- El Pincha’, four-time champions of South America, advanced as runners-up in Group A after going unbeaten at home and will face Universidad Católica in the Round of 16.
- Tiago Palacios as the leading scorer, Fernando Muslera as the team’s last line of defence and the club’s traditional continental mystique as its guiding force.
For some clubs, the CONMEBOL Libertadores is a competition; for Estudiantes, it is part of their identity. The four-time South American champions entered the 2026 edition as winners of Argentina’s Torneo Clausura and secured their place in the Round of 16 by following the club’s traditional formula: defensive solidity, organisation and a touch of mystique at precisely the right moment. ‘El Pincha’ finished second in Group A with nine points, behind a powerful Flamengo side, going unbeaten at the UNO Stadium and suffering their only defeat at the Maracanã.
Qualification was sealed through a moment that has already earned its place in the club’s emotional history: Mikel Amondarain’s dramatic header against Independiente Medellín in the 91st minute of the final group-stage match.
“This game showed what Estudiantes are all about, a club filled with mystique. We won it with heart, soul and spirit,” said Alexander Medina that night. The Uruguayan coach took charge in February following Eduardo Domínguez’s departure.
The Round of 16 tie comes with an added transfer-market storyline: Amondarain, the hero of qualification — and the Estudiantes player with the most goal contributions in the competition, with one goal and two assists — was transferred to Bologna at the end of July and will not be available for the tie.
Universidad Católica await on the other side. Daniel Garnero’s Chilean team won their group with 13 points and produced a historic moment along the way: the first official victory by a Chilean club at La Bombonera, sealed by Clemente Montes’ goal, which eliminated Boca Juniors. The first leg will be played in La Plata, with the tie to be decided at the Claro Arena in Santiago.
Estudiantes in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
Group A
Matchday 1: Independiente Medellín 1-1 Estudiantes
Goals: Francisco Chaverra (64') / Tiago Palacios (4')
Matchday 2: Estudiantes 2-1 Cusco FC
Goals: Facundo Farías (28') and Tiago Palacios (47') / Lucas Colitto (32')
Matchday 3: Estudiantes 1-1 Flamengo
Goals: Guido Carrillo (54') / Luiz Araújo (32')
Matchday 4: Cusco FC 1-1 Estudiantes
Goals: Lucas Colitto / Tiago Palacios (58')
Matchday 5: Flamengo 1-0 Estudiantes
Goal: Pedro (64')
Matchday 6: Estudiantes 1-0 Independiente Medellín
Goal: Mikel Amondarain (90+1')
Round of 16
First Leg: Estudiantes vs. Universidad Católica
Tuesday, August 11, at 9:30 p.m. Argentina time
UNO Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, La Plata
Second Leg: Universidad Católica vs. Estudiantes
Tuesday, August 18, at 8:30 p.m. Chile time
Claro Arena, Santiago
Estudiantes Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Alexander Medina
‘El Cacique’ arrived in La Plata in February 2026 with a delicate task: replacing Eduardo Domínguez, who had unexpectedly left for Atlético Mineiro just weeks after winning the Clausura title.
Medina began his coaching career at Nacional of Montevideo, established himself at Talleres de Córdoba, later took charge of Internacional in Porto Alegre and guided Vélez to the semi-finals of the 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores, before a spell with Granada in Spain.
At Estudiantes, he embraced the club’s DNA from his first day and, by his own assessment, delivered a textbook group-stage campaign: his side won their home matches, drew with the defending champions and suffered their only defeat at the Maracanã.
Reaching the Round of 16 was his first stated objective. Now, he will be aiming for everything in the knockout rounds.
Estudiantes Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Goalkeepers: 1. Fabricio Iacovich - 12. Rodrigo Borzone - 16. Fernando Muslera - 30. Tiziano Van Der Tuin.
Defenders: 3. Máximo Desábato - 4. Santiago Núñez - 13. Gastón Benedetti - 24. Tiago Palacios - 26. José Funes - 33. Faustino Messina - 35. Valente Pierani - 36. Joaquín Pereyra - 37. Matías Magdaleno - 40. Eros Mancuso - 45. Jorge Georgieff - 51. Bautista Molinari.
Midfielders: 7. José Sosa - 8. Gabriel Neves - 11. Facundo Farías - 14. Leandro González Pirez - 21. Lucas Piovi - 22. Alexis Castro - 25. Ciro Spalletta - 34. Thiago González - 38. Franco Basualdo - 39. Lucas Cornejo - 46. Benjamín Maliani - 48. Axel Atum - 50. Agustín Traina - 52. Bautista Kociubinski.
Forwards: 9. Guido Carrillo - 10. Tiago Palacios - 15. Santiago Arzamendia - 17. Joaquín Tobio - 18. Edwuin Cetré - 19. Adolfo Gaich - 20. Eric Meza - 23. Franco Domínguez - 27. Lucas Alario - 28. Brian Aguirre - 29. Fabricio Pérez - 41. Benjamín Sagues - 42. Leonardo Naser - 43. Santino Crego - 44. Juan Fernández Soler - 47. Enzo Sanabria - 49. Francisco Silvetti.
Estudiantes’ Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Fernando Muslera
At 40, the Uruguayan goalkeeper has been the quiet backbone of Estudiantes’ campaign. He played every one of the 540 minutes in the group stage, alongside Leandro González Pírez, his partner in the last line of defence.
After nearly two decades with Lazio and Galatasaray — where he became a club legend — and a career that included five World Cups with Uruguay, Muslera chose La Plata for one final major challenge. The 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores has shown that he remains at the highest level: he delivered a standout performance at altitude in Cusco to secure a valuable point and entered Estudiantes’ decisive nights at the UNO Stadium unbeaten at home.
His experience also sends a powerful message within the squad. In a group that blends seasoned players — including González Pírez, Carrillo and Piovi — with products of the club’s academy, the Uruguayan provides the composure of someone who has already experienced it all.
In the knockout rounds, where the smallest details can decide a tie, having Muslera between the posts is a major strength in itself.
Estudiantes’ Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Tiago Palacios
The 25-year-old winger has been ‘El Pincha’s’ most dangerous attacking weapon. He scored the team’s first goal of the campaign just four minutes into the opening match in Medellín, before also finding the net against Cusco FC in both La Plata and at altitude in Peru.
Palacios has scored three of Estudiantes’ six goals in the competition in just 436 minutes on the pitch, performances that earned him recognition from the tournament’s official website, which described him in three words: dribbling, goals and personality.
A product of River Plate’s youth academy who also had spells with Platense and Montevideo City Torque, Palacios has found the ideal stage to flourish in La Plata. In an attack where responsibilities are shared with Guido Carrillo — who scored against Flamengo — and Facundo Farías, the winger heads into the Round of 16 as the main attacking reference point in Medina’s side.
Estudiantes’ X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Fabricio Pérez
Amondarain’s departure created both an opening and a question, and the answer may come in the form of another academy prospect: Fabricio Pérez. The young right winger played 123 minutes across three matches, earning opportunities at altitude in Cusco and on the night Estudiantes secured qualification, while continental youth rankings have already identified him as one of Argentine football’s promising talents.
It is the club’s tradition turned into a working method. The academy that produced the hero of the final matchday — the youngster from Bavio who signed off with a Libertadores goal before moving to Italy — always has another name ready to step forward.
In a tie against Universidad Católica that is likely to be decided by the smallest details, Pérez’s emergence could provide the surprise no pre-match analysis can fully anticipate.
Estudiantes’ History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
Few clubs carry the CONMEBOL Libertadores as deeply in their identity as Estudiantes. Champions in 1968, 1969 and 1970 — the only team in the competition’s history to win three consecutive titles — they lifted the trophy again in 2009 and also claimed the 1968 Intercontinental Cup.
Under the presidency of Juan Sebastián Verón, heir to a family name woven through the club’s greatest triumphs, Alexander Medina’s ‘El Pincha’ have returned to the Round of 16 with their traditional formula: continental mystique, a packed UNO Stadium and a dramatic late goal as the defining image of qualification.
The tie against Universidad Católica is the next chapter in a story that, in La Plata, is never truly finished.
