- Olimpia kept pushing until the final moments, snatched a late win over Deportivo Cali and reached the semi-finals of the competition for the first time in their history.
- Cruzeiro, making their debut in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina, beat Libertad to keep their continental dream alive..
The four semi-finalists of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina have now been confirmed. Olimpia and Cruzeiro won their respective quarter-final ties on the final day of the last-eight stage, joining Corinthians and Santa Fe among the continent's top sides.
At Estadio Banco Guayaquil, the Paraguayan side wrote one of the most memorable chapters in their history, overcoming a hurdle they had never cleared before: a 1-0 win over Deportivo Cali in stoppage time. Cruzeiro, meanwhile, produced a dominant second-half display to beat Libertad 3-0 and book their place in the semi-finals of 'La Gloria es de Ellas'.
The tie will be a rematch of the sides' group-stage meeting, when the Brazilian representatives claimed a 3-0 victory through goals from Gisseli, Marília and Rafa Levis.
Deportivo Cali 0-1 Olimpia
As 'Franjeadas' came into the match with a disappointing record in the quarter-finals: they had been knocked out on both previous occasions, losing 6-0 to Palmeiras in 2023 and 2-0 to Corinthians in 2024.
However, Diego Urán's side showed their resilience against a well-organised Colombian team, even when the course of the match made it difficult for them to take control. Deportivo Cali had the better of the first half and also started the second period strongly. Ingrid Guerra had a goal ruled out for offside before Stefanía Perlaza struck the post with a free-kick.
Olimpia finally got their reward after holding out for 90 minutes. In the 46th minute of the second half, Luján Ortiz pounced on a short clearance from Maryory Sánchez, won the ball in the opposition's final third and lifted her finish over the goalkeeper to score the only goal of the match and secure a historic place in the semi-finals for the Paraguayan side.
Cruzeiro 3-0 Libertad
As 'Cabulosas' continue to pursue their continental dream in their first appearance in the competition, the most prestigious club tournament in South America. After reaching the quarter-finals with a perfect group-stage record — three wins, eight goals scored and just one conceded — Cruzeiro faced Libertad, who had qualified as runners-up in Group D.
The first half ended goalless despite the Brazilian side's dominance. The clearest chance of the opening period fell to Calhau, but the crossbar of the goal guarded by Gloria Saleb denied her the opener.
The clinical finishing that had been missing from Jonas Urias' side arrived after the break. Vanessinha set Cruzeiro on their way to victory: after pressing high and winning possession, she moved into a shooting position and unleashed an unstoppable effort from distance in the eighth minute of the second half. Five minutes later, a fine team move ended with Letícia Alves doubling the lead.
With the match approaching its conclusion, Byanca Brasil made it 3-0 and confirmed Cruzeiro's place in the next round.tó el 3-0 y decretó la clasificación de Cruzeiro a la siguiente instancia.
