- A Flamengo icon, Giorgian De Arrascaeta was part of the Cruzeiro side that eliminated his current club from the CONMEBOL Libertadores in 2018.
- For Cruzeiro, Gérson will have the opportunity to face his former club, with whom he won the continental title twice.
Among the many storylines surrounding the tie, the CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16 will mark the return of a familiar face for Cruzeiro supporters who is now shining in Flamengo’s red and black: Giorgian De Arrascaeta will once again play a leading role in a knockout tie between the two teams, eight years later and this time wearing different colours.
In 2018, despite finishing the group stage unbeaten, Flamengo placed second in Group D behind eventual champions River Plate. Cruzeiro, meanwhile, topped Group E ahead of teams including Racing Club and Vasco da Gama.
Flamengo’s squad already featured Everton Ribeiro, who had worn Cruzeiro’s colours between 2013 and 2015. Alongside Arrascaeta at Cruzeiro was current first-team midfielder Lucas Silva, then in his second spell at the club on loan from Real Madrid.
In the first leg at the Maracanã, it was Arrascaeta who opened the scoring. Just ten minutes into the match, the Uruguayan calmly found the corner past Diego Alves to begin building Cruzeiro’s advantage. Thiago Neves — another former Flamengo player, although more closely associated with rivals Fluminense — then doubled the lead to seal a 2-0 victory ahead of the return leg at the Mineirão.
In the second match, Flamengo, with Lucas Paquetá among the starters, earned a 1-0 away victory, but it was not enough to overturn Cruzeiro’s advantage.
Now, in 2026, Arrascaeta will reunite with Cruzeiro, while Cruzeiro midfielder Gérson will face Flamengo again, the club with whom he won the CONMEBOL Libertadores in 2019 and 2025. He has never previously faced Cruzeiro in the competition and now has the chance to add his name to a rivalry defined by titles and reunions on both sides.
