- The Argentine striker opened the scoring in Palmeiras' 2-1 win over Fluminense in the CONMEBOL Libertadores semi-final first leg in Rio de Janeiro.
- Since joining the Verdão, 'Flaco' has refined his strengths, added new dimensions to his game and developed into a complete player who is vital to the way Abel Ferreira's side operate.
Resilience has been a constant throughout the Corrientes-born forward's career. He endured a difficult path before making his first-team debut and faced criticism during his early days with the São Paulo side. Today, among the club's all-time leading foreign goalscorers, he continues to repay his manager's faith in him, displaying qualities that have made him indispensable. “López is hard work, growth and gratitude,” his manager acknowledged.
José Manuel López, known as 'Flaco', once again made his mark on another memorable night in the CONMEBOL Libertadores. Defending runners-up Palmeiras beat Fluminense at the Maracanã, and the 25-year-old Argentine became the first player to reach four goals and four assists in this edition of the 'Eternal Glory'.
Alongside his goalscoring instinct and constant desire to find the back of the net, López has added new elements to his technical repertoire since arriving in Brazil, reshaping his style and developing into an all-round forward. Intelligent both on and off the ball, the striker, who was born in San Lorenzo in Corrientes province, has added greater mobility, an ability to create space and improved link-up play to his game. Playing in a team filled with high-quality players has also helped accelerate the development of the former Lanús academy graduate.
To reach the level that now makes him a reference point in Palmeiras' attack, the striker had to overcome difficult periods. “I was heavily criticised for bringing López in. The player was criticised and treated harshly here, but he showed resilience. I don't like throwing away almost two years of work and getting rid of a player without developing him. I want to improve him, and that's what happened,” said Abel Ferreira, who won the CONMEBOL Libertadores with Palmeiras in 2020 and 2021, after the Verdão were eliminated from the 2024 edition.
Just as he had shown no hesitation in joining Colegiales de Tres Arroyos during his development — helping the club earn promotion to the Torneo Regional Federal Amateur, the fourth tier of Argentine football, in 2019 — López responded to criticism by keeping his head down and working to prove his ability on the pitch. His chance to turn things around was not long in coming.
He finished as the top scorer in the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores with seven goals and reached the Final with the São Paulo side, who were beaten by Flamengo. In South America's leading club competition, he has already recorded 14 goals and nine assists in 40 appearances. There is still one major ambition on his wish list, however: winning an international title.
His influence in this year's edition, despite the injury-enforced absence of Vitor Roque, his fellow forward, is fuelling the hopes of an entire fanbase that came within touching distance of another major triumph less than a year ago.
“He has everything it takes to become a world-class centre-forward at Palmeiras. I treat him as if he were my son,” Ferreira said of López. The manager identified the Argentine as one of the players he demands the most from and explained that they communicate regularly on WhatsApp, where he sends videos showing the movements he wants López to incorporate into his game as he continues to improve.
'Flaco', who represented Argentina at the 2026 World Cup this season, played a decisive role in the semi-final first leg against Fluminense. Next Wednesday's second leg at Nubank Parque will offer the Corrientes-born forward another opportunity to showcase his quality in this more complete, evolved version of himself, with one clear objective in sight: the Final on 28 November at the Estadio Centenario.
