- The Pincha and the Brazilian side will meet again to contest the continent's most prestigious club title, 58 years after playing out a Final that required three matches to decide the champions.
- In 1968, Estudiantes won the play-off at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo — the very same venue set to host this year's Final on 28 November.
Estudiantes and Palmeiras will meet again in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Final. It will be the second time the two sides have faced each other to decide the winners of Eternal Glory, with a special twist: the 2026 showpiece will take place at the same stadium that hosted the third match of their historic 1968 series, when the Argentine side claimed their first international title.
The head-to-head record between the Argentine representatives and Verdão is brief, but it tells a story of great significance for both clubs. They have played just three matches against each other, all in the Final of the 1968 edition. On that occasion, Estudiantes and Palmeiras needed a play-off to determine the champions.
The series began on 2 May that year in La Plata, where Estudiantes claimed a 2-1 victory. Juan Ramón 'La Bruja' Verón and Raúl Flores scored for Osvaldo Zubeldía's side in the first leg.
In São Paulo, Palmeiras came out on top in the return fixture, levelling the series five days later at the Pacaembu with a 3-1 win. Tupãzinho scored twice and Rinaldo added another for the Brazilian side, while Verón pulled one back for the team from La Plata.
The Estadio Centenario hosted the play-off and one of the most important matches in Estudiantes' rich continental history. Goals from Felipe Ribaudo and Juan Ramón Verón once again gave León a 2-0 victory, securing the series and their first CONMEBOL Libertadores title.
The Centenario: a special venue for both clubs
The decision to stage the 2026 Final at the Centenario, the stadium that has hosted more CONMEBOL Libertadores Finals than any other, adds another chapter to this story. Not only was it the venue where the only previous meeting between Estudiantes and Palmeiras was decided, but it also holds a special place in both clubs' international history.
For the Argentine side, Montevideo occupies a prominent place in their continental journey: two of their four CONMEBOL Libertadores titles were secured in the Uruguayan capital. The first came in 1968 against Palmeiras, while the third followed in 1970, when they completed a hat-trick of titles against Peñarol.
The São Paulo side, meanwhile, also have fond memories of the Centenario. On 27 November 2021, Abel Ferreira's team defeated Flamengo 2-1 to lift their third CONMEBOL Libertadores trophy. Raphael Veiga and Deyverson scored the goals that secured the title, turning Montevideo, Uruguay's capital, into a place of celebration for the Brazilian club once again.
