- The 'Galo' lost 2-0 at the Vila Belmiro, came back 4-2 at the Arena MRV with a Tomás Cuello goal and eliminated Santos on penalties, with three saves by Gabriel Delfim, to reach the Semifinals of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana for the third year in a row.
- Runners-up in 2025, Atlético Mineiro will face Montevideo City Torque, with the first leg on October 14 in Belo Horizonte and the second on the 21st at the Estadio Centenario, in pursuit of the November 21 Final in Barranquilla.
Atlético Mineiro still have the fall in Asunción fresh in their minds: in November 2025 they drew 0-0 with Lanús over 120 minutes and lost the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final on penalties. Ten months later, the 'Galo' remain in the running to make amends for that outcome and are already among the four best in La Gran Conquista, after a quarterfinal tie that sums up their campaign: suffering, reaction and a happy ending.
The road was never easy. The team started Group B with ups and downs and only claimed first place in the last two rounds. In the Round of 16 they got past Red Bull Bragantino with a 1-0 in Bragança Paulista and a 2-2 in Belo Horizonte, with two goals from Tomás Cuello, the second in added time. And in the quarterfinals against Santos they started by losing again: at the Vila Belmiro, without the suspended Cuello, they fell 2-0 to goals from Willian Arão and Christian Oliva, both assisted by Gabigol.
The return leg at the Arena MRV was one of the nights of the year. Bernard opened the scoring after 19 seconds, the fastest goal of the edition according to Opta, and Reinier scored twice before the break to turn the tie around, with a Lyanco own goal in between. Gabigol made it 3-2 in the 27th minute of the second half and once again left Santos holding the ticket, until Cuello, with a header, beat the entire defense to the ball in the 45+2nd minute of the second half for the 4-2 that leveled the aggregate. In the shootout, Gabriel Delfim, starting because of Everson's injury, saved the kicks of Gabigol, João Schmidt and Arthur Melo and the 'Galo' won 3-1.
Opta's data put the qualification into perspective: Delfim is the second Atlético Mineiro goalkeeper to save three penalties in a single CONMEBOL Sudamericana shootout, after Victor against Unión La Calera in 2019; the 'Galo' reached the Semifinals of a CONMEBOL tournament for the third year in a row and have six appearances at that stage in the 21st century; and Santos were only the fourth team eliminated in the quarterfinals of the competition after winning the first leg by two or more goals.
The next challenge will be Montevideo City Torque, the revelation of the edition, who overturned a 0-2 against Cienciano with a 3-0 at the Estadio Centenario. The first leg will be played on Wednesday, October 14 at the Arena MRV and the second on Wednesday, October 21 in Montevideo. Atlético Mineiro are two ties away from turning the frustration of 2025 into redemption, with Barranquilla and the November 21 Final as the destination.
Atlético Mineiro in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Results and Schedule
CONMEBOL Sudamericana Group Stage — Group B
Matchday 1: Academia Puerto Cabello 2-1 Atlético Mineiro
Jean Franco Castillo, 16' PT —assist by Robinson Flores—, and Jiovany Ramos, 39' PT —assist by Roberto Rosales— / Dudu, 27' PT.
Matchday 2: Atlético Mineiro 2-1 Juventud
Bernard, 43' PT, and Mateo Cassierra, 45' ST —both assisted by Tomás Cuello— / Facundo Pérez, 10' ST.
Matchday 3: Cienciano 1-0 Atlético Mineiro
Neri Bandiera, 30' PT —assist by Gerson Barreto—.
Matchday 4: Juventud 2-2 Atlético Mineiro
Pablo Lago, 33' ST —assist by Alejo Cruz—, and Marcelo Pérez, 42' ST —assist by Rodrigo Chagas— / Alan Minda, 37' PT, and Vitor Hugo, 32' ST —assist by Gustavo Scarpa—.
Matchday 5: Atlético Mineiro 2-0 Cienciano
Renan Lodi, 27' PT, and Bernard, 39' PT —both assisted by Tomás Cuello—.
Matchday 6: Atlético Mineiro 1-0 Academia Puerto Cabello
Bernard, 17' ST.
Final position: Group B winners with 10 points —three wins, one draw and two defeats, with eight goals scored and six conceded—.
CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16
First Leg: Red Bull Bragantino 0-1 Atlético Mineiro
Tomás Cuello, 28' ST.
Second Leg: Atlético Mineiro 2-2 Red Bull Bragantino
Maycon, 7' ST, and Tomás Cuello, 45+2' ST / Eric Ramires, 45' PT, and Eduardo Sasha, 36' ST. Atlético Mineiro advanced 3-2 on aggregate.
CONMEBOL Sudamericana quarterfinals
First leg: Santos 2-0 Atlético Mineiro (31' 1H Willian Arão and 23' 2H Christian Oliva, both assisted by Gabigol)
Second leg: Atlético Mineiro 4-2 Santos (1' 1H Bernard -assist by Fred-, 20' 1H and 41' 1H Reinier -assists by Fred and Renan Lodi- and 45+2' 2H Tomás Cuello / 28' 1H Lyanco, own goal, and 27' 2H Gabigol, assist by Arthur Melo). 4-4 on aggregate; Atlético Mineiro won 3-1 in the penalty shootout, with three saves by Gabriel Delfim.
CONMEBOL Sudamericana Semifinals
First leg: Atlético Mineiro vs. Montevideo City Torque - Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 PM (local time), Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte.
Second leg: Montevideo City Torque vs. Atlético Mineiro - Wednesday, October 21, 7:00 PM (local time), Estadio Centenario, Montevideo.
Atlético Mineiro Head Coach in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Eduardo Domínguez
The Argentine arrived in Belo Horizonte on February 24 to replace Jorge Sampaoli and signed a contract through December 2027. He took over before the start of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, so he has led the team throughout the journey that has already placed them among the four best in the competition.
Domínguez landed in Brazil after building one of the most successful cycles in the recent history of Estudiantes de La Plata. He won the 2023 Copa Argentina, the 2024 Copa de la Liga, the 2024 and 2025 Trofeos de Campeones and the 2025 Torneo Clausura. He had also led Colón de Santa Fe to their first top-flight title, the 2021 Copa de la Liga.
His first continental campaign with the 'Galo' was built on the ability to react. After collecting only four points in the first four rounds, Atlético won their last two matches to take Group B; in the Round of 16 they trailed twice in the return leg against Bragantino before Cuello's 2-2; and in the quarterfinals they overturned a 0-2 against Santos with a comeback that required four goals, a strike in stoppage time and three saves by Gabriel Delfim in the shootout, the backup goalkeeper Domínguez made his starter after Everson's injury.
The team are already in the Semifinals, where they will face Montevideo City Torque. The tie sets a new test for the idea the coach has been consolidating throughout the tournament: an Atlético capable of getting through unfavorable moments without losing its shape and of finding answers when the margin shrinks to the minimum.
Full Atlético Mineiro Squad for the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana
Goalkeepers: 1. Cleiton Schwengber - 18. Tiago Volpi - 24. Fernando Pires - 37. Fabricio Oliveira - 50. João Montes - 56. Gustavo Reis.
Defenders: 2. Guzman Rodriguez - 3. Eduardo Gonzaga Mendes - 4. Alix De Souza - 12. Vanderlan Barbosa - 14. Pedro Ribeiro - 16. Gustavo Alves - 23. Ariel Sant'anna - 29. Luis Da Rocha - 34. Jose Hurtado - 46. Breno De Moraes - 51. Cauê Nascimento - 52. Ryan Tavares - 53. Edgar Gonzalez - 54. Weimar Vivas.
Midfielders: 5. Fabio Silva - 6. Gabriel Girotto - 7. Eric Dos Santos - 15. Ignacio Sosa - 19. Bruno De Jesus - 20. Rodrigo Almeida - 22. Gustavo Ribeiro - 35. Matheus Fernandes - 41. Yuri Alves - 55. Chrystian Delfino - 57. Marcelo Braz - 58. Gabriel Da Silva - 61. Rafael Da Silva - 62. Marcos Krysgman.
Forwards: 8. Eduardo Colcenti - 9. Isidro Pitta - 11. Fernando Dos Santos - 17. Vinicius Mendonça - 21. Lucas Barbosa - 27. Davi Gomes - 28. Yuri Silva Leles - 30. Henry Mosquera - 32. Jose Herrera - 49. Luis Gustavo Lucio Antonio - 59. Filipe Rios - 67. Jhuan Nunes.
Atlético Mineiro’s Key Player in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Gabriel Delfim
The 24-year-old goalkeeper, a product of the club's academy, was Everson's backup until a left-foot injury to the starter in late August opened the door. The tie against Santos was his first international knockout series, and he finished it as the hero: at the Arena MRV, with the aggregate at 4-4, Delfim saved the penalties of Gabigol, João Schmidt and Arthur Melofor the 3-1 that put the 'Galo' into the Semifinals.
According to Opta, he is the second Atlético Mineiro goalkeeper to stop three kicks in a single CONMEBOL Sudamericana shootout, after Victor against Unión La Calera in 2019. Born in Simonésia, in the interior of Minas Gerais, and developed in the Baixada Santista before joining the 'Galo' youth ranks in 2018, he had only made his professional debut in November 2024 and had just eight appearances for the club before Everson's injury.
A month later he has a night no one will ever take from him and, while the starter recovers, the Atlético Mineiro goal is his for the Semifinals against Montevideo City Torque.
Atlético Mineiro’s Top Scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Bernard
Bernard remains Atlético Mineiro's top scorer in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, now with four goals. To the three from the group stage -against Juventud, Cienciano and Puerto Cabello- he added the one that started the comeback against Santos: 19 seconds into the return leg at the Arena MRV, after an assist from Fred, he scored the fastest goal of the edition according to Opta, which also left him with seven goals in the last two editions of the tournament.
The number 11 holds a special place in the club's recent identity. A product of the youth system, he won the 2013 CONMEBOL Libertadores before an extensive career at Shakhtar Donetsk, Everton and Panathinaikos. His return revealed a new version: less of a winger and more of a playmaker, with freedom to move between the opposing midfielders, and with his instinct for decisive nights intact.
Bernard will arrive at the Semifinals against Montevideo City Torque as the 'Galo''s main scoring reference in the competition and as one of the arguments of a team looking to turn the 2025 runner-up finish into a new shot at the title.
Atlético Mineiro’s X-Factor in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Tomás Cuello
Tomás Cuello went from being the 'Galo''s main provider in the group stage, with four assists, to becoming the man of stoppage time. He scored the only goal of the first leg against Red Bull Bragantino and the 2-2 in added time of the return, and in the quarterfinals, after missing the first leg at the Vila Belmiro through suspension, he appeared again in the 45+2nd minute of the second half: with Atlético Mineiro 3-2 up but out on aggregate, he beat the entire Santos defense with a header and scored the 4-2 that forced penalties.
It is the second consecutive tie the Tucumán native has decided in stoppage time. With three goals and four assists in the edition, Cuello arrives at the Semifinals against Montevideo City Torque as the 'Galo''s most influential player of the knockout stage: he can start wide on either flank, accelerate into space and, as he has already shown twice, appear in the box when the tie demands it.
Atlético Mineiro’s History in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana
Atlético Mineiro are chasing the trophy that slipped away in 2025. After eliminating Atlético Bucaramanga, Godoy Cruz, Bolívar and Independiente del Valle, they drew 0-0 with Lanús in the Final in Asunción and lost 5-4 in the penalty shootout. That defeat extended a painful sequence: the 'Galo' had also lost the 2024 CONMEBOL Libertadores Final to Botafogo. Two consecutive continental finals explain why the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana carries special weight for the Brazilian side.
Their international trophy cabinet, in any case, carries weight of its own. Mineiro won the Copa CONMEBOL in 1992 and 1997, the 2013 CONMEBOL Libertadores and the 2014 CONMEBOL Recopa. They also reached the Semifinals of the 2019 CONMEBOL Sudamericana before playing their first Final six years later.
The 2026 edition has already returned them to that stage. After winning Group B and getting past Red Bull Bragantino, they overturned a 0-2 against Santos with a 4-2 in Belo Horizonte and a 3-1 on penalties, and reached the Semifinals of a CONMEBOL tournament for the third year in a row, the sixth in the 21st century according to Opta. Montevideo City Torque are the next obstacle on the road to Barranquilla, where La Gran Conquista will be decided on November 21.
