- The 24-year-old goalkeeper, a product of the club's academy and a starter only since late August due to Everson's injury, saved penalties from Gabigol, Schmidt and Arthur Melo in his first international knockout tie.
- He is the second Atlético Mineiro goalkeeper to stop three attempts in a single CONMEBOL Sudamericana shootout, after Victor against Unión La Calera in 2019.
On November 6, 2024, Gabriel Delfim made his professional debut in a 1-0 defeat to Atlético Goianiense, in Goiânia, six years after joining Atlético Mineiro's youth ranks. Until early this September he had made just eight appearances for the 'Galo': one that year, five in 2025 and two in 2026, all in the shadow of Everson, the undisputed owner of the Atlético goal. This Wednesday, at the Arena MRV, the 24-year-old goalkeeper saved three penalties in the shootout against Santos and put the reigning runners-up into the Semifinals of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. It was his first knockout tie in an international tournament. He finished it as the hero.
The night demanded a standout. Atlético Mineiro had lost 2-0 at the Vila Belmiro and, in Belo Horizonte, turned it around with goals from Bernard, Reinier (twice) and Tomás Cuello in stoppage time, with a Lyanco own goal and Gabigol's strike in between. The 4-2 left the aggregate at 4-4 and qualification in the hands of the goalkeepers. Santos went first, and that is where Delfim's match began: he saved the first attempt from Gabigol, the second from Schmidt and, after Gabriel Bontempo's goal, the fourth from Arthur Melo. At the other end, Gabriel Brazão stopped Fred's shot, but Gustavo Scarpa, Igor Gomes and Thiago Borbas converted theirs, and the 3-1 settled the tie.
The numbers place him in select company. According to Opta, Delfim is the second Atlético Mineiro goalkeeper to save three penalties in a single CONMEBOL Sudamericana shootout, after Victor against Unión La Calera in the second stage of 2019. Everson, the man he is replacing, had done the same in the 2022 Supercopa do Brasil against Flamengo. In a single night, the backup matched the mark of the two figures who defined the 'Galo''s goal over the last decade.
His place in the starting lineup was born of an emergency. In late August, Everson suffered a left-foot injury and Eduardo Domínguez turned to the homegrown goalkeeper to take over during his absence. The debut was a 2-1 win over Vitória in the Brasileirão, and a few days later Delfim described his way of waiting: 'When the opportunity comes, I have to be ready. Whether I play or not, I work every day the best I can.' The opportunity arrived at a key moment: a quarterfinal tie against the competition's top scorer.
The first leg at the Vila Belmiro carried special meaning for him. Born in Simonésia, in the interior of Minas Gerais, Delfim came through the youth ranks of Santo André and Portuguesa Santista before joining Atlético Mineiro in 2018. 'It's a place where I grew up, with my family close by,' he said after the 2-0, in which he prevented a bigger deficit with second-half interventions, and in which he acknowledged it was his 'first chance to play a knockout tie in such an important competition.' A week later, in front of his own fans, he turned that frustration into an unforgettable night.
The goalkeeper, who stands 1.92 meters tall and started out playing futsal as an outfield player before moving into goal, is under contract with the club through December 2029. After the qualification, he shared the credit with the goalkeeping coaches and his fellow goalkeepers, including Everson, and confessed what happened to him after the last kick from twelve yards: 'I wasn't even paying attention; after the penalties I just collapsed. I couldn't believe it, I just enjoyed the moment.' Asked whether he had studied how Santos's takers shoot, he was more practical: 'We study, but we also rely on the work. The two together get results.'
The qualification also carried a special meaning that 'Galo' fans need no one to explain. Less than a year ago, Atlético Mineiro lost the Final of the 2025 CONMEBOL Sudamericana on penalties to Lanús at the Defensores del Chaco. This time, the shootout took them to the Semifinals, where they await the winner of Montevideo City Torque-Cienciano, and they got there with a goalkeeper who a month ago was the backup. While Everson recovers, Delfim seized his opportunity with a performance that already has a place in the club's continental history.
