- Their only previous meetings in the CONMEBOL Libertadores came in the 1971 Group Stage, with each side recording an away victory.
- They will now face each other in a knockout tie for the first time in the competition, with a place in the Montevideo Final at stake.
Fluminense and Palmeiras will meet again in the CONMEBOL Libertadores after 55 years. The 2026 Semi-finals revive a fixture with just two previous meetings in the history of the competition, both of them coming in the 1971 Group Stage. This time, however, the stakes will be very different, with a direct place in the Final on the line.
The head-to-head record is remarkably balanced. Each side has one victory, and both wins came away from home. Fluminense claimed a 2-0 victory at Palmeiras, while the ‘Verdão’ responded with a 3-1 win when the Rio de Janeiro side were the hosts. As a result, both teams have scored three goals and conceded three in the fixture.
The opening chapter went the ‘Tricolor’s way, as they secured a 2-0 away victory. That result marked the beginning of their shared history in the competition and remains Fluminense’s only win over Palmeiras in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The most notable detail from that match, which was decided by two Flávio goals, is that it represented ‘Flu’s first-ever appearance in the competition. They would not return to the CONMEBOL Libertadores until 1985 and, after another 23-year absence, again in 2008.
The ‘Verdão’ responded in the second meeting of that Group Stage, on the final matchday. Palmeiras claimed a 3-1 away victory, levelled the head-to-head record and secured direct qualification to the Second Stage, with only the group winners advancing in that edition.
Their paths did not cross again in the competition until this year. In recent seasons, ‘Flu’ have become a regular presence in the tournament they won in 2023, when they defeated Boca Juniors in the Final at the Maracanã. Palmeiras, meanwhile, have made 26 appearances in the competition and are enjoying a golden era on the international stage, highlighted by their 2020 and 2021 titles as well as their run to the 2025 Final.
Fluminense will host the first leg of the tie on 14 October, with Palmeiras staging the return fixture on 21 October. Unlike in 1971, there will be no group-stage points at stake this time: the two matches will directly determine one of the finalists. More than half a century later, Fluminense and Palmeiras will add the most important chapters yet to their shared history in the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
