- The Argentine side arrives at the Round of 16 as one of the teams with the fewest goals conceded in the Group Stage.
- Corinthians, winner of its group, will try to head back to Brazil with a lead to settle a tricky series in front of its fans.
Rosario Central and Corinthians will meet again in the CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16, 26 years after a tie that required a penalty shootout to determine the winner. In 2000, 'El Canalla' won 3-2 in Arroyito before 'O Timão' recorded the same scoreline in São Paulo and eventually secured qualification from the spot.
The new chapter finds Central coming off a 13-point campaign in Group H in which they conceded only one goal across six matches, while Corinthians finished top of Group E with 11 points and secured their place among the final 16 with two games still to play. As in 2000, the tie will begin in Rosario and conclude on Brazilian soil.
Rosario Central in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Rosario Central enter this challenge with Ángel Di María as their standard-bearer and a structure that has made defensive solidity one of the foundations of their campaign. Jorge Almirón's side won four of their six Group Stage matches and kept clean sheets in five of them, with Jeremías Ledesma and Ignacio Ovando among the standout figures in that system.
Enzo Copetti also contributed important goals, while the transfer window added options such as Franco Cervi, Tomás Badaloni and Alan Rodríguez for the second half of the year. Their current form is also encouraging: after opening the Argentine Clausura without a win in their first two matches, 'El Canalla' defeated River Plate at the Monumental and Aldosivi at the 'Gigante' in successive games before turning their attention back to the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
Corinthians in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026: results, squad and schedule
Corinthians travel to Rosario under Fernando Diniz and with the advantage of deciding the tie one week later at the Neo Química Arena. The 2012 CONMEBOL Libertadores champions opened their campaign with three consecutive 2-0 victories and quickly built the advantage that would ultimately secure top spot in their group, although they ended that phase with a home defeat to Platense.
Rodrigo Garro was decisive creatively, providing four assists across those six matches, while Gustavo Henrique emerged as the team's leading scorer with three goals. Memphis Depay and Jesse Lingard add further options to a squad packed with international experience. Garro also arrives at the tie after scoring in a 2-0 Brasileirão victory over Red Bull Bragantino, an encouraging sign for 'O Timão' as they seek to repeat the outcome of that unforgettable 2000 series.
Match details:
Stadium: Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario
Date and time: Thursday, August 13 at 9:30 p.m.
Referee: Andrés Matonte (URU)
VAR: Christian Ferreyra (URU)
Match facts:
- Corinthians and Rosario Central have met in one previous CONMEBOL Libertadores edition, in the 2000 Round of 16. Each team won 3-2 at home before the Brazilian side advanced 4-3 in a penalty shootout that featured a save from Dida. Juan Antonio Pizzi scored for 'El Canalla' in both matches, while Luizão scored four goals, including two braces, and Edilson also found the net for 'O Timão'.
- Corinthians and Rosario Central scored the most goals from set pieces during the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 Group Stage, with five each. Centre-back Gustavo Henrique was involved in four of Corinthians' goals from dead-ball situations, scoring three and assisting one, while Rosario Central centre-back Ignacio Ovando was involved in two, scoring both himself.
- Ángel Di María (Rosario Central) was one of only two players in the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 Group Stage to record at least 10 in each of the following categories: completed crosses (11), chances created for shots (12), total dribbles (27) and fouls won (13), alongside Platense's Franco Zapiola.
- Corinthians are unbeaten in their last six away matches against Argentine opponents in the CONMEBOL Libertadores (3 wins, 3 draws), a run stretching back to 2015. They are also unbeaten away from home in the current edition (1 win, 2 draws), including a 2-0 victory over Platense.
- Rosario Central are unbeaten at home in CONMEBOL Libertadores knockout rounds, excluding Group Stage playoffs, with seven wins and two draws from nine matches. They have also won all four ties in which they played the first leg at home.
