- The 'Verdão', three-time champions of the tournament and current Brasileirão leaders, advanced as runners-up in Group F and will face fellow group members Cerro Porteño in the Round of 16.
- Jhon Arias, the team's leading scorer in the competition, and Abel Ferreira, the architect of the back-to-back 2020 and 2021 titles, lead Palmeiras' latest pursuit of Eternal Glory.
Palmeiras are enjoying an imposing run of form in Brazil — top of the Brasileirão with 47 points, Campeonato Paulista champions and still in contention in the Copa do Brasil — yet they have unfinished business on the continental stage after losing the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores final to Flamengo in Lima. For Abel Ferreira's 'Verdão', the 2026 edition represents a chance for redemption.
They were solid, though not flawless, in the Group Stage, finishing second in Group F with 11 points, two behind Cerro Porteño, the Paraguayan side that handed them their only defeat of the group at Allianz Parque. Their final match, however, was a statement of intent: a 4-1 victory over Junior, with Jhon Arias scoring twice, as the Colombian became the team's leading scorer in the competition.
The knockout-stage draw brought them face-to-face with their nemesis once again: Cerro Porteño, this time in the Round of 16, with the first leg in São Paulo and the return fixture at La Nueva Olla in Asunción — the 'Ciclón' will host the decisive match after finishing top of the group. It is a genuine opportunity for revenge: the two Group Stage meetings produced a 1-1 draw in Asunción and that 1-0 Paraguayan victory in Brazil. Abel knows it better than anyone: “Our opponents were better than us,” he admitted that night. The August tie offers Palmeiras the chance to turn the tables.
Palmeiras in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
Group F - Matchday 1: Junior 1-1 Palmeiras (10' 1H Teófilo Gutiérrez, penalty / 11' 2H Ramón Sosa)
Group F - Matchday 2: Palmeiras 2-1 Sporting Cristal (27' 1H Murilo and 35' 2H José Manuel López, penalty / 41' 1H Jorge González)
Group F - Matchday 3: Cerro Porteño 1-1 Palmeiras (27' 2H Carlos Miguel own goal / 33' 1H Jhon Arias)
Group F - Matchday 4: Sporting Cristal 0-2 Palmeiras (32' 1H José Manuel López and 5' 2H Ramón Sosa)
Group F - Matchday 5: Palmeiras 0-1 Cerro Porteño (3' 2H Pablo Vegetti)
Group F - Matchday 6: Palmeiras 4-1 Junior (6' 1H and 45' 1H Jhon Arias, 40' 1H Allan and 6' 2H Andreas Pereira / 36' 1H Muriel)
Round of 16 - First Leg: Palmeiras vs. Cerro Porteño — Wednesday, August 12, 7:00 p.m. (Brasília time), Allianz Parque, São Paulo
Round of 16 - Second Leg: Cerro Porteño vs. Palmeiras — Wednesday, August 19, 7:00 p.m. (Asunción time), Ueno La Nueva Olla, Asunción
Palmeiras Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Abel Ferreira
The Portuguese coach has come to define an era in São Paulo. Since arriving in late 2020, he has led the 'Verdão' to back-to-back CONMEBOL Libertadores titles in 2020 and 2021 — a remarkable feat in consecutive editions — as well as two Brasileirão crowns and a collection of trophies that has established him among the most successful coaches in the club’s history. A former full-back in Portugal, Ferreira moved to Brazil after managerial spells with Sporting Braga and PAOK.
His 2026 campaign has further underlined his enduring success: Palmeiras lead the Brasileirão with a revamped side built around Vitor Roque, Andreas Pereira and Jhon Arias, while Ferreira remains focused on one clear objective — reclaiming the continental crown that slipped away in the final in Lima. The Round of 16 tie against Cerro Porteño, the only team to beat Palmeiras in the Group Stage, represents his first major test of the second half of the season.
Full Palmeiras Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Goalkeepers: 1. Carlos Dos Santos - 14. Marcelo Lomba - 21. Kaique Pereira - 72. Kauan Lima - 73. Luiz Souza.
Defenders: 2. Alexander Barboza - 3. Bruno De Lara Fuchs - 4. Agustin Giay - 15. Gustavo Gomez - 43. Luis Roncholeta - 44. Kone Zie - 53. Luccas Gomes - 54. Thiago Nogueira - 56. Arthur Santana - 57. João De Moura Andrade.
Midfielders: 7. Felipe Pereira - 11. Jhon Arias - 17. Marlon Rodrigues - 18. Mauricio Magalhães - 19. Ramon Sosa - 26. Murilo Cerqueira - 29. Miguel Cinoncelli - 30. Lucas Evangelista - 32. Emiliano Martinez - 40. Allan Andrade - 45. Erick Machado - 48. Larson Torna Ferreira - 50. Luis Pacheco - 55. Isaac Farias - 58. Ruan Gomes - 60. Guilherme Nogueira - 65. Rafael Barbosa.
Forwards: 6. Jefte Da Silva - 8. Andreas Hoelgebaum - 9. Vitor Roque - 10. Paulo Sampaio - 12. Khellven Silva - 22. Joaquin Piquerez - 37. Riquelme Marinho - 39. Heittor Da Silva - 41. Eduardo Conceição - 42. Jose Lopez - 46. Derick Araujo Campos - 47. Victor Leite - 49. Juan Ferreira - 52. Luis Gonçalves - 61. Kauã Nascimento Nunes - 66. Andre Ribeiro - 71. Felipe Cunha.
Palmeiras Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: José Manuel López
The Argentine striker embodies the 'Verdão's' excellent form: 15 goals in the 2026 season, the highest tally in the squad, along with two important contributions in the Libertadores — the penalty against Sporting Cristal in São Paulo and the opening goal in the victory in Lima. He has done so with all the hallmarks of his game: strong hold-up play, a commanding presence in the box and a level of maturity that has established him as a key figure and earned him the opportunity to represent Argentina at the FIFA World Cup.
Sharing attacking responsibilities with Vitor Roque and Paulinho, 'Flaco' has earned his place in the starting lineup through his performances. If Palmeiras once again challenge for Eternal Glory all the way to the end, López is likely to be one of the main reasons why.
Palmeiras Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Jhon Arias
The Colombian has been the man for the big goals: three in the Group Stage, including the equaliser at La Nueva Olla — against the very same opponent Palmeiras will face in the Round of 16 — and a brace in the 4-1 win over Junior that sealed qualification. Signed to provide a cutting edge in the final third, Arias has delivered the currency that matters most in knockout football: decisive contributions on the biggest nights.
His individual battle with the Cerro Porteño defence will be one of the key storylines of the tie. Across their two Group Stage meetings, the 'Ciclón' managed to keep almost the entire Palmeiras attack quiet. Almost all of it: the Brazilian side's goal in Asunción came from Arias.
Palmeiras Factor X in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Ramón Sosa
The Paraguayan winger brings something that is always in short supply: the pace to break defensive lines and the ability to score when arriving from deeper areas. Both of his goals in the Group Stage came away from home — the equaliser against Junior in Cartagena and the second goal in the 2-0 win in Lima — exactly the kind of contribution on the road that can prove decisive in knockout ties.
There is also an emotional element to the matchup. Sosa is Paraguayan, and the Round of 16 tie will be decided in Asunción, against Cerro Porteño and in what is certain to be a fiery atmosphere at La Nueva Olla. Few players in the Palmeiras squad will have a better understanding of what awaits the 'Verdão' in the second leg.
Palmeiras History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
Palmeiras are one of the modern dynasties of the competition: champions in 1999 under Felipão, back-to-back winners in 2020 and 2021 with Abel Ferreira, and runners-up in 2025 after losing to Flamengo in the final in Lima. The 2026 edition finds them leading Brazilian football and still carrying the disappointment of that defeat. Their pursuit of a fourth Eternal Glory begins in the Round of 16 against Cerro Porteño, the opponent that already showed them in the Group Stage that no road to the throne comes without obstacles.
