37. Dario Espinola - 39. Josue Servin - 40. Mateo Klimowicz - 47. Victor Lopez.
Cerro Porteño Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Jorge Morel
The Paraguayan midfielder has been the heartbeat of Holan's team. He brings balance and defensive strength to a midfield that prioritises build-up play, while consistently offering himself as the first or second option to help the team play out cleanly from the back and break lines with his passing.
Versatile by nature and a natural leader, Morel is the anchor of Cerro Porteño's midfield and was one of the standout performers in the victory over Palmeiras in Brazil, a result that also marked a historic milestone in the competition: the Paraguayan side became the first team in CONMEBOL Libertadores history to defeat the 'Verdão' away from home.
Cerro Porteño Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Pablo Vegetti
It took Pablo Vegetti just six months to become a vital and much-loved figure in the 'Ciclón de Barrio Obrero' squad. His goalscoring instinct, constant presence as a threat to opposing defenders and clinical finishing helped propel Cerro Porteño to an outstanding Group Stage campaign.
Every time Vegetti scored, Cerro Porteño won. That statistic is a major source of excitement for the supporters who fill La Nueva Olla with colour and passion every time their team takes the field in continental competition. Away from home, he stood out by scoring in the 1-0 victories over Palmeiras and Junior. Then, on the final matchday, in front of the home crowd, he opened the scoring in the 2-0 win over Sporting Cristal.
Cerro Porteño Factor X in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Cecilio Domínguez
The Asunción-born attacker is the ideal complement to a forward line built around high pressing, goalscoring power and the ability to drop deeper and link up with the rest of the team. Domínguez, whom Holan knows well from their time together at Independiente — it was the Argentine coach who had pushed for the forward’s arrival at the 'Rojo' — scored once and provided an assist for Vegetti during the Group Stage.
Since returning to the club for his second spell, he has scored 34 goals and is determined to play his part in a team looking to extend its continental dream.
Cerro Porteño History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
'Ciclón', a club with a long and storied tradition in continental football, still has unfinished business on the international stage: Cerro Porteño have never lifted the CONMEBOL Libertadores trophy. The Paraguayan side have made dozens of appearances in the competition, but their ceiling has always been the same — the Semi-finals. Cerro have come within one step of the decisive match on six occasions: 1973, 1978, 1993, 1998, 1999 and 2011.
