- The ‘Titan’ made 45 appearances, scored 23 goals and won the CONMEBOL Libertadores twice as one of Boca Juniors’ standout players.
- Now a coach, he will look to guide debutants Platense to a historic qualification against Fluminense, the same opponents who brought his last great campaign as a player in the tournament to an end.
Martín Palermo’s story seems to have been built around a rule of its own: the greater the challenge, the bigger his figure becomes. His career is filled with unexpected goals, improbable comebacks and nights when he turned adversity into an opportunity to create an everlasting memory.
The CONMEBOL Libertadores was one of the main stages on which he built his legend through goals. Wearing the Boca Juniors shirt, he made 45 appearances, scored 23 times and lifted ‘Eternal Glory’ in 2000 and 2007. But the numbers of the all-time leading goalscorer in ‘Xeneize’ history tell only part of the story: Palermo produced moments that remain forever linked to the tournament’s history.
More than two decades after those feats, the ‘Titan’ is once again pursuing a continental mission. He is no longer waiting inside the penalty area or wearing the No. 9 shirt. From the Platense dugout, he will try to continue writing remarkable chapters as he leads the ‘Calamar’ in their first-ever international campaign.
The impossible comeback against River Plate
On 13 November 1999, Palermo suffered a serious ligament injury during a match against Colón. The injury appeared to have ended his season and forced him into a lengthy rehabilitation process. Six months later, however, Carlos Bianchi decided to name him among the substitutes for one of the most important matches of the year.
Boca had lost 2-1 to River Plate in the first leg of the 2000 CONMEBOL Libertadores Quarter-finals and needed to overturn the tie at ‘La Bombonera’. Bianchi’s unstoppable side were looking to extend their domestic dominance onto the international stage and had put qualification within reach through goals from Marcelo Delgado and Juan Román Riquelme, but one final scene was still missing to turn that match into an epic.
Palermo came on during the closing stages and, as the night drew to an end, received the ball inside the box, shifted it into position and finished with his left foot to make it 3-0. Ever resilient, the ‘Goal Optimist’ had returned from a serious injury to score against River in a Superclásico and secure Boca’s place in the Semi-finals. The goal became immortalised as the ‘Muletazo’, another chapter in his long, Hollywood-like story. His celebration was just as unforgettable: overcome with emotion, he embraced every one of his team-mates, Dr Jorge Batista —who had operated on him and accompanied him throughout his recovery—, Carlos Bianchi and the entire blue-and-gold faithful.
One month later, he completed the job in São Paulo. After two draws against Palmeiras —2-2 in Buenos Aires and 0-0 at the Morumbi—, the Final was decided on penalties. Palermo converted his spot kick and Boca won the shootout 4-2 to lift the CONMEBOL Libertadores for the first time in 22 years. In the Intercontinental Cup, he would then score twice against Real Madrid in one of the most remarkable chapters in the history of South American football.
The late goal that kept the 2007 dream alive
Palermo had to wait seven years to lift the trophy again. By 2007, he was no longer simply the goalscorer: he was the captain and one of the leading figures in a team that overcame a series of difficult situations on its way to the title, driven by Juan Román Riquelme at the peak of his powers.
One of the most delicate moments came in the Quarter-finals. Libertad took the lead at ‘La Bombonera’ and appeared to be taking a crucial victory back to Paraguay, but Palermo equalised in the 45th minute of the second half to rescue Boca from defeat. Boca then won the return leg 2-0 in Asunción to reach the Semi-finals, inspired by an imperious Riquelme and with Rodrigo Palacio also making his mark.
The next comeback unfolded in an even more striking setting. After losing 3-1 to Cúcuta Deportivo in Colombia, Boca needed to win by two goals at a ‘La Bombonera’ shrouded in fog. Riquelme opened the scoring from a free-kick before Palermo rose to head home the second. Sebastián Battaglia completed the 3-0 victory and secured Boca’s place in the Final.
In the Final, Boca defeated Grêmio 5-0 on aggregate. Palermo did not score, but he was involved in the move that produced the opening goal of the tie and was the man who lifted the trophy in Porto Alegre. Seven years after the ‘Muletazo’, the prolific striker was once again a champion of South America.
Three goals to conquer Guadalajara
The 2008 CONMEBOL Libertadores produced another of Palermo’s most emphatic performances. Boca had drawn 2-2 with Atlas in the first leg of the Quarter-finals at ‘La Bombonera’ and travelled to Guadalajara needing a positive result.
Palermo solved the problem in less than twenty minutes. He scored three times in the first half and led the Argentine side to a 3-0 victory that secured their place in the Semi-finals. It was his only hat-trick in the competition and another demonstration of his ability to take control of decisive matches. In the 19th minute, he opened the scoring with a left-footed finish after a superb pass from Riquelme, part of an enduring partnership that would define so many ‘Xeneize’ odysseys. In the 33rd minute, he finished off an excellent team move that began with a long ball from Riquelme and continued with an explosive run from Palacio. Four minutes later, he completed his masterpiece with an exquisite finish: receiving the ball outside the penalty area, he delicately lifted it over the goalkeeper from the edge of the box.
The campaign of that Boca side, which was chasing back-to-back titles, ended against Fluminense. Palermo opened the scoring in the second leg at the Maracanã and momentarily put Boca on course for the Final, but the Brazilian side responded, won 3-1 and advanced to the decider. Eighteen years later, the tournament brings him face to face with the same opponents, at the same stadium.
A new feat, this time from the dugout
Palermo returned to Platense in August 2026, after Walter Zunino had led the team through the Group Stage. He had just a few days to prepare for the first international knockout tie in the club’s history.
The ‘Calamar’ drew 1-1 with Coquimbo Unido in Vicente López and held on for a 0-0 draw in the return leg in Chile. The tie was decided on penalties: Platense converted all seven of their spot kicks, while Juan Pablo Cozzani saved the final attempt to seal a 7-6 shootout victory.
In doing so, Palermo guided the debutants into the CONMEBOL Libertadores Quarter-finals. Platense became the first Argentine club to reach that stage in their maiden appearance since Banfield in 2005.
It is not the first time the ‘Titan’ has gone this far as a coach. In 2014, he took charge of Arsenal ahead of the Round of 16, eliminated Unión Española and guided the Sarandí side into the Quarter-finals. Twelve years later, he once again took over a team ahead of a knockout tie and once again managed to lead them into the continent’s last eight.
The challenge now comes against Fluminense, champions of the 2023 CONMEBOL Libertadores. The tie will begin at the Maracanã and conclude in Vicente López, where Platense will look to reach the first international Semi-final in the club’s more than 120-year history.
Palermo can no longer decide a match with a left-footed strike, a header or a penalty. His place will be on the touchline, trying to pass on to the ‘Calamar’ the quality that defined his career: the conviction that no story is over while there is still one chance left.
