Palmeiras beat Fluminense on penalties and will face Estudiantes in the Libertadores final
Abel Ferreira's team won the shootout 5-3 and reached its fourth final under the Portuguese coach. The decider is on November 28 in Montevideo.
The Copa Libertadores 2026 final is set. Palmeiras will face Argentina's Estudiantes on November 28, at the historic Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay.
Drama against Fluminense
The Brazilian semifinal was decided only on penalties. In the first leg, on October 14 at the Maracanã, Palmeiras won 2-1, with goals from López in the 45th minute and Marlon Freitas in the 85th. Wesley Natã scored for Fluminense in stoppage time.
In the second leg, on October 21 at Nubank Parque, Fluminense won 1-0 with a goal from Hércules in the 82nd minute, tying the aggregate at 2-2. In the shootout, goalkeeper Carlos Miguel saved Nonato's kick and Palmeiras won 5-3.
Abel's fourth final
This is Abel Ferreira's fourth Libertadores final in charge of Palmeiras. Asked about the secret to so many deciding games, the coach played it down: "There is no magic formula. I've lost so many times before... I'll just put a protocol in place, and that's that."
Estudiantes knock out the champion
On the other side, Estudiantes eliminated Flamengo, the defending champion. Both legs ended 0-0, first in La Plata on October 15 and then at the Maracanã on October 22. The Argentine team won the shootout 3-2.
- Final: Palmeiras x Estudiantes
- Date: November 28
- Venue: Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Busy schedule
Palmeiras will also have to manage the Brasileirão, where the club is fighting for the top of the table with Flamengo. Balancing both competitions will be Abel's main challenge in the coming weeks, with the club chasing another continental title.
