- The CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 continues on Wednesday, 9 September, with two Quarter-final first-leg matches.
- Check out the kick-off times, stadiums, previous meetings and all the key information ahead of today’s action.
The CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 continues on Wednesday, 9 September, with two Quarter-final first-leg encounters. On a night of champions, Palmeiras and Liga de Quito will meet again in an emotionally charged clash following their thrilling Semi-final tie in the 2025 edition, while Estudiantes will host Corinthians in another high-stakes encounter.
Below is the full schedule and everything you need to know about today’s matches.
Today’s matches – Wednesday, 9 September 2026
- 19:00: Palmeiras vs. Liga de Quito – Estadio 'UNO Jorge Luis Hirschi', La Plata.
- 21:30: Estudiantes vs. Corinthians – NuBank Parque, São Paulo.
All kick-off times are local to the venue.
Palmeiras vs. Liga de Quito
One year later, they meet again. Palmeiras and Liga de Quito renew their rivalry with memories of the 2025 Semi-final still fresh, when the 'Albos' won 3-0 in Quito before the 'Verdão' turned the tie around with a 4-0 victory in São Paulo. Their history has featured one constant that gives both sides reason for optimism: in their two CONMEBOL Libertadores ties, the team playing the second leg at home has always prevailed — and this time, the opening match will be played in Brazil.
Palmeiras come into the tie backed by an unbeaten record in knockout matches and the confidence of having sealed their Round of 16 series away from home. After drawing 1-1 at home against Cerro Porteño — despite playing with ten men for much of the second half — Abel Ferreira's side won 1-0 at La Nueva Olla thanks to a Gustavo Gómez goal in the 41st minute and professionally saw out the tie. José Manuel López, with three goals and four assists, and Jhon Arias, with three goals, are the main attacking threats for a team that has produced more expected goals than its opponent in each of its eight matches in the tournament.
Palmeiras in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Liga de Quito overcame tournament surprise package Mirassol after a 1-1 draw in Brazil and a 0-0 stalemate at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado, before advancing on penalties. Gustavo Álvarez's side have relied on the security provided by Gonzalo Valle, the goalkeeper with the most saves in the competition since the start of the Group Stage, the assists of Janner Corozo and the emergence of Yerlin Quiñónez, who has scored twice. They also have a player with his own special connection to this tie: Deyverson, scorer of Palmeiras' title-winning goal in the 2021 final, will face the club he helped crown champions for the first time in the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
For Ecuador's 'Rey de Copas', the aim is to repeat the script of 2025 but finish the job: earn a result in São Paulo that allows them to decide the tie at altitude in Quito, where they had recorded seven consecutive victories in the competition before the 0-0 draw with Mirassol. For three-time South American champions Palmeiras, the mission is to repeat last year's comeback.
Liga de Quito in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Nubank Parque, São Paulo
Date and kick-off time: Wednesday, 9 September at 19:00
Referee: Jesús Valenzuela (VEN)
VAR: Juan Soto (VEN)
The match in numbers:
- Palmeiras and Liga de Quito have met four times in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, with the home side winning on every occasion. The Verdão won 4-0 in the second leg of the 2025 Semi-finals, the biggest victory by any team over the Albos in the knockout stages of a CONMEBOL competition.
- Palmeiras have advanced from each of their last five CONMEBOL Libertadores Quarter-final appearances, remaining unbeaten across those 10 matches (W5 D5).
- Palmeiras have generated more expected goals than their opponents in all eight of their matches in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026. They are the only team among those that competed in the Group Stage never to have recorded a lower xG than their opponent in this edition of the tournament (Alianza Lima and The Strongest achieved the same feat in the preliminary rounds).
- Deyverson (Liga de Quito) will face Palmeiras for the first time in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. He has scored five goals in the knockout stages of the competition, including three against Brazilian opponents: the title-winning goal for the Verdão against Flamengo in 2021 and the brace that sent Atlético Mineiro through against Fluminense in the 2024 Quarter-finals.
- Gonzalo Valle (Liga de Quito) has made more saves than any other goalkeeper since the start of the Group Stage in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026, with 31. His 2.5 goals prevented is also the third-highest figure over that period, behind Alexis Martín Arias (3.4) and Otávio (2.7).
Estudiantes vs. Corinthians
Two South American champions who have never met in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. That is the defining feature of this tie between four-time winners Estudiantes and Corinthians, unbeaten champions in 2012. Their only previous competitive meeting is a recent one and still hurts in La Plata: the Quarter-finals of the 2023 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, when each side won 1-0 at home before the 'Timão' advanced on penalties at Estadio UNO.
The 'Pincha' come into the tie with momentum. After a 1-1 draw in the first leg against Universidad Católica, they emphatically settled the series in Santiago with a 3-0 victory: Joaquín Correa opened the scoring late in the first half before captain and academy graduate Guido Carrillo struck twice to confirm his place as the club's all-time leading scorer in the competition. Alexander Medina's side can also call upon Tiago Palacios, who has three goals in this edition, and Fernando Muslera, who at the age of 40 has played every minute in goal.
Estudiantes in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Corinthians booked their place in the next round with a display of character. After a 0-0 draw in Rosario, they hosted Central at the Neo Química Arena, were reduced to ten men ten minutes into the second half and found the decisive goal in the 80th minute through Breno Bidon. Fernando Diniz's side have scored more goals from set pieces than any other team in the tournament, with six, a statistic that meets one of Estudiantes' main strengths: the 'Pincha' have conceded only once from a set piece in the entire competition. Gustavo Henrique, a centre-back with three goals, and Rodrigo Garro, with four assists, are among their key players.
The tie brings together two different ways of approaching the competition: the mystique of La Plata, backed by a stadium where Estudiantes have never lost a CONMEBOL Libertadores first leg, and the solidity of the São Paulo side, who will face foreign opposition in the Quarter-finals of this tournament for the first time. For Corinthians, it is an opportunity to prove their 2023 elimination of Estudiantes was no coincidence; for the 'Pincha', it is a chance for revenge.
Corinthians in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Jorge Luis Hirschi, La Plata
Date and kick-off time: Wednesday, 9 September at 21:30
Referee: Esteban Ostojich (URU)
VAR: Antonio García (URU)
The match in numbers:
- Estudiantes and Corinthians have met in just one edition of a CONMEBOL competition: the Timão advanced on penalties in the Quarter-finals of the 2023 Sudamericana. In that round, each team won its home match 1-0.
- Estudiantes have never lost at home in a CONMEBOL Libertadores first leg, recording nine wins and three draws in 12 matches, including four victories and one draw against Brazilian opposition.
- This will be Corinthians' first CONMEBOL Libertadores Quarter-final match against foreign opposition. Their previous five appearances at this stage all came against Brazilian teams: Grêmio, Palmeiras, Atlético Mineiro, Vasco and Flamengo.
- Corinthians have scored more goals from set pieces than any other team in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026, with six, including the goal that sent them through against Rosario Central in the Round of 16. Estudiantes, meanwhile, have conceded just one set-piece goal in the competition, from a corner away to Independiente Medellín.
- Guido Carrillo, Estudiantes' all-time leading scorer in the CONMEBOL Libertadores with 14 goals, has won more aerial duels than any other player since the start of the 2026 Group Stage (40 of 71).
Estudiantes vs. Corinthians kits
