- ‘Calamar’ have turned their international debut into a historic campaign: after finishing second in Group E with 10 points, they eliminated Coquimbo Unido on penalties and advanced to the Quarter-finals.
- Champions of the 2025 Torneo Apertura and making their first-ever appearance in a CONMEBOL competition, Platense are already among South America’s final eight. Juan Pablo Cozzani was the hero of qualification, and Fluminense will be their next opponents.
Platense waited more than 120 years to play in their first international competition, but needed only a few months to establish themselves among South America’s final eight. After opening with a defeat against Corinthians, they responded with victories over Peñarol and Independiente Santa Fe and secured second place in Group E with a 2-0 win in São Paulo, thanks to a Franco Zapiola brace.
Qualification was built around a compact team capable of competing away from Vicente López as well. That identity resurfaced in the Round of 16. Platense drew 1-1 with Coquimbo Unido in the first leg, with Luciano Giménez scoring before the Chilean side equalised with the final action of the match, and travelled to Chile with the tie completely open.
The return leg ended 0-0 and sent the contest to penalties. That was when Juan Pablo Cozzani took centre stage: he converted his own spot kick and then saved Salvador Cordero’s attempt to seal a 7-6 shootout victory and secure an unprecedented place in the Quarter-finals.
The run has gained even more significance because of the changes the club went through during the break. Martín Palermo replaced Walter Zunino, several new signings arrived, and Cozzani returned to the club before quickly becoming one of the leading figures of the campaign.
The adventure will now continue against Fluminense, the 2023 South American champions. Platense began the CONMEBOL Libertadores by entering completely unfamiliar territory and are already among the continent’s final eight, with the opportunity to extend the most important international campaign in the club’s history even further.
Platense in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
CONMEBOL Libertadores Group Stage — Group E
Matchday 1: Platense 0-2 Corinthians (8' ST Kayke, assist by Rodrigo Garro, and 25' ST Yuri Alberto, assist by Rodrigo Garro)
Matchday 2: Peñarol 1-2 Platense (22' PT Guido Mainero, assist by Tomás Silva; 13' ST Matías Arezo, assist by Luis Angulo; and 18' ST Franco Zapiola, penalty)
Matchday 3: Platense 2-1 Independiente Santa Fe (12' ST Tomás Nasif, assist by Guido Mainero, and 18' ST Mateo Mendía, assist by Guido Mainero / 49' ST Franco Fagúndez, assist by Emanuel Olivera)
Matchday 4: Platense 1-1 Peñarol (29' PT Facundo Batista, assist by Diego Laxalt / 39' PT Agustín Lagos, assist by Franco Zapiola)
Matchday 5: Independiente Santa Fe 2-1 Platense (3' ST Iván Scarpeta, assist by Omar Fernández, and 26' ST Hugo Rodallega, assist by Jáder Obrian / 28' ST Augusto Lotti)
Matchday 6: Corinthians 0-2 Platense (21' PT Franco Zapiola, penalty, and 12' ST Franco Zapiola)
CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16
First Leg: Platense 1-1 Coquimbo Unido (35' PT Luciano Giménez / 45+4' ST Guido Vadalá)
Second Leg: Coquimbo Unido 0-0 Platense — Platense won the penalty shootout 7-6. Juan Pablo Cozzani converted his own spot kick and then saved Salvador Cordero’s attempt to seal qualification.
Platense Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Martín Palermo
Platense’s qualification for the Round of 16 belonged to Walter Zunino’s tenure. He was in charge for all six Group Stage matches, recording three wins, one draw and two defeats. His spell ended by mutual agreement on August 4 after a difficult start to the domestic campaign, and Martín Palermo took over with only a few days to prepare for the first international knockout tie in the club’s history.
Platense chose a coach who already knows the club and is also familiar with the pressure of major occasions. Palermo signed a contract through December 2028 and began his second spell in charge of ‘Calamar’. During his first stint, in 2023, he guided the team to the Copa de la Liga Final. He later coached Olimpia, winning the 2024 Paraguayan Clausura, and Fortaleza in Brazil.
His first CONMEBOL Libertadores knockout tie ended with a historic qualification. Platense drew 1-1 with Coquimbo Unido in Vicente López and held on for a 0-0 draw in Chile before prevailing 7-6 in the penalty shootout, with Juan Pablo Cozzani emerging as the hero. Palermo thus guided the tournament debutants into the Quarter-finals in his first knockout tie in charge.
The challenge now rises to another level. Platense will face Fluminense for a place in the Semi-finals, with Palermo now firmly in charge of a squad that added new pieces during the break and has already shown an ability to compete in difficult environments. After navigating a tie against Coquimbo decided by the finest of margins, he must now prepare ‘Calamar’ for the biggest continental test in the club’s history.
Full Platense Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
Goalkeepers: 1. Brian Bustos - 22. Nicolás Sebastián Sumavil - 30. Juan Cozzani - 36. Joaquín Giudice - 37. Santino Cambiasso.
Defenders: 3. Tomás Silva - 4. Álvaro Lagos - 6. Eugenio Raggio - 8. Fabricio López - 13. Ignacio Vázquez - 25. Juan Saborido - 31. Víctor Cuesta - 32. Santiago Quirós - 34. Mateo Mendia - 38. Celías Ingenthron - 41. Thiago Currado - 44. Agustín Maglione - 45. Tomás Giménez - 46. Lucas Testa - 56. Axel Guzmán.
Midfielders: 5. Iván Gómez - 10. Franco Zapiola - 15. Franco Amarfil - 17. Felipe Bussio - 23. Leonardo Heredia - 24. Martín Barrios - 26. Pablo Ferreira - 27. Santiago Dalmasso - 29. Franco Minerva - 35. Demian Troya - 48. Agustín Funes - 49. Santiago Bouhet - 50. Salvador Rixner.
Forwards: 7. Guido Mainero - 11. Nicolás López - 18. Bautista Merlini - 19. Héctor Bobadilla - 21. Augusto Lotti - 28. Manuel Tucker - 33. Juan Gauto - 43. Kevin Retamar - 51. Lucas Zelaya - 52. Matías Ramírez - 53. Luca Bastilla - 54. Fausto San Pedro - 55. Alejandro Vera - 99. Gonzalo Lencina.
Platense’s Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Guido Mainero
Platense’s international story began with a connection that had already been written. Guido Mainero, scorer of the goal that gave the club the 2025 Torneo Apertura title and qualification for the CONMEBOL Libertadores, also scored ‘Calamar’s’ first away goal in continental competition, opening the scoring in the 2-1 victory over Peñarol in Montevideo.
His contribution went beyond that goal. Against Santa Fe, he provided the assists for Tomás Nasif and Mateo Mendía and finished the Group Stage with a direct involvement in three of the team’s eight goals. In the Round of 16, he was again at the centre of a decisive moment: he had the penalty that could have put Platense 2-0 up against Coquimbo Unido in the first leg, but Diego Sánchez saved his effort and the Chilean side went on to equalise 1-1 in stoppage time.
Platense managed to recover from that setback. They drew 0-0 in Chile and won the penalty shootout 7-6 to reach the Quarter-finals in their first-ever international campaign. Mainero continues to embody much of the identity behind that run: relentless work down the flank, pace to attack space and the ability to make an impact in the final third. Against Fluminense, his directness could once again become one of ‘Calamar’s’ main weapons as they look to extend a historic campaign.
Platense’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Franco Zapiola
Franco Zapiola remains Platense’s leading scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, with three goals. All of them came in crucial Group Stage victories: he converted the penalty that secured the 2-1 win over Peñarol in Montevideo and then took centre stage on the night Platense sealed qualification, scoring both goals in the 2-0 victory over Corinthians at the Neo Química Arena.
His first goal in São Paulo came from the penalty spot; the second was a long-range finish that caught the goalkeeper off his line. Zapiola also assisted Agustín Lagos in the draw against Peñarol and finished the Group Stage with 14 shots and 14 chances created, a combination matched by only one other player during that phase.
He did not add to his tally in the Round of 16, but Platense overcame Coquimbo Unido after a 1-1 draw in Vicente López and a 0-0 stalemate in Chile, winning the penalty shootout 7-6. Left-footed and capable of starting wide or drifting into central areas, Zapiola heads into the Quarter-finals against Fluminense still as the leading scorer of a campaign that has already taken ‘Calamar’ into South America’s final eight.
Platense’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Nicolás López
Nasif’s injury forced Platense to look for new attacking options, and the club made an ambitious choice: Nicolás ‘Diente’ López arrived as a free agent following his most recent spell with Nacional in Uruguay and signed a contract through December 2027. His arrival added quality and experience to a squad preparing for its first-ever international knockout stage.
The Uruguayan forward brings a résumé rarely seen at ‘Calamar’. He played for Roma, Udinese, Hellas Verona and Granada in Europe, represented Internacional in Porto Alegre and later featured for Tigres and León in Mexico. He can operate as a second striker, start from a wide position or drop closer to midfield to help create play, giving Martín Palermo a different attacking option.
His first major continental contribution for Platense came in the second leg against Coquimbo Unido. He came on during the second half and was inches away from sealing qualification before the shootout, striking the crossbar with an effort. ‘Calamar’ eventually advanced on penalties and will now face Fluminense in the Quarter-finals. With his left foot, change of pace and experience in tight spaces, López stands out as a player capable of changing a tie with a single action.
Platense’s History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
The 2026 edition marks Platense’s first appearance in the CONMEBOL Libertadores and also their first-ever participation in an official international competition. Their place in the tournament was secured by winning the 2025 Torneo Apertura, the club’s first top-flight league title.
The team, then coached by the Favio Orsi-Sergio Gómez duo, built that historic run by eliminating Racing Club, River Plate and San Lorenzo away from home. In the Final, played in Santiago del Estero, Platense defeated Huracán 1-0 thanks to a Guido Mainero volley, bringing a 120-year wait to an end.
That triumph completed the resurgence of a club that had returned to Argentina’s top flight in 2021 after more than two decades away. Before winning the title, Platense had already shown signs of progress by reaching the 2023 Copa de la Liga Final under Martín Palermo. The same coach returned during this Libertadores campaign and has already guided the team through their first-ever international knockout tie.
After a 1-1 draw against Coquimbo Unido in Vicente López and a 0-0 stalemate in Chile, ‘Calamar’ won the penalty shootout 7-6 and advanced to the Quarter-finals. In doing so, they became the first Argentine team to reach that stage on their CONMEBOL Libertadores debut since Banfield in 2005. Fluminense will now provide the next challenge in a campaign that, in just eight matches, has already become the most significant international run in the club’s history.
