- The Chilean side defeated Flamengo of Brazil on penalties in the final to claim its first title in the competition.
- It is the first champion from their country since the inaugural edition held in 2011.
From Quito to Valparaíso, the same echo resounds: Santiago Wanderers celebrating after making history by winning their first CONMEBOL Libertadores U-20 title. The young Chilean side delivered a memorable victory against Flamengo—champions of the 2024 and 2025 editions—whom they defeated on penalties after equalizing in the 44th minute of the second half.
For head coach Felipe Salinas, the architect of this Caturros youth team, his players had already achieved a feat within the 90 minutes by forcing the match into a penalty shootout: “Let’s pick a side and go all the way with it. We’ve faced these situations before with confidence. What you did is remarkable—we turned it around again and ended up right where we wanted to be.”
The ability to respond was, in fact, a constant throughout the tournament—especially in their final three appearances: in the closing match of Group C, they came back twice from a two-goal deficit to draw 3–3 against Liga de Quito, and in the semifinals they fell behind in the 14th minute of the first half against Palmeiras before turning it around with a 2–1 win that secured their place in the final against Mengão.
The final was their crowning performance: after a commendable defensive display in the first half, with goalkeeper Fabiano Avello as the standout—having made the most saves in a match among the final four—Flamengo eventually broke through the Porteño defense and took the lead in the 21st minute of the second half through Alan Santos.
But this Santiago Wanderers side always showed it had an extra life: no team scored more goals after the 35th minute of the second half throughout the tournament. With courage and composure, they took control in the face of adversity: from that moment on, the Chileans dominated possession, conceded just one shot, and attempted six, according to Opta Stats. Without losing composure, as the clock ticked down and tension filled the air, Sebastián Vargas pounced on a rebound in the heart of the box to level the score.
In the penalty shootout, the Chilean side’s players fulfilled their coach’s instructions: they showed no hesitation and converted all five of their attempts. João Victor’s early miss ultimately tipped the balance in favor of Los Caturros: Christian Silva, the tournament’s top scorer with four goals, opened the scoring, and Ignacio Flores—one of the team’s standout performers—sealed the result, sparking celebrations among his teammates.
Santiago Wanderers delivered the best performance by a Chilean team in the history of the CONMEBOL Libertadores U-20, becoming both the first finalist and the first champion from their country—a mark that, until Sunday, March 22, had been held by Unión Española, which finished fourth in the 2012 edition. On a night in Quito that is already eternal, the Chilean representatives not only broke a barrier for their country, but also left behind the unforgettable image of a champion built on character.