- The Sangolquí club won Group H with 13 points, eliminated Deportes Tolima 4-1 on aggregate and advanced to the Quarter-finals, where they will face reigning champions Flamengo.
- Two-time CONMEBOL Sudamericana champions, ‘Matagigantes’ are pursuing the only major continental title still missing from their trophy cabinet, with Carlos González as their leading scorer and Junior Sornoza among their key figures.
Independiente del Valle entered the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores carrying their familiar reputation as one of the continent’s most admired talent-development clubs, and turned that reputation into results. They won Group H with 13 points, finishing ahead of Rosario Central, before carrying that solidity into the Round of 16 against Deportes Tolima.
The tie began with a 1-0 victory in Ibagué. Arón Rodríguez scored with a header, while Aldair Quintana preserved the advantage as the Colombian side pushed for an equaliser. One week later, Independiente del Valle won again, this time 3-1 at the Banco Guayaquil, to complete a 4-1 aggregate victory.
Daykol Romero opened the scoring in the second leg and later assisted Carlos González, who reached seven goals in this CONMEBOL Libertadores after scoring six during the Group Stage. Matías Perello completed the scoring late on, while Junior Hernández pulled one back for Tolima with qualification already firmly in Independiente del Valle’s hands.
Their next challenge will raise the level of difficulty even further. Flamengo, champions of the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores, will be their opponents in the Quarter-finals. Independiente del Valle have already won the CONMEBOL Sudamericana in 2019 and 2022 and reached the 2016 CONMEBOL Libertadores Final; ten years after that campaign, they are back among South America’s final eight and still dreaming of lifting the Eternal Glory.
Independiente del Valle in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
Group Stage — Group H
Matchday 1: Rosario Central 0-0 Independiente del Valle
Matchday 2: Independiente del Valle 3-1 Universidad Central (44' PT Jordy Alcívar, 45+5' PT and 18' ST Carlos González / 21' PT Bolívar)
Matchday 3: Libertad 2-3 Independiente del Valle (37' PT and 40' ST Lorenzo Melgarejo, the second from the penalty spot / 33' PT, 6' ST and 20' ST Carlos González)
Matchday 4: Universidad Central 2-0 Independiente del Valle (9' ST Jan Zapata and 22' ST Juan Cuesta)
Matchday 5: Independiente del Valle 4-1 Libertad (38' PT Junior Sornoza, 43' PT Carlos González, 19' ST Justin Lerma and 45+5' ST Djorkaeff Reasco / 45+3' PT Lorenzo Melgarejo)
Matchday 6: Independiente del Valle 1-0 Rosario Central (19' ST Junior Sornoza, penalty)
Round of 16
First Leg: Deportes Tolima 0-1 Independiente del Valle (Arón Rodríguez)
Second Leg: Independiente del Valle 3-1 Deportes Tolima (Daykol Romero, Carlos González and Matías Perelló / Junior Hernández). Independiente del Valle advanced 4-1 on aggregate.
Full Independiente del Valle Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Goalkeepers: 1. Aldair Quintana - 12. Bolívar Pico - 22. Guido Villar - 40. Hitan Caicedo - 70. Miguel Peralta.
Defenders: 2. Luis Zárate - 3. Christian García - 4. Jhon Espinoza - 5. Richard Schunke - 13. Daykol Romero - 14. Mateo Carabajal - 15. Gustavo Cortez - 19. Layan Loor - 23. Juan Viacava - 29. Xavi Muñoz - 33. Andy Velasco - 34. Yorddy Chonillo - 51. Deinner Ordóñez - 59. Jesús Carabalí.
Midfielders: 6. Jordy Alcívar - 7. Patrik Mercado - 8. Youri Ochoa - 10. Junior Sornoza - 16. Ronald Briones - 20. Aníbal Gómez - 21. Jean Arroyo - 27. Christian Espinoza - 28. Hugo Quintana - 30. Cristopher Núñez - 32. Jhegson Méndez - 35. Brayson Zamora - 36. Nixon Ayovi - 54. Leonel Realpe - 55. Darwin Guagua - 56. Edwin Quintero - 57. Hólger Quintero - 58. Zair Arroyo - 60. Josias Ponce.
Forwards: 9. Carlos González - 11. Matías Perello - 17. Arón Rodríguez - 18. Steven Góngora - 24. Johan Martínez - 25. Damián Latorre - 31. Emerson Pata - 50. Juan Angulo - 52. Yandri Vásquez - 99. Djorkaeff Reasco.
Independiente del Valle’s Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Junior Sornoza
The captain remains the soul of the team, and his 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores campaign carries its own story of redemption: sent off in the opening match against Rosario Central, he took responsibility for the mistake and responded on the pitch. He scored against Libertad and converted the penalty against Central that secured top spot in Group H.
In the Round of 16, he did not need to get on the scoresheet to maintain his influence. Independiente del Valle won both matches against Deportes Tolima — 1-0 in Ibagué and 3-1 in Quito — to complete a 4-1 aggregate victory, with Sornoza remaining the playmaker and reference point of a team that is once again among South America’s final eight.
By now, his connection with the club’s greatest chapters is complete: he has won eight titles with Independiente del Valle and represents the link between their CONMEBOL Sudamericana triumphs and the still-unfulfilled dream of lifting the Eternal Glory. The next challenge will raise the level of difficulty even further: reigning CONMEBOL Libertadores champions Flamengo await in the Quarter-finals.
Independiente del Valle’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Carlos González
Carlos González is Independiente del Valle’s main attacking reference and has already scored seven goals in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores. He netted six during the Group Stage — including a hat-trick against Libertad in Asunción and a brace against Universidad Central — before finding the net again in the second leg of the Round of 16 against Deportes Tolima.
In Quito, with Independiente del Valle already ahead, he latched onto a long pass from Daykol Romero, attacked the space behind the defence and finished across goal to make it 2-0 and put qualification firmly within reach. ‘Matagigantes’ went on to win 3-1, complete a 4-1 aggregate victory and advance to the Quarter-finals.
His partnership with Junior Sornoza and Jordy Alcívar remains one of the foundations of Joaquín Papa’s attacking structure. Their next challenge will be reigning CONMEBOL Libertadores champions Flamengo, and González enters the tie as Independiente del Valle’s leading scorer and one of their main weapons in the attempt to eliminate the title holders.
Independiente del Valle’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Jordy Alcívar
The midfielder remains the balance point of Joaquín Papa’s side, contributing from box to box. He opened the scoring in the 3-1 victory over Universidad Central during the Group Stage and, alongside Jhegson Méndez, provides the structure that allows Junior Sornoza to receive the ball closer to the opposition area and Independiente del Valle to attack with greater numbers.
His presence also reflects one of the keys to the club’s project: while Independiente del Valle continue to export talent, players such as Alcívar provide continuity within the team’s playing structure. ‘Matagigantes’ have already overcome Deportes Tolima and are among the final eight of the CONMEBOL Libertadores; against reigning champions Flamengo, control of midfield will become even more important in sustaining the tempo and ambition of a side looking to take another major step on the continental stage.
Independiente del Valle’s History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
Independiente del Valle are one of the continent’s great talent-development success stories: two-time CONMEBOL Sudamericana champions — in 2019 and 2022 — winners of the 2023 CONMEBOL Recopa and producers of players such as Moisés Caicedo, Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapié. In the CONMEBOL Libertadores, however, the trophy cabinet is still waiting: their runner-up finish in 2016, a campaign in which they eliminated River Plate and Boca Juniors, remains their best-ever performance.
Ten years later, ‘Matagigantes’ are back among South America’s final eight. They won Group H and eliminated Deportes Tolima 4-1 on aggregate to reach the Quarter-finals, where they will face reigning CONMEBOL Libertadores champions Flamengo. The challenge sums up the unfinished business of an entire generation in Sangolquí: turning an already successful continental project into a winner of the Eternal Glory.
