- The reigning champions and four-time winners of South America’s premier club competition dominated Group A — taking 16 points from a possible 18, going unbeaten and conceding just two goals — before eliminating Cruzeiro in the Round of 16.
- Bruno Henrique, Flamengo’s leading scorer in the competition, and Leonardo Jardim, who coached their Round of 16 opponents in 2025, have been key figures in the defence of the crown.
Flamengo entered the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores as reigning champions and carried that status with authority through the Group Stage. They collected 16 points from a possible 18 in Group A, remained unbeaten, scored 14 goals and conceded just two, finishing with the best record of the entire phase. Leonardo Jardim’s ‘Mengão’, crowned champions in Lima in November 2025 after defeating Palmeiras, made one thing clear from the outset: the title would not be surrendered easily.
Their Group Stage campaign had a little of everything: a 4-1 victory over Independiente Medellín at the Maracanã, with goals from Paquetá, Bruno Henrique, De Arrascaeta and Pedro; a narrow win over Estudiantes de La Plata in Rio de Janeiro; and a perfect finish against Cusco FC, highlighted by Bruno Henrique’s brace, which took him to four goals and made him Flamengo’s leading scorer in the competition.
The Round of 16 brought one of Brazilian football’s major clashes against Cruzeiro, with the first leg at the Mineirão and the return at the Maracanã. There was also a personal storyline on the touchline: Jardim had coached ‘Raposa’ in 2025 before taking charge in Rio in March. “We know both the first and second legs will be intense. We will go there aiming to beat them, knowing that the tie will be decided at the Maracanã,” the Portuguese coach said ahead of the matchup.
Flamengo ultimately came through the all-Brazilian tie and continued their pursuit of a fifth CONMEBOL Libertadores title.
Flamengo in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
Group A – Matchday 1: Cusco FC 0-2 Flamengo (14' ST Bruno Henrique, assist by Ayrton Lucas, and 45+2' ST Giorgian de Arrascaeta)
Group A – Matchday 2: Flamengo 4-1 Independiente Medellín (15' PT Lucas Paquetá, assist by Ayrton Lucas; 45' PT Bruno Henrique, assist by De Arrascaeta; 4' ST De Arrascaeta, assist by Bruno Henrique; and 45+6' ST Pedro, assist by Luiz Araújo / 40' PT Yeison González)
Group A – Matchday 3: Estudiantes 1-1 Flamengo (9' ST Guido Carrillo / 32' PT Luiz Araújo, assist by Bruno Henrique)
Group A – Matchday 4: Independiente Medellín 0-3 Flamengo (match suspended after 5 minutes due to incidents at the Atanasio Girardot and awarded to Flamengo by CONMEBOL)
Group A – Matchday 5: Flamengo 1-0 Estudiantes (20' ST Pedro)
Group A – Matchday 6: Flamengo 3-0 Cusco FC (35' ST Bruno Henrique, assist by Pedro; 39' ST Bruno Henrique; and 45+1' ST Lucas Paquetá, penalty)
Round of 16
First Leg: Cruzeiro 1-1 Flamengo (8' ST Keny Arroyo / 21' ST Lucas Paquetá)
Second Leg: Flamengo 2-1 Cruzeiro (35' PT Giorgian De Arrascaeta, assist by Pedro, and 17' ST Samu Lino, assist by Pedro / 6' ST Lucas Romero)
Flamengo Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Leonardo Jardim
The Portuguese coach, who was born in Venezuela, took charge of ‘Mengão’ on March 4, 2026, signing a contract through the end of 2027 as he inherited the reigning South American champions following Filipe Luís’ departure. His international résumé includes the 2016/17 Ligue 1 title and a UEFA Champions League Semi-final with Monaco, as well as previous spells with Sporting and Olympiacos.
The Round of 16 presented a particularly meaningful challenge because of his recent past at Cruzeiro, where he had coached during 2025. Jardim came through the tie after a 1-1 draw at the Mineirão and a 2-1 victory at the Maracanã, sealing a 3-2 aggregate win and keeping Flamengo’s title defence alive.
His team now head into the Quarter-finals still unbeaten in the competition. After dominating their group with 16 points from a possible 18, Flamengo also delivered in their first knockout tie: they had to come from behind in the first leg before prevailing in a demanding return match in Rio de Janeiro. Their next challenge will be against the winner of Independiente del Valle vs Deportes Tolima, with Jardim already among South America’s final eight in his first CONMEBOL Libertadores campaign in charge of the club.
Full Flamengo Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Goalkeepers: 1. Agustin Rossi - 42. Andrew Da Silva - 49. Francisco Bento - 58. Leonardo Nannetti - 84. Gabriel Werneck.
Defenders: 2. Guillermo Varela - 3. Leonardo Rech - 4. Leonardo Pereira - 13. Danilo Luiz Da Silva - 22. Emerson Leite De Souza - 44. Vitor Da Silva - 61. João De Souza - 66. Gustavo Nunes - 74. Gusttavo De Sousa - 77. Johnny Goes - 87. Daniel Marinho.
Midfielders: 5. Erick Pulgar - 8. Saul Esclapez - 10. Giorgian De Arrascaeta - 15. Jorge Carrascal - 16. Samuel Lino - 18. Diego De La Cruz - 20. Lucas Tolentino Coelho - 21. Jorge Frello - 47. Guilherme Henrique - 50. Juan Sayago - 51. Daniel Sales - 54. Joao Andrade - 56. Pablo Lucio - 64. Wallace De Souza - 72. Lucas Vieira - 75. Luiz Felipe Mariano - 79. Caio Lana - 82. Jheferson Medino - 99. Lorran Pereira.
Forwards: 6. Ayrton Dantas - 7. Luiz De Araujo - 9. Pedro Abreu - 11. Everton Sousa - 19. Gonzalo Plata - 26. Alex Lobo - 27. Bruno Pinto - 39. Josmar Miranda - 52. Evertton Fernandes - 57. Isaac Rodrigues - 59. Alan Santos - 62. Diego Reyes - 69. Luiz Da Silva - 80. João Camargo - 81. Douglas Costa.
Flamengo’s Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Giorgian de Arrascaeta
Giorgian de Arrascaeta remains one of the key figures for a Flamengo side defending their continental title. After finishing the Group Stage with two goals and one assist, the Uruguayan once again stepped up when the knockout rounds began: he opened the scoring in the 2-1 victory over Cruzeiro at the Maracanã, a result that secured a 3-2 aggregate win and a place in the Quarter-finals.
The second leg also carried historic significance for the midfielder. De Arrascaeta reached 100 appearances in the CONMEBOL Libertadores and marked the milestone by scoring his 19th goal in the competition, 13 of them for Flamengo. He also extended a remarkable record at this stage of the tournament: he has scored in the Round of 16 in five different editions, a tally surpassed only by Juan Román Riquelme in the competition’s history.
A CONMEBOL Libertadores champion with Flamengo in 2019, 2022 and 2025, he will once again enter the Quarter-finals as one of the players capable of making the difference in a tight knockout tie. Alongside his titles and vast experience, he can now add another significant achievement: membership in the select group of players to have reached 100 appearances in South America’s premier club competition.
Flamengo’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Bruno Henrique
Bruno Henrique remains Flamengo’s leading scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores. His four goals, all scored during the Group Stage, still leave him top of the club’s scoring charts following the victory over Cruzeiro. He has also contributed two assists, taking his total to six direct goal involvements in the campaign.
The forward was unable to add to his tally in the Round of 16, although he came close at the Mineirão: with the score still 0-0, one of his efforts struck the post before half-time. Flamengo eventually drew 1-1 in Belo Horizonte before winning 2-1 at the Maracanã to take the tie 3-2 on aggregate and advance to the Quarter-finals.
At 35, Bruno Henrique continues to play a central role in another continental campaign for ‘Mengão’. After featuring prominently in the club’s runs in 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2025, he heads into the Quarter-finals as the reigning champions’ leading scorer in this edition, with another opportunity to add to a story closely associated with decisive CONMEBOL Libertadores nights.
Flamengo’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Pedro
Pedro entered the Round of 16 with two goals and one assist from the Group Stage, but against Cruzeiro he showed another dimension to his influence. He did not score in the second leg at the Maracanã, yet he was directly involved in both goals in the 2-1 victory: he played a part in the move that ended with Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s opener and then assisted Samu Lino for the goal that secured qualification. It was the first time he had recorded two assists in a single CONMEBOL competition match.
His contribution adds another layer to a record that already places him among the continent’s most decisive forwards. Since 2022, he has been the top scorer in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, with 24 goals, but the tie against Cruzeiro confirmed that his attacking influence goes beyond finishing. In their No. 9, Flamengo also have a player capable of linking play and creating advantages when space becomes limited.
The reigning champions advanced with a 3-2 aggregate victory, and Pedro heads into the Quarter-finals with two goals and three assists in the current edition. His greatest threat remains inside the penalty area, but the Round of 16 offered an additional warning to Flamengo’s next opponents: even when he does not score, Pedro can still be the player who tips a knockout tie in his team’s favour.
Flamengo’s History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
Flamengo are the defining club of the tournament’s modern era: four-time champions of South America, lifting the trophy in 1981 with Zico, in 2019 after their dramatic triumph in Lima, in 2022 in Guayaquil and again in Lima in 2025, when Danilo scored the winner against Palmeiras. They were also runners-up in 2021.
The 2026 edition finds Flamengo in a familiar role: defending champions, owners of the best Group Stage record and among the leading contenders once again. The victory over Cruzeiro confirmed that they remain on course for a goal Brazilian football has never achieved before: a fifth CONMEBOL Libertadores title.
