- He has been involved in more attacking sequences than any of his teammates in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, and he also leads the team in shots and tackles.
- A champion in the 2018 edition with Athletico Paranaense, he will play the Final in the city where he played the first leg of that tie.
In the Semifinal first leg, 35' into the second half, Renan Lodi once again surged forward down the left and delivered a precise cross for Thiago Borbas to get ahead of his marker in the six-yard box and make it 3-0 against Montevideo City Torque. That night he had already diverted a Tomás Cuello shot into the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside. Those two moments sum up the full-back's role in the Atlético Mineiro side that will play the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final against Boca Juniors on November 21: much of the attack of Eduardo Domínguez's team goes down his flank.
Opta's numbers back it up. Lodi has been involved in more attacking sequences than any other 'Galo' player in this edition, with 46, at least 15 more than any of his teammates: next in line is Cuello, with 31. He has also taken the most shots in the team, with 17, and made the most tackles, with 15, a combination that describes a full-back who gets forward without neglecting his defensive duties. He also arrived at the second leg at the Centenario having provided assists in his previous two matches.
Before all that, he already knew what it took to win this competition. In 2018 he was the left-back in Tiago Nunes' Athletico Paranaense side that reached the Final against Junior. The first leg was played on December 5 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla and ended 1-1: Pablo opened the scoring for the Brazilian side and Yony González equalized minutes later. A week later, in Curitiba, Pablo scored again and Teófilo Gutiérrez headed the equalizer in the second half; Junior missed a penalty in extra time and the Final was settled from the spot. Lodi played every minute of both matches and his kick in the shoot-out did not go in, but Athletico won 4-3, with Thiago Heleno scoring the decisive penalty, and celebrated the first international title in the club's history.
Almost a decade later, the Final takes him back to Barranquilla. On November 21, at the Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Atlético Mineiro will face Boca Juniors chasing the title still missing from their history, in their third consecutive continental Final. For the full-back most involved in the 'Galo' attack, it will be a chance to win his second CONMEBOL Sudamericana on familiar ground.
Antes de todo eso, ya sabía lo que era ganar esta Copa. En 2018 fue el lateral izquierdo del Athletico Paranaense de Tiago Nunes que llegó a la Final ante Junior. La ida se jugó el 5 de diciembre en el Estadio Metropolitano de Barranquilla y terminó 1-1: Pablo abrió el marcador para el equipo brasileño y Yony González igualó minutos después. Una semana más tarde, en Curitiba, Pablo volvió a marcar y Teófilo Gutiérrez empató de cabeza en el segundo tiempo; Junior erró un penal en el tiempo extra y la Final se definió desde los 12 pasos. Lodi jugó completos los dos partidos y en la tanda su remate no entró, pero Athletico ganó 4-3, con el penal decisivo de Thiago Heleno, y celebró el primer título internacional de su historia.
Casi una década después, la Final lo devuelve a Barranquilla. El 21 de noviembre, en el Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Atlético Mineiro buscará ante Boca Juniors el título que le falta en su historia, en su tercera Final continental consecutiva. Para el lateral que más participa en el ataque del 'Galo', será la oportunidad de ganar su segunda CONMEBOL Sudamericana en un escenario conocido.
