- The 'Calamar' turned their international debut into a historic campaign: they finished second in Group E with 10 points, won in Montevideo and São Paulo, and will face Coquimbo Unido in the Round of 16, with the first leg in Vicente López on August 12.
- Champions of the 2025 Apertura and first-time participants in CONMEBOL competitions, Platense will enter the knockout stage under a new coach: Martín Palermo returned to the club to replace Walter Zunino, who was in charge throughout the entire Group Stage.
Platense had to wait more than 120 years to play their first international competition, but needed only six matches to establish themselves among South America’s final 16. The beginning was not easy: Corinthians defeated them 2-0 in Vicente López and immediately showed them the demands of the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The response was immediate. Walter Zunino’s side beat Peñarol 2-1 in Montevideo and repeated the scoreline against Independiente Santa Fe, earning their first continental victories away from home and at home.
After a draw against Peñarol and defeat in Bogotá, the 'Calamar' entered the final matchday with seven points and no room for calculation. They had to visit a Corinthians side that had already qualified but remained unbeaten and top of Group E at the Neo Química Arena. Platense played that night as if they had decades of continental experience: a 2-0 victory, inspired by a Franco Zapiola brace, took them to 10 points and secured second place, just one point behind the Brazilian side.
Qualification was built around a clear identity: a compact team willing to drop deep and then accelerate, with Guido Mainero providing a constant outlet and Zapiola taking responsibility in the decisive moments. Platense scored eight goals and conceded seven, winning three matches, drawing one and losing two. They also collected six of their 10 points away from Vicente López, an important sign ahead of a tie they will have to finish in Chile.
The challenge changed shape during the break. Tomás Nasif, who scored against Santa Fe, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Peñarol and was ruled out for the remainder of the year. Platense responded in the transfer market by bringing in Nicolás 'Diente' López, Luciano Giménez, Gastón Togni and Fabricio López, while Juan Pablo Cozzani also returned in goal.
There was also a change on the touchline: Zunino left the club in early August and Martín Palermo began his second spell in charge. The 'Titán', who guided the 'Calamar' to the 2023 Copa de la Liga final, will now lead the team against Coquimbo Unido.
The tie brings together two surprise packages with parallel stories. Platense and Coquimbo both won the first top-flight league titles in their respective histories in 2025 and made their CONMEBOL Libertadores debuts in this edition. The Chilean side won Group B with the same 10 points as the 'Calamar' — three wins, one draw and two defeats — and will therefore have the advantage of hosting the second leg at the Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso Stadium.
Platense in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
CONMEBOL Libertadores Group Stage — Group E
Matchday 1: Platense 0-2 Corinthians (8' 2H Kayke, assisted by Rodrigo Garro, and 25' 2H Yuri Alberto, assisted by Rodrigo Garro)
Matchday 2: Peñarol 1-2 Platense (22' 1H Guido Mainero, assisted by Tomás Silva; 13' 2H Matías Arezo, assisted by Luis Angulo; and 18' 2H Franco Zapiola, penalty)
Matchday 3: Platense 2-1 Independiente Santa Fe (12' 2H Tomás Nasif, assisted by Guido Mainero, and 18' 2H Mateo Mendía, assisted by Guido Mainero / 49' 2H Franco Fagúndez, assisted by Emanuel Olivera)
Matchday 4: Platense 1-1 Peñarol (29' 1H Facundo Batista, assisted by Diego Laxalt / 39' 1H Agustín Lagos, assisted by Franco Zapiola)
Matchday 5: Independiente Santa Fe 2-1 Platense (3' 2H Iván Scarpeta, assisted by Omar Fernández, and 26' 2H Hugo Rodallega, assisted by Jáder Obrian / 28' 2H Augusto Lotti)
Matchday 6: Corinthians 0-2 Platense (21' 1H Franco Zapiola, penalty, and 12' 2H Franco Zapiola)
CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16
First Leg: Platense vs. Coquimbo Unido — Wednesday, August 12, 7:00 p.m. (Argentina time), Ciudad de Vicente López Stadium, Buenos Aires
Second Leg: Coquimbo Unido vs. Platense — Wednesday, August 19, 6:00 p.m. (Chile time; 7:00 p.m. in Argentina), Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso Stadium, Coquimbo
Platense Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Martín Palermo
Platense’s qualification for the Round of 16 belongs 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, following a difficult start to the domestic campaign and a 4-0 home defeat to Talleres in Vicente López.
Platense chose to replace him with a coach who already knows the club and understands the pressure of major occasions: Martín Palermo signed a contract through December 2028 and began his second spell in charge of the 'Calamar'. During his first stint, in 2023, he led the team to the Copa de la Liga final, where they were narrowly beaten by Rosario Central.
After that campaign, Palermo took charge of Olimpia and won the 2024 Paraguayan Clausura, the first title of his managerial career. He later had a spell with Fortaleza in Brazil. His relationship with the CONMEBOL Libertadores, however, stretches back to his playing days: he won the competition with Boca Juniors in 2000 and 2007 and was a central figure in a generation defined by major international nights.
Palermo will have little time for a major rebuild. He inherits a team already qualified, with an established structure and a knockout tie just days after his arrival. His task will be to restore confidence, integrate the new signings and find a new focal point in attack in Nasif’s absence.
Full Platense Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
*The final official squad list will be confirmed on Saturday, August 8.
Platense Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Guido Mainero
Platense’s international story began with a connection that already seemed destined. Guido Mainero, scorer of the goal that secured the club the 2025 Apertura title and qualification for the CONMEBOL Libertadores, also netted the '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 in Platense’s first international victory in Vicente López. With one goal and two assists, he was directly involved in three of the team’s eight goals in Group E.
Mainero embodies the club’s recent journey better than anyone. He can play as a winger, wide midfielder or wing-back, has the stamina to contribute defensively and the pace to attack space when Platense regain possession. In a tight knockout tie with little margin for error, his ability to cover the entire flank could prove just as important as any finish.
Platense Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Franco Zapiola
Franco Zapiola scored three goals in the Group Stage, and all of them came in crucial victories. He converted the penalty that made it 2-1 against Peñarol in Montevideo and was the standout figure on the night Platense secured qualification, scoring both goals in the 2-0 win 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 and effectively ended the Brazilian side’s hopes of a comeback. Zapiola also provided the assist for Agustín Lagos in the draw against Peñarol in Vicente López.
Left-footed and developed at Estudiantes de La Plata, Platense’s No. 10 can start out wide, drift inside or operate as an attacking midfielder. His striking ability is a valuable weapon for unlocking tight matches and, after scoring three of Platense’s final four goals in the group, he enters the Round of 16 as the main attacking reference of their continental campaign.
Platense Factor X in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Nicolás López
Nasif’s injury forced Platense to look for a new reference point in attack, and the club made an ambitious choice: Nicolás 'Diente' López arrived as a free agent following his most recent spell with Nacional of Uruguay and signed a contract through December 2027.
The Uruguayan forward brings a level of experience that is unusual within the squad. He played for Roma, Udinese, Hellas Verona and Granada in Europe, represented Internacional in Brazil and later had spells with 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.
His task will not be to replace Nasif with the same profile, but to offer a different kind of threat: a strong left foot, changes of pace, shooting from distance and the experience to make decisions in tight spaces. If Palermo can integrate him quickly into the attacking combinations with Mainero and Zapiola, Platense will add a player of pedigree and quality for the knockout stage — one who also has history in South America’s premier club competition, having scored for Nacional against Deportes Tolima on Matchday 2 of Group B.
Platense History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
The 2026 edition marks Platense’s first appearance in the CONMEBOL Libertadores and also their debut in an official international competition. Qualification came through winning the 2025 Apertura, the first top-flight league title in the club’s history.
The team, then coached by the Favio Orsi-Sergio Gómez duo, built that campaign 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 volley from Guido Mainero, 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. Even before winning the title, Platense had already shown signs of progress by reaching the 2023 Copa de la Liga final under Martín Palermo. Now, the same coach returns to lead the club into the first international knockout tie in its history.
