- The 2023 champions defeated Platense 3-2 on aggregate to reach the CONMEBOL Libertadores Semi-finals, where they will face Palmeiras.
- Agustín Canobbio scored the decisive goal in Vicente López, while Hulk and Fábio once again proved crucial for Marcão’s side.
Fluminense know what it means to suffer and survive in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The 2023 champions endured a Group Stage campaign that began with just one point from their opening three matches before taking seven of the final nine available to secure second place in Group C. That resilience resurfaced in the knockout rounds: after overcoming Independiente Rivadavia on penalties in the Round of 16, they eliminated Platense in the Quarter-finals to book their place among the final four teams on the continent.
The Round of 16 marked a turning point. Between the goalless draw at the Maracanã and the return leg in Mendoza, Luis Zubeldía left his position and Marcão took over on an interim basis. At the Malvinas Argentinas, ‘Flu’ held firm with ten men for much of the second half following Agustín Canobbio’s dismissal and, after conceding a dramatic late equaliser in a 1-1 draw, they found a hero in the experienced Fábio. The goalkeeper saved two penalties in the shootout to seal qualification.
Against Platense, the Rio de Janeiro side built their advantage at the Maracanã. Goals from Nonato and Hulk secured a 2-0 victory and gave them a valuable cushion ahead of the trip to Argentina. Hulk, who had joined the club as a reinforcement for the decisive stages of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, played a part in both goals: he provided the assist for the opener before scoring the second, in a performance that moved Marcão’s team closer to the Semi-finals.
The return leg once again tested their ability to respond under pressure. Guido Mainero and Bruno Sepúlveda scored for Platense before half-time to temporarily level the tie in Vicente López. In the second half, Canobbio struck after an assist from Hulk to score the goal that ultimately decided the series. Despite losing 2-1 on the night, Fluminense advanced 3-2 on aggregate, with Fábio once again providing security as ‘El Calamar’ pushed for a late goal.
Their next challenge will be Palmeiras in an all-Brazilian showdown for a place in the Final in Montevideo. Fluminense will host the first leg before deciding the tie away from home. After recovering from a difficult start to the competition and coming through two demanding knockout rounds, the 2023 champions remain firmly in pursuit of another taste of ‘Eternal Glory’.
Fluminense in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results and schedule
Group C - Matchday 1: Deportivo La Guaira 0-0 Fluminense.
Group C - Matchday 2: Fluminense 1-2 Independiente Rivadavia (10' 1H Guilherme Arana / 37' 1H Fabrizio Sartori and 6' 2H Álex Arce).
Group C - Matchday 3: Bolívar 2-0 Fluminense (6' 1H and 16' 2H Robson Matheus).
Group C - Matchday 4: Independiente Rivadavia 1-1 Fluminense (21' 2H Álex Arce / 45+1' 2H John Kennedy).
Group C - Matchday 5: Fluminense 2-1 Bolívar (6' 1H Lucho Acosta and 25' 2H John Kennedy / 24' 1H Carlos Melgar).
Group C - Matchday 6: Fluminense 3-1 Deportivo La Guaira (9' 1H Jefferson Savarino —penalty—, 27' 1H Hércules and 21' 2H Agustín Canobbio / 11' 1H Fabián Londoño).
Round of 16 - First leg: Fluminense 0-0 Independiente Rivadavia.
Round of 16 - Second leg: Independiente Rivadavia 1-1 Fluminense (45+7' 2H Álex Arce —penalty— / 30' 2H Kevin Serna, assisted by Hércules). Fluminense won the penalty shootout 5-4, with Fábio making two saves.
Quarter-finals - First leg: Fluminense 2-0 Platense (21' 1H Nonato and 31' 1H Hulk).
Quarter-finals - Second leg: Platense 2-1 Fluminense (Guido Mainero and Bruno Sepúlveda / Agustín Canobbio). Fluminense advanced 3-2 on aggregate.
Semi-finals - First leg: Fluminense vs Palmeiras. Wednesday, October 14, at 9:30pm, at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Semi-finals - Second leg: Palmeiras vs Fluminense. Wednesday, October 21, at 9:30pm, at NuBank Parque in São Paulo.
All kick-off times are local.
Fluminense head coach in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: Marcão
Luis Zubeldía stepped down as Fluminense head coach following the goalless draw against Independiente Rivadavia in the first leg of the Round of 16. The decision came during the team’s most difficult spell of the season, amid a seven-match winless run and growing questions over their attacking performances.
Permanent assistant Marcão took over on an interim basis and was immediately handed a major challenge: keeping Fluminense alive in the CONMEBOL Libertadores with the tie still completely open. After making his debut with a comeback victory over Palmeiras in the Brasileirão, he led the team in Mendoza and secured qualification in difficult circumstances. Reduced to ten men from the 12th minute of the second half, his substitutions had a direct impact: Kevin Serna came off the bench and scored the opener following an assist from Hércules. Independiente Rivadavia equalised from the penalty spot late on, but Fábio saved two attempts in the shootout to seal a 5-4 victory.
In the Quarter-finals, Marcão’s side took another step forward by overcoming Platense. A 2-0 victory at the Maracanã, with goals from Nonato and Hulk, allowed them to build what would prove to be a decisive advantage. In the return leg, the Argentine side levelled the tie before half-time, but Fluminense responded in the second half: Agustín Canobbio pulled one back after an assist from Hulk to secure a 3-2 aggregate victory. The coach, praised by his own players for his ability to take their views into account, once again found answers from a team capable of withstanding pressure and making the most of its opportunities.
The next challenge will be Palmeiras, with a place in the Final in Montevideo at stake. After taking charge with Fluminense’s continental campaign hanging in the balance, Marcão guided the club through two knockout rounds and into the final four in South America. The 2023 champions therefore remain in contention to lift ‘Eternal Glory’ once again.
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 key player in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: Hulk
At 40 years of age, Hulk played a decisive role in Fluminense’s run to the CONMEBOL Libertadores Semi-finals. The forward was directly involved in all three of the team’s goals against Platense: at the Maracanã, he assisted Nonato for the opener before scoring the second in the 2-0 victory. His power, ability to combine with his team-mates and precision around the penalty area gave Marcão’s side an advantage that would ultimately prove decisive.
In the return leg in Vicente López, he stepped up again when ‘Flu’ needed him most. Platense had levelled the tie with two goals before half-time, but Hulk led a counter-attack and set up Agustín Canobbio for the goal that secured a 3-2 aggregate victory. A CONMEBOL Libertadores champion with Atlético Mineiro in 2013, the striker will look to use his experience and quality against Palmeiras as Fluminense aim to move one step closer to another taste of ‘Eternal Glory’.
Fluminense top scorers in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: John Kennedy and Agustín Canobbio
John Kennedy has already written his name into the club’s history: it was his goal against Boca Juniors in the 2023 Final, during extra time at the Maracanã, that secured the title. Three years later, he once again proved to be the man for the big moments: he scored a dramatic late equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Independiente Rivadavia in Mendoza and the winning goal in the 2-1 victory over Bolívar, two crucial contributions that helped sustain the team’s recovery in the Group Stage.
His two goals make him Fluminense’s joint top scorer in this edition alongside Agustín Canobbio. The Uruguayan, who had already found the net in the 3-1 victory over Deportivo La Guaira, reached the same tally with his goal against Platense in the second leg of the Quarter-finals. After receiving an assist from Hulk, he finished inside the penalty area to score the goal that secured ‘Flu’s 3-2 aggregate victory.
With important contributions at different stages of the campaign, both players have been decisive in keeping the team alive in the competition. Kennedy made his mark when qualification for the Round of 16 was under threat; Canobbio stepped up to rescue a tie that had become complicated in Vicente López. Now, against Palmeiras, they will look to score again and take the 2023 champions one step closer to another Final.
Fluminense X-factor in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: Fábio
Fluminense have a guarantee of experience between the posts. Fábio, a champion with the club in 2023 and the all-time appearance record holder in the competition, once again demonstrated his importance during a campaign that demanded responses in high-pressure situations. In a team that underwent a change of coach in the middle of the knockout stages, his experience and composure proved crucial in sustaining their continental ambitions, alongside Thiago Silva as another key pillar.
His most decisive contribution came in the Round of 16 against Independiente Rivadavia. After two draws and a second leg in which ‘Flu’ played much of the second half with ten men, the goalkeeper saved efforts from José Florentín and Rodrigo Atencio in the shootout. Those two stops sealed a 5-4 victory and a place in the Quarter-finals.
Against Platense, he was once again important in protecting the team’s lead. In Vicente López, the Argentine side pushed until the final whistle in search of the goal that would have taken the tie to penalties, but came up against the resistance of Fábio and a defence repeatedly tested by crosses into the box. Against Palmeiras, his ability to perform under pressure could prove decisive in a tie with a place in the Final at stake.
Fluminense’s history in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
Fluminense are competing in their 11th edition of the CONMEBOL Libertadores with one title already in their trophy cabinet: the 2023 crown, won against Boca Juniors at the Maracanã thanks to John Kennedy’s extra-time goal. Runners-up in 2008 and also winners of the CONMEBOL Recopa in 2024, ‘Flu’ have returned to the final four in South America and remain in pursuit of a second title in the competition.
The 2026 edition has demanded further displays of resilience. After finishing second in Group C, Fluminense eliminated Independiente Rivadavia following two draws and a penalty shootout in Mendoza, where Fábio saved two spot-kicks to seal a 5-4 victory. In the Quarter-finals, they overcame Platense 3-2 on aggregate: they won 2-0 at the Maracanã and, despite a 2-1 defeat in Vicente López, advanced thanks to Agustín Canobbio’s goal.
Their next challenge will be Palmeiras, in a CONMEBOL Libertadores meeting that will take place again after 55 years: their only previous encounters in the competition came in the 1971 Group Stage. With Marcão in charge and several players who already know what it means to conquer the continent, Fluminense will look to take another step towards the Final in Montevideo and move closer to another taste of ‘Eternal Glory’.
