- Fluminense, who have never lost at home in a knockout stage, host Palmeiras at the Maracanã, with the visitors playing their 13th semifinal.
- Estudiantes and Flamengo, who have never lost a knockout semifinal tie in the tournament, open their series on Thursday in La Plata with their fifth meeting in 13 months.
The 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores reaches its semifinals with four teams who already know what it takes to win it and two ties of opposite character. Fluminense and Palmeiras have almost no shared history in the tournament: they met twice, in the 1971 group stage, and will now play their first knockout tie. Estudiantes and Flamengo, by contrast, know each other inside out: this week's match will be their fifth in 13 months, after the 2025 quarterfinals and this edition's group stage.
The first legs will be played on Wednesday, October 14 in Rio de Janeiro and on Thursday, October 15 in La Plata. The return legs will follow a week later, in São Paulo and again at the Maracanã. Brazil has three representatives and Argentina one in the race to reach the final on Saturday, November 28 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.
Fluminense vs. Palmeiras
A Brazilian clash the tournament barely knows. Fluminense and Palmeiras have met only twice in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, in the 1971 group stage, and the away side won both times: the 'Flu' won 2-0 in São Paulo, on their very first appearance in the tournament, and the 'Verdão' replied with a 3-1 win at the Maracanã. Fifty-five years later they meet again at the same stadium, in a tie that guarantees Brazil a place in the final.
The 'Tricolor' arrive with a strength that runs through their history: they have never lost at home in a CONMEBOL Libertadores knockout stage, with 15 wins and five draws in 20 matches. Nor have they tasted defeat in the semifinals: they have played four matches at this stage, winning two and drawing two, and both times, in 2008 and 2023, they reached the final. Marcão's side knocked out Platense 3-2 on aggregate: they won 2-0 in Rio de Janeiro with goals from Nonato and Hulk, and in Vicente López, when trailing 2-0, found the goal from Agustín Canobbio 12 minutes into the second half that settled the tie. Hulk was involved in all three of their goals over the two legs and Fábio, who has played every minute of the campaign, preserved the result at the end.
Fluminense in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results, Squad and Schedule
Palmeiras are playing their 13th semifinal, more than any other Brazilian club, and the sixth of the Abel Ferreira era. To get here they had to come through a tie decided on the finest of margins against Liga de Quito: they won 1-0 in São Paulo with a goal from Agustín Giay, were 2-1 up in Ecuador thanks to goals from Marlon Freitas and Vitor Roque, and two stoppage-time goals from Michael Estrada sent the tie to penalties. That was when Carlos Miguel stepped up, saving two spot kicks for a 4-3 shootout win. José Manuel López, with three goals and four assists, is the team's top scorer and top assist provider in this edition, and Jhon Arias, also with three goals, faces the club with which he was crowned champion of America in 2023.
The tie brings together two ways of attacking. Fluminense have the player with the most line-breaking passes in the final third since the start of the group stage, Lucho Acosta, with 23, and the one with the most runs in behind the defenders, Canobbio, with 75. Palmeiras respond with Arias, involved in 59 sequences ending in a shot, the second-highest figure in the tournament, and with a record that backs them away from home: they have taken points from six of their last nine away matches against Brazilian sides in the competition. The 'Flu', with the highest average age among the semifinalists, rely on experience and the Maracanã; the 'Verdão', on extending an era in which they have already won the title twice.
Palmeiras in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results, Squad and Schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Jornalista Mário Filho (Maracanã), Rio de Janeiro
Date and time: Wednesday, October 14 at 9:30 PM
Referee: Facundo Tello (ARG)
VAR: Silvio Trucco (ARG)
The match in numbers:
- Palmeiras and Fluminense have met twice in the CONMEBOL Libertadores and each won their away match when they faced each other in the 1971 group stage. The Verdão won 3-1 at the Maracanã with goals from César Maluco, Héctor Silva and Pio, while Samarone scored for the Tricolor.
- Fluminense are playing their third CONMEBOL Libertadores semifinal. The Tricolor are unbeaten in the four matches they have played at this stage (2W 2D), scoring at least two goals per game and always advancing to the final (2008 and 2023).
- Palmeiras are playing their 13th CONMEBOL Libertadores semifinal; no other Brazilian team has taken part in more than 10. Three of those ties were against Brazilian opponents, eliminating Corinthians in 2000 and Atlético Mineiro in 2021, but falling to Athletico Paranaense in 2022.
- Fluminense have never lost a home match in a CONMEBOL Libertadores knockout stage: 15 wins and 5 draws in 20 games. Five of those were against Brazilian opponents (4W 1D).
- Fluminense have the highest average age of starting lineups among the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores semifinalists (30 years and 353 days) and the third highest among all teams, behind Santa Fe (31y 261d) and Bolívar (31y 148d). In their last three matches in the tournament, the Flu's starting lineups averaged more than 33 years.
- Jhon Arias (Palmeiras) has been involved in 59 sequences ending in shots (excluding set pieces) in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: 24 shots, 18 chances created and 17 involvements in the build-up. It is the second-highest figure in the competition, behind the 60 of Jordy Alcívar (Independiente del Valle).
- Since the start of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage, the player with the most line-breaking passes in the final third is Fluminense's Lucho Acosta (23). However, the two players with the most passes breaking the defensive line are from Palmeiras: Marlon Freitas (18) and 'Flaco' López (14).
- 'Flaco' López is Palmeiras' top scorer (3, level with Jhon Arias) and top assist provider (4) in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores. In fact, he is one of only two players with 3+ goals and 3+ assists in the competition, alongside Sebastián Villa (3G 3A).
- Agustín Canobbio (Fluminense) is the player with the most runs in behind the defensive line in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, with 75, eight more than Kaio Jorge (Cruzeiro).
Fluminense vs. Palmeiras Kit
Estudiantes vs. Flamengo
They know each other inside out. Estudiantes and Flamengo will play their fifth match in 13 months: in the 2025 quarterfinals each won at home and the 'Mengão' advanced on penalties, and in this edition's group stage they drew 1-1 in La Plata and the Brazilian side won 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro. Now they meet with a fact that makes this matchup unique: neither has ever lost a knockout semifinal tie in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. Both advanced on all four occasions they played one, and this time one of them will fall by the wayside.
The 'Pincha' are back among the last four for the first time since 2009, the year of their last title, after a night to remember in São Paulo. Following the 1-1 draw in La Plata, they beat Corinthians 1-0 with a volley from Alexis Castro 42 minutes into the second half, and held on to qualify when Memphis Depay missed a penalty with the last kick of the game. Alexander Medina's side have lost only once in this edition, precisely at the Maracanã, and are strong at home: they are unbeaten in 29 of their 31 home matches in the final stages of the tournament, and their opponents average just eight touches inside their box when they play in La Plata. Fernando Muslera has played every minute in goal, Guido Carrillo and Tiago Palacios have three goals each and Ezequiel Piovi, with 23, is among the ten players with the most tackles in the tournament.
Estudiantes in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results, Squad and Schedule
Flamengo are defending their crown without having lost in this edition: seven wins and three draws in ten matches. Leonardo Jardim's side settled their tie against Independiente del Valle with a 2-0 win in Quito, with goals from Bruno Henrique and Léo Pereira, and a 1-1 draw at the Maracanã in which they played the last half hour with ten men after Jorginho's sending-off, until Giorgian de Arrascaeta headed the equalizer 38 minutes into the second half. It is their eighth semifinal and their fifth since 2019: in the previous four they reached the final. The 'Mengão' are unbeaten in 20 of their last 21 CONMEBOL Libertadores matches, and the only defeat came at this very stadium, the 1-0 loss to Estudiantes in the 2025 quarterfinals. Bruno Henrique, their top scorer with five goals from 13 shots, has the highest conversion rate in the tournament among players with more than five shots.
The most recent precedent in La Plata offers a clue. In April's 1-1 draw, Estudiantes completed 78 passes in the final third to Flamengo's 39, the champions' lowest figure in the whole edition. Even so, the 'Mengão' are the only team in the tournament averaging more than two direct attacks and more than two build-up attacks per match, and they arrive backed by the recent history of these meetings: Brazilian sides have won five of the last six knockout semifinal ties against Argentine opponents. For Estudiantes, four-time champions, it is a chance to return to a final 17 years on; for Flamengo, to move within one match of retaining the title.
Flamengo in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results, Squad and Schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Jorge Luis Hirschi, La Plata
Date and time: Thursday, October 15 at 9:30 PM
Referee: Juan Gabriel Benítez (PAR)
VAR: Ulises Mereles (PAR)
The match in numbers:
- Estudiantes and Flamengo have met 12 times in CONMEBOL competitions, with five wins for the Brazilians, two for the Argentines and five draws. The Mengão are the Pincha's second most frequent opponent in these competitions (15 matches vs Nacional), while the Pincha are the Mengão's third most frequent opponent (13 vs River, 18 vs Olimpia).
- Estudiantes and Flamengo have never lost a knockout semifinal tie in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, advancing on all four occasions (1968, 1969, 1970 and 2009 for the Pincha; 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2025 for the Mengão). They are the two teams with the most knockout semifinal ties with a 100% success rate in the tournament's history.
- Brazilian teams have won 10 of the 15 knockout semifinal ties against Argentine opponents in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, including five of the last six. In addition, they have advanced in 21 of the last 25 knockout ties at any stage of the tournament.
- Estudiantes are unbeaten in 29 of their 31 home matches in the final stages of the CONMEBOL Libertadores (23W 6D 2L). The Pincha's only defeats were against Athletico Paranaense in 2022 and Barcelona in 1971.
- Flamengo are unbeaten in 20 of their last 21 CONMEBOL Libertadores matches (14W 6D 1L), but the only defeat came precisely against Estudiantes away in the 2025 quarterfinals (0-1).
- In the group stage match in La Plata, Estudiantes had 78 successful passes in the final third to just 39 for Flamengo. It was the Mengão's lowest tally in a 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores match and the third highest for the Pincha.
- Flamengo are the only team in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores averaging more than two direct attacks (2.2) and two build-up attacks (2.7) per match. The Mengão are in the top three for direct attacks (20) and total build-up attacks (24) in the tournament.
- Estudiantes have allowed just 132 touches in their own box in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, an average of 13.2 per match, the third lowest since the start of the group stage (Rosario Central 11.9, Boca 9.8). At home, the average is just eight opposition touches per game.
- Bruno Henrique, Flamengo's top scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, has scored five goals from 13 shots in this edition of the tournament, nine of them on target. He has the highest conversion rate (38%) among players with more than five shots in the current tournament.
- Ezequiel Piovi is among the 10 players with the most tackles in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, with 23. He is also the Estudiantes player who has applied the most high-intensity pressures in the tournament (288).
Estudiantes vs. Flamengo Kit
