Abel Ferreira will contest the Copa Libertadores final for a fourth time, after guiding Brazilian side Palmeiras past Fluminense on penalties to set up a showpiece occasion against Estudiantes de La Plata next month.
Abel will have the chance to win South America’s premier club competition for the third time in his career with Palmeiras, but the expectations of an all-Brazilian repeat of last year’s final against Flamengo were scuppered, as Leonardo Jardim’s side were surprisingly eliminated by Argentine underdogs Estudiantes, also on penalties.
Palmeiras made tough work of their second leg against fellow Brazilians Fluminense, for which they were widely expected to progress after securing a 2-1 victory away in Rio de Janeiro last week to take an upper hand in the tie. However, Fluminense managed to win 1-0 in the return leg in São Paulo on Wednesday, levelling the aggregate score at 2-2 and requiring a penalty shootout to separate the sides.
The spot-kicks were closely-fought, with everyone comfortably scoring apart from Fluminense’s unfortunate midfielder Nonato, whose kick was saved by Palmeiras goalkeeper Carlos Miguel to help Abel’s side advance 5-3 on penalties. Verdão will now have the opportunity to reclaim the crown they last won in 2021 as they travel to Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay for the final on 28 November.
Abel heads to Montevideo having become only the second manager of a Brazilian club to reach four Copa Libertadores finals, equalling Luiz Felipe Scolari, who has appeared in finals with three different clubs: Palmeiras (twice), Grêmio and Athletico Paranaense. The Portuguese boss also became just the third manager to secure four finals with the same team in the Libertadores, joining Luis Cubilla of Paraguay’s Olimpia and Boca Juniors legend Carlos Bianchi in achieving the feat.
“We have normalised something very difficult: reaching the Libertadores final,” Abel said after the dramatic shootout victory. “The truth is that I’m trying to beat my own records, and you [journalists] insist on reminding me that I’m not good enough. I’m always looking for my best version. We want to win.
“I didn’t prepare the players to take the penalties because, in training, nothing replicates the emotional intensity of a penalty on match day.
“I just wanted to be in the final, it was our main objective. When it arrives, we will prepare for it. We don’t choose our opponent; finals are always difficult and you play to win.”
Jardim’s Flamengo fall short
24 hours later, most neutrals expected Flamengo to join Palmeiras in the last two, offering a rematch of last year’s final which Flamengo won 1-0 in Lima, Peru. When Flamengo hosted Argentine side Estudiantes de La Plata at Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro after a goalless first leg, Leonardo Jardim’s outfit were considered strong favourites to get the job done in front of their own supporters.
However, Fla delivered another disappointing showing, offering as little threat as they had in the first leg in Argentina, which yielded another drab scoreless draw. Therefore, the visitors earned the chance to cause an upset via another penalty shootout in front of a nervous Brazilian crowd.
Veteran Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera was the hero for Estudiantes. Muslera, 40, stopped three spot-kicks from star-studded Flamengo trio Jorginho, Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Henrique. Instead of Flamengo, the victorious Estudiantes will have the chance to win their fifth Copa Libertadores crown.
“It’s a great frustration and disappointment,” Jardim said after the match. “The game here at Maracanã was dominated by us. You sometimes talk a lot about statistics: we had almost 75% possession. But, in terms of effectiveness, we couldn’t have that presence in the area. We created two goal-scoring opportunities, but we weren’t able to create more.
“This is also due to the opponent’s attitude. They are a team that had a great campaign and only lost to us in the group stage. We couldn’t finish, which is the objective. It’s a shame, because everyone was imbued with this spirit, not just the fans, but also us as a group. Everyone gave their all to reach the final. In the penalty shootout, things didn’t go our way.
“The shootout? Just because I’m the Flamengo coach doesn’t mean I’m going to give lessons on how to score penalties to players of this level, some of them with hundreds of games and many penalties. Surely, they take better penalties than me and all of us here.
"Football only has one great rule: only those who take the penalty miss. I didn’t choose the players to take the penalties based on fears; I chose those who are more experienced, who are used to scoring for their club and, often, also for the national team. Only those who score and those who miss are the ones who are there. They tried, and more than anyone.
“The impact is huge. We all wanted to be in the final and have the possibility of winning a second Libertadores. A second consecutive Libertadores was something that had never happened before and that could have happened.”
Jardim has edge over Abel in title race
Palmeiras and Flamengo have become the recognised powers not just of Brazilian football, but across the continental game in South America. Naturally, the two are vying for the Brazilian title as the season heads into the final stages.
With just seven rounds left to play of the 2026 campaign, Jardim’s Flamengo (67) lead Abel’s Palmeiras (66) by a single point at the summit. The teams meet in São Paulo in Round 36, with Palmeiras hosting Flamengo at the end of next month in what will be a fascinating encounter.
Therefore, Jardim is keen to quickly regain focus ahead of Monday’s resumption of the Campeonato Brasileiro when Flamengo host Athletico Mineiro. Jardim is on the brink of winning the league championship in a fifth different country, having succeeded in Greece, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“We are, for sure, disappointed and frustrated,” said Jardim. “We also still have seven rounds of the Brazilian Championship to play. We are in the lead and we want to demonstrate quality next Monday, to try to win the trophy that is still up for grabs.
“The coach has to step up, because that’s our role, and we have to assume our responsibilities. I’ve never shirked my responsibilities and I’m not going to start now.”
