- The 2023 champions defeated Independiente Rivadavia on penalties after two draws and advanced to the Quarter-finals, where they will face Platense.
- Fábio was the hero of qualification in Mendoza, while Marcão took interim charge during the tie following Luis Zubeldía’s departure.
Fluminense know what it means to suffer in the CONMEBOL Libertadores — and also what it takes to survive. The 2023 champions endured a Group Stage that began with just one point from their first three matches, before taking seven from the final nine available to secure second place in Group C. That resilience resurfaced in the Round of 16 against the same Independiente Rivadavia side they had been unable to defeat during the opening phase.
The tie began with a 0-0 draw at the Maracanã. Fluminense controlled possession but were unable to break down the Mendoza side’s defensive structure, once again failing to gain an advantage against opponents who had already caused them problems in the Group Stage. The result left everything to be decided at the Malvinas Argentinas.
A significant change took place between the two matches: Luis Zubeldía left his position and Marcão took over on an interim basis. In Mendoza, the new coach also had to deal with an adverse situation when Fluminense were reduced to ten men 12 minutes into the second half. Even so, they took the lead through Kevin Serna. Álex Arce equalised from the penalty spot late on, sending the tie to a shootout.
That was when Fábio took centre stage. The 45-year-old goalkeeper saved attempts from José Florentín and Rodrigo Atencio to seal a 5-4 shootout victory and send ‘Flu’ into the Quarter-finals. His performance provided the stability the team needed after navigating the tie through a coaching change and spending much of the second leg with ten men.
Their next challenge will be Platense, another side who needed penalties to advance. Fluminense are therefore back among South America’s final eight and remain in contention to reclaim the title they won in 2023, after coming through a tie in which experience and resilience ultimately proved just as important as their football.
Fluminense in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
Group C – Matchday 1: Deportivo La Guaira 0-0 Fluminense
Group C – Matchday 2: Fluminense 1-2 Independiente Rivadavia (10' PT Guilherme Arana / 37' PT Fabrizio Sartori and 6' ST Álex Arce)
Group C – Matchday 3: Bolívar 2-0 Fluminense (6' PT and 16' ST Robson Matheus)
Group C – Matchday 4: Independiente Rivadavia 1-1 Fluminense (21' ST Álex Arce / 45+1' ST John Kennedy)
Group C – Matchday 5: Fluminense 2-1 Bolívar (6' PT Lucho Acosta and 25' ST John Kennedy / 24' PT Carlos Melgar)
Group C – Matchday 6: Fluminense 3-1 Deportivo La Guaira (9' PT Jefferson Savarino, penalty; 27' PT Hércules; and 21' ST Agustín Canobbio / 11' PT Fabián Londoño)
Round of 16
First Leg: Fluminense 0-0 Independiente Rivadavia
Second Leg: Independiente Rivadavia 1-1 Fluminense (45+7' ST Álex Arce, penalty / 30' ST Kevin Serna, assist by Hércules). Fluminense won the penalty shootout 5-4, with Fábio making two saves.
Fluminense Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Marcão
Luis Zubeldía left his position 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 run of seven consecutive matches without a win and growing criticism of their attacking performances.
Long-serving assistant Marcão took charge on an interim basis and immediately faced a major challenge: keeping Fluminense alive in the CONMEBOL Libertadores with the tie still completely open. After beginning his spell 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 12 minutes into the second half, Fluminense benefited directly from his substitutions: Kevin Serna came off the bench and scored the opener from a Hércules assist.
Independiente Rivadavia equalised from the penalty spot with the final action of the match, sending the tie to a shootout, where Fábio saved two attempts to seal a 5-4 victory. Marcão therefore came through his first continental knockout tie in charge of ‘Flu’ and guided the 2023 champions back into the Quarter-finals.
Their next challenge will be Platense, one of the revelations of the tournament and another side who advanced on penalties. While Fluminense decide on the longer-term direction of their coaching staff, Marcão has already navigated a critical moment and kept the team in contention for another Eternal Glory.
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 remains one of Fluminense’s main creative forces. Named MLS Most Valuable Player in 2023, he arrived in Rio to provide composure, a decisive final pass and goals, and opened the scoring in the crucial victory over Bolívar at the Maracanã during the Group Stage. With his movement between the lines and ability to accelerate play around the box, he has established himself as one of the main attacking references for the 2023 champions.
He did not add to his tally in the Round of 16, but Fluminense managed to come through a very tight tie against Independiente Rivadavia: both matches ended level before ‘Flu’ prevailed 5-4 on penalties in Mendoza. Acosta missed his attempt in the shootout, but Fábio responded with two saves to secure qualification. Now, against Platense, Fluminense will once again look to the Argentine’s creativity to find spaces against another opponent who reached the Quarter-finals through resilience.
Fluminense’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: John Kennedy
His name is already etched into the club’s history: he scored the title-winning goal against Boca Juniors in the 2023 Final, during extra time at the Maracanã. Three years later, John Kennedy once again proved to be a player for the biggest moments, scoring the dramatic equaliser in Mendoza against Independiente Rivadavia and the 2-1 goal against Bolívar that kept Fluminense’s comeback alive during the Group Stage.
Those two goals still make him Fluminense’s leading scorer in this edition. He was unable to add to his tally in the Round of 16, but ‘Flu’ survived another demanding tie against Independiente Rivadavia: after two draws, they won the penalty shootout 5-4 in Mendoza to advance to the Quarter-finals.
The forward who burst onto the continental stage during the 2023 title run now heads into another knockout tie with an increasingly important role in the attack. Platense will be the next opponents, and John Kennedy enters the series still as Fluminense’s main goalscoring reference in a campaign that keeps alive their hopes of competing for Eternal Glory once again.
Fluminense’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Hulk
Hulk has gone from an unknown quantity to a genuine option in the knockout stage. Signed during the season, he did not feature in the Group Stage but started both Round of 16 matches against Independiente Rivadavia. At 40, his presence has added power, shooting ability and experience to an attack that needed new solutions.
In Mendoza, he was substituted during the second half in one of the changes that ultimately altered the course of the match: Kevin Serna replaced him and, nine minutes later, scored the goal that put ‘Flu’ ahead. Independiente Rivadavia equalised late on, but Fábio secured qualification in the penalty shootout.
His continental pedigree remains a major asset for what lies ahead. With extensive experience in major CONMEBOL Libertadores nights and the ability to decide matches from both inside and outside the box, Hulk gives Marcão a different option for the Quarter-finals. Against Platense, his quality could become one of those weapons capable of changing a tight tie with a single action.
Fluminense’s History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
Fluminense are competing in their 11th CONMEBOL Libertadores campaign with one continental crown already in the trophy cabinet: the 2023 title, won against Boca Juniors at the Maracanã thanks to John Kennedy’s extra-time goal, followed by the 2024 Recopa Sudamericana. Runners-up in 2008 and regular contenders on the continental stage in recent years, ‘Flu’ are once again among South America’s final eight.
The 2026 edition has already demanded another display 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 attempts to seal a 5-4 victory. It marked the seventh time in eight Round of 16 appearances that Fluminense have progressed to the Quarter-finals.
Their next challenge will be Platense, one of the revelations of the tournament. With Marcão in interim charge and an experienced core that already knows what it takes to go all the way, Fluminense keep alive the dream of lifting the Eternal Glory once again, three years after their first continental triumph.
