- The ‘Canalla’ advanced to the Round of 16 with 13 points and just one goal conceded in six matches. Corinthians will be their opponents, with the first leg at the Gigante de Arroyito on August 13.
- Semifinalists in 1975 and 2001, Rosario Central are competing in their 14th CONMEBOL Libertadores, with Ángel Di María as their emblem and the dream of lifting Eternal Glory for the first time.
Rosario Central built their qualification campaign primarily on defensive strength. They finished second in Group H, level with Independiente del Valle on 13 points, after recording four wins, one draw and one defeat. They kept clean sheets in each of their first five matches, with only Junior Sornoza, from the penalty spot on the final matchday, managing to beat Jeremías Ledesma.
The campaign had another notable strength: the goals were spread throughout the squad. Ángel Di María, Enzo Copetti and Ignacio Ovando scored twice each, while Alejo Véliz, Vicente Pizarro and Marco Ruben completed the team’s tally of nine goals. Central did not rely exclusively on ‘Fideo’ Di María, who has been in outstanding form, and found decisive contributions across every line of the team.
Jorge Almirón’s side also set a continental benchmark: they became the first team since Internacional in 2020 to begin a CONMEBOL Libertadores campaign with five consecutive clean sheets. The foundation was built around Ledesma and a defense that remained largely unchanged, featuring Emanuel Coronel, Ovando, Gastón Ávila and Agustín Sández.
Their reward is a tie steeped in history. Corinthians, champions in 2012, will return to the ‘Gigante’ 26 years after the only previous meeting between the two clubs. In the 2000 Round of 16, each side won 3-2 at home before the Brazilian club advanced on penalties at the Pacaembu. This time, Di María’s Central will come up against a Corinthians side featuring Memphis Depay and Jesse Lingard.
For the second half of the season, the ‘Canalla’ added Axel Werner, Sebastián Zaracho, Franco Cervi, Tomás Badaloni and Alan Rodríguez. The new arrivals offset the departures of players who featured during the group stage, including Alejo Véliz, Enzo Giménez, Jorge Broun and Carlos Quintana, without altering the core of a team that has made defensive solidity its greatest strength.
Rosario Central in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Results and Schedule
CONMEBOL Libertadores Group Stage — Group H
Matchday 1: Rosario Central 0-0 Independiente del Valle.
Matchday 2: Libertad 0-1 Rosario Central (Enzo Copetti 38’ ST, assist by Emanuel Coronel).
Matchday 3: Universidad Central 0-3 Rosario Central (Ignacio Ovando 35’ PT, assist by Jáminton Campaz; Ángel Di María 8’ ST, penalty; and Enzo Copetti 48’ ST, assist by Guillermo Fernández).
Matchday 4: Rosario Central 1-0 Libertad (Ignacio Ovando 12’ ST, following a header from Gastón Ávila).
Matchday 5: Rosario Central 4-0 Universidad Central (Alejo Véliz 22’ PT; Vicente Pizarro 39’ PT, assist by Julián Fernández; Ángel Di María 26’ ST, assist by Giovanni Cantizano; and Marco Ruben 43’ ST, assist by Giovanni Cantizano).
Matchday 6: Independiente del Valle 1-0 Rosario Central (Junior Sornoza 19’ ST, penalty).
CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16
First Leg: Rosario Central vs. Corinthians — Thursday, August 13, 9:30 p.m., Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario.
Second Leg: Corinthians vs. Rosario Central — Thursday, August 20, 9:30 p.m., Neo Química Arena, São Paulo.
Rosario Central Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Jorge Almirón
Jorge Almirón belongs to the select group of coaches who have reached CONMEBOL Libertadores finals with two different clubs. He led Lanús to the 2017 decider and repeated the feat with Boca Juniors in 2023, although on both occasions he fell just short of lifting the trophy.
His most successful spell came at Lanús, where he won the Argentine league title, the Copa Bicentenario and the Supercopa Argentina. He also managed Independiente, San Lorenzo, Atlético Nacional, Elche and Colo-Colo, among other clubs, before taking charge of Central in December 2025 as Ariel Holan’s replacement.
In Rosario, he inherited the 2025 league champions and quickly gave the team a strong continental identity. Central recorded more than 58% possession in each of their first three matches, while also showing the ability to adapt to tighter contests and protect narrow leads. The result was the club’s first qualification for a CONMEBOL Libertadores knockout round since 2016.
Rosario Central Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores
*The final squad list will be confirmed on Saturday, August 8.
Rosario Central’s Standout Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Ángel Di María
Twenty years after making his continental debut with Central, Ángel Di María returned to the CONMEBOL Libertadores as a World Cup winner and the ‘Canalla’s’ leading figure. He played five matches in Group H and scored twice, both goals coming against Universidad Central.
The first, from the penalty spot in Caracas, was particularly significant: it was the first CONMEBOL Libertadores goal of his career. He was 38 years and 75 days old, while Ignacio Ovando — scorer of the opening goal that night — became the youngest player in Central’s history to score in the competition.
Di María’s influence goes far beyond the numbers. He organizes attacks, draws defenders, takes responsibility for set pieces and sets the emotional tone of the team. After winning the World Cup and the UEFA Champions League, the CONMEBOL Libertadores remains one of the few major honors still missing from his career.
Rosario Central’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Enzo Copetti
Enzo Copetti shares the top spot in Rosario Central’s internal scoring chart with Ángel Di María and Ignacio Ovando, all with two goals. The difference lies in the importance of his contributions: he scored the late winner against Libertad in Asunción and completed the victory over Universidad Central in Caracas.
Powerful, relentless and aggressive when attacking space, Copetti is the kind of striker who makes life difficult for defenders even when he does not score. His pressing against the opposition’s build-up, his ability to run in behind center-backs and his presence inside the box complement an attack that also features players who offer greater pause and creativity.
The arrival of Tomás Badaloni has increased competition for the position, but Copetti enters the knockout stage with one undeniable argument in his favor: he was decisive in the two away victories that set Central on course for qualification.
Rosario Central’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores: Ignacio Ovando
Ignacio Ovando began the competition as a promising academy prospect and ended the group stage as one of the pillars of the team. He featured in all six matches, scored two goals and was part of a defense that conceded just once.
His first goal, against Universidad Central, came at the age of 18 years and 305 days, making him the youngest scorer in Central’s CONMEBOL Libertadores history. A week later, he found the net again against Libertad and became the first player aged 19 or younger to reach two goals in the 2026 edition.
Central have found in Ovando much more than a center-back: he reads the game well, anticipates danger, is composed in possession and can break lines by carrying the ball forward. In a tie against forwards of international pedigree, his maturity beyond his years will be one of the keys to Almirón’s system.
Rosario Central’s History in the CONMEBOL Libertadores
Rosario Central are competing in the Copa Libertadores for the 14th time. Their best campaigns came in 1975 and 2001, when they reached the semifinals. In the latter, under Edgardo Bauza, they produced a memorable penalty-shootout victory over América de Cali before being eliminated by Cruz Azul.
They also reached the quarterfinals in 2016, their most recent appearance in a knockout round before this edition. However, the club’s greatest international title came in another competition: the 1995 Copa CONMEBOL, won through an unforgettable comeback against Atlético Mineiro. After losing 4-0 in Brazil, Central won by the same scoreline at the Gigante and prevailed 4-3 on penalties.
The tie against Corinthians connects directly with that continental tradition. In 2000, Central won 3-2 in Arroyito, lost by the same scoreline in São Paulo and were eliminated on penalties. Twenty-six years later, Di María, Ledesma, Ovando and company have the opportunity to rewrite that ending and keep alive the dream of winning the first CONMEBOL Libertadores title in ‘Canalla’ history.
