- The 2023 champions advanced as runners-up in Group C and will face Independiente Rivadavia in the Round of 16, with the first leg at the Maracanã.
- From a difficult start to a revival under Luis Zubeldía, with John Kennedy leading the scoring and Hulk arriving as a major new addition.
Fluminense know what it means to suffer in the CONMEBOL Libertadores — and they also know what it takes to be crowned champions. The 2023 winners endured a group stage that began like a nightmare, collecting just one point from their opening three matches after defeats to Independiente Rivadavia at the Maracanã and Bolívar at altitude in La Paz.
However, their campaign ended as a demonstration of character. Seven points from their final three matches secured second place in Group C, behind the surprise package from Mendoza, with ‘Flu’ going unbeaten during the decisive stretch.
The comeback bore the imprint of Luis Zubeldía. With Fluminense bottom of the group on one point, the Argentine coach publicly promised that his side would qualify — and he delivered. A draw in Mendoza, victory over Bolívar and a 3-1 win against Deportivo La Guaira on the final matchday sealed their place in the next round.
“I never lost that belief at any point,” he said afterwards. He was equally clear when looking ahead: “Everything changes now. South American football is extremely evenly matched. My belief is unshakable. We will take it one round at a time.”
Their current form is also encouraging. The Rio de Janeiro side sit fourth in the Brasileirão and head into the Round of 16 with renewed momentum, further strengthened during the transfer window by the arrival of Hulk and Thiago Silva as their marquee signing.
A familiar opponent now awaits: Independiente Rivadavia, the winners of their group and a team Fluminense failed to beat in either of their two previous meetings. The first leg will be played at the Maracanã, with the tie to be decided in Mendoza and a place in the Quarter-finals — against either Platense or Coquimbo Unido — awaiting the winners.
Fluminense in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
Group C
Matchday 1: Deportivo La Guaira 0-0 Fluminense
Matchday 2: Fluminense 1-2 Independiente Rivadavia
Goals: Guilherme Arana (10') / Fabrizio Sartori (37') and Álex Arce (51')
Matchday 3: Bolívar 2-0 Fluminense
Goals: Robson Matheus (6' and 61')
Matchday 4: Independiente Rivadavia 1-1 Fluminense
Goals: Álex Arce (66') / John Kennedy (90+1')
Matchday 5: Fluminense 2-1 Bolívar
Goals: Lucho Acosta (6') and John Kennedy (70') / Carlos Melgar (24')
Matchday 6: Fluminense 3-1 Deportivo La Guaira
Goals: Jefferson Savarino (9', penalty), Hércules (27') and Agustín Canobbio (66') / Fabián Londoño (11')
Round of 16
First Leg: Fluminense vs. Independiente Rivadavia
Tuesday, August 11, at 7:00 p.m. Brasília time
Maracanã Stadium, Rio de Janeiro
Second Leg: Independiente Rivadavia vs. Fluminense
Tuesday, August 18, at 7:00 p.m. local time
Malvinas Argentinas Stadium, Mendoza
Fluminense Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Luis Zubeldía
The Argentine joined ‘Flu’ in September 2025 with a career defined by his precocious beginnings. He made his managerial debut at Lanús at just 27, becoming the youngest head coach in Argentina’s top flight, before building a career across the continent with spells at Barcelona de Guayaquil, Racing, Independiente Medellín, Cerro Porteño and Liga de Quito, where he reached the pinnacle: winning both the 2023 CONMEBOL Sudamericana and the Ecuadorian LigaPro title in the same year.
From there, he moved to São Paulo, guiding the club to the Quarter-finals of the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores, before continuing his career in Rio de Janeiro.
At Fluminense, Zubeldía turned adversity into a compelling story. Just days before taking charge of his first match, he underwent a procedure to have a coronary stent fitted. He inherited a team struggling for confidence and transformed a continental campaign that appeared to be slipping away into the qualification he had publicly promised — and ultimately delivered.
His hallmarks — organisation, conviction and an ability to read the key moments of a match — are now ‘Flu’s’ strongest arguments as they dream of claiming the second Gloria Eterna in their history.
Fluminense Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Goalkeepers: 1. Fábio - 24. Zafir Morais - 27. Marcelo De Araujo - 50. Gustavo Félix - 98. Vitor Eudes De Souza Costa.
Defenders: 2. Samuel Xavier - 3. Thiago Silva - 4. Ignacio Da Silva Oliveira - 6. René Rodrigues - 13. Guilherme Arana - 21. Igor Rabello - 22. Juan Freytes - 23. Claudio Rodrigues Gomes - 33. Gabriel De Paula - 44. Jemmes Ribeiro.
Midfielders: 5. Facundo Bernal - 8. Matheus Lima - 10. Paulo Chagas - 11. Jefferson Savarino - 16. Gustavo Nonato - 25. Alisson De Freitas - 29. Julián Millan - 30. Yeferson Soteldo - 32. Luciano Acosta - 35. Hercules Do Nascimento - 37. Breno De Souza Britez - 40. Andrey Oliveira - 47. Paulo Cabral - 48. Peter Carvalho - 51. Ruan Sales - 91. Davi Melo.
Forwards: 7. Hulk - 9. John Kennedy - 14. Germán Cano - 15. Matheus Dos Reis - 17. Agustín Canobbio - 19. Rodrigo Castillo - 28. Riquelme Silva - 31. Kaio Borges - 34. Wesley De Freitas - 36. Vagno De Sousa - 38. Isack Pereira - 39. Keven Moreira - 42. João Silverio - 43. Richard Wendel Da Silva Bittencourt - 45. Naarã Lucas Teixeira Ferreira Dos Santos - 46. Julio Lima - 49. Enzo Munerato - 90. Kevin Serna - 94. Otavio Passos.
Fluminense’s Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Lucho Acosta
The Argentine is the creative engine of the team. Named MLS Most Valuable Player in 2023, he arrived in Rio de Janeiro to provide ‘Flu’ with the qualities needed to make the step up on the continental stage: composure, the final pass and goals — including the opener in the crucial victory over Bolívar at the Maracanã. With his left foot as his compass, the former FC Cincinnati player took control of the team’s play during the most decisive stretch of the group stage.
His partnership with Jefferson Savarino and Agustín Canobbio — both of whom started all six matches and scored once — gave Zubeldía’s side a high-quality attacking trio behind John Kennedy. It is one of the main reasons why ‘Flu’ head into the knockout rounds as an opponent nobody wants to face.
Fluminense’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: John Kennedy
His name is permanently etched into the club’s history: it was John Kennedy who scored the title-winning goal against Boca Juniors in the 2023 final, during extra time at the Maracanã. Three years later, he has once again become the man for the biggest moments. He struck the dramatic equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Independiente Rivadavia in Mendoza — a goal that kept Fluminense’s qualification hopes alive — and scored the winner in the 2-1 victory over Bolívar on the night their comeback was finally completed.
The 2026 season has marked his arrival at full footballing maturity. Midway through the year, he matched his career-best tally of 12 goals in a single season and even moved to the top of the Brasileirão scoring charts. The striker who burst onto the scene during the historic 2023 triumph is now a central figure in the attack and heads into the Round of 16 in the finest form of his career.
Fluminense’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Hulk
He is the most intriguing unknown heading into the Round of 16. At 39, the club icon joined Fluminense on a free transfer from Atlético Mineiro at the beginning of May, signing a contract through the end of 2027. He was unveiled in front of a large crowd at the Maracanã and handed the No. 7 shirt.
Hulk did not feature in the group stage, as his arrival came after the competition was already underway, but Zubeldía stated following qualification that he hopes to have the forward available for the upcoming continental clashes against Independiente Rivadavia.
His pedigree in knockout football speaks for itself: a CONMEBOL Libertadores champion with ‘Galo’ in 2013, a historic goalscorer and a specialist in the biggest occasions. Should his registration be confirmed for the tie against the Mendoza side, ‘Flu’ will add a match-winner whose impact no opponent can fully prepare for.
Fluminense’s History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
Fluminense are competing in the CONMEBOL Libertadores for the 11th time, with one title already in their trophy cabinet: the 2023 crown, secured against Boca Juniors thanks to John Kennedy’s unforgettable goal at the Maracanã. They followed that triumph by winning the 2024 CONMEBOL Recopa.
Runners-up in 2008 and regular contenders on the continental stage over the past decade, Zubeldía’s ‘Flu’ turned a difficult start into a qualification campaign full of character. They now dream of seeing the journey that begins against Independiente Rivadavia — the opponents they failed to beat in the group stage — end once again at the summit of the Gloria Eterna.
