- He has 29 wins in 43 CONMEBOL Sudamericana matches, and one more will draw him level with Fabricio Bustos (30) as the player with the most wins in the tournament's history.
- The Argentine forward, Atlético Mineiro's top assist provider in this edition, will return to the Centenario, where he played in the 2021 Final.
On September 17, 2025, in La Paz, Tomás Cuello suffered a fracture-dislocation of his left ankle in a match against Bolívar. Atlético Mineiro went on to reach the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final, which they lost on penalties to Lanús in Asunción, and he watched it from the outside. A year later, on September 16, 2026, he headed in the stoppage-time goal that made it 4-2 against Santos and kept the 'Galo' alive in the Quarterfinals. The next day, he wrote on social media: "A year ago, one of the worst days of my life. A day that changed everything". And he added: "The desire to win remains the same".
Now he is one win away from a record. According to Opta, Cuello has 29 wins in 43 CONMEBOL Sudamericana matches since his debut in 2017 and, with one more, he will draw level with full-back Fabricio Bustos (30) as the player with the most wins in the tournament's history. He can do it on Wednesday against Montevideo City Torque at the Centenario, the stadium where he played his first Final. Bustos, who made his appearances for Independiente, Internacional and River, now plays for Coritiba, who are not taking part in this edition: if Cuello draws level and Atlético Mineiro reach the Final in Barranquilla, he will have the chance to hold the record outright. His 29 wins are spread across four clubs.
Atlético Tucumán, the debut
His first experience came in 2017, with the club that developed him. He played two matches, including a 3-0 win over Oriente Petrolero, and Atlético Tucumán were knocked out in the Round of 16 by Independiente, who went on to win the title that season with Bustos in the squad.
Red Bull Bragantino, the first Final
In 2021 he played in all 13 of Red Bull Bragantino's matches and scored three goals: one against Independiente del Valle and two against Libertad, in the first leg of the Semifinals. On November 20 he started the one-off Final at the Centenario, which Athletico Paranaense won 1-0. Five years later, this edition's bracket pitted him against his former club in the Round of 16, and he hurt them twice: he scored to make it 1-0 in the first leg in Bragança Paulista and struck the stoppage-time goal for 2-2 in Belo Horizonte that secured qualification. "Whether it's with goals or assists, I'm happy," he said after that tie, although he added: "I try to keep my feet on the ground".
Athletico Paranaense, continuity
In 2024, now wearing the shirt of the club that had beaten him in that Final, he made 12 appearances and scored once, against Cerro Porteño. At the start of 2025 he moved to Belo Horizonte.
Atlético Mineiro, the stoppage-time man
In his first campaign with the 'Galo', he played nine matches and scored twice, against Caracas and Godoy Cruz, before the injury in La Paz. In this edition, his impact is measured in the decisive moments. He is the team's top assist provider, with four, and the player who has won the most duels, with 45. He has started all seven matches he has played, and his three goals have been decisive: the two against Red Bull Bragantino and the header that made it 4-2 against Santos 45+2' into the second half, after missing the first leg through suspension, once again in stoppage time. In the first leg of the Semifinals, he also started the move for Reinier's opening goal. With five goals in the competition for the 'Galo', he is the club's second-highest scorer in the tournament's history, behind Bernard, with eight.
He described the Santos night himself on GaloTV: "The fans started singing 'I believe', and it was crazy. I was completely sure we were going to win, whether on penalties or in the 90 minutes". And about the club, in the same conversation: "For me, it's a source of great pride, of great joy, to be here at Galo".
On Wednesday, at the stadium of his first Final, Cuello can reach a milestone he has been building for nine years and across four clubs. Atlético Mineiro, 3-0 winners in the first leg, only need to avoid a three-goal defeat to return to a Final. The record, however, only comes with a win. That pain, he wrote in the same post, also transformed him: it taught him "to value every small step forward, to never take anything for granted and to keep working even when no one is watching".
