Montevideo’s Centenario will host the destination, but the road to the 2026 Copa Libertadores final now runs through La Plata and Brazil. Estudiantes are the lone Argentine survivors in a semi-final field otherwise occupied by Flamengo, Fluminense and Palmeiras, extending the Brazilian weight that has shaped South America’s leading club competition in recent seasons.
The four remaining sides were confirmed after the quarter-finals, with Flamengo taking the final available place. A draw in the second leg against Independiente del Valle was sufficient for the reigning Libertadores holders, whose advantage from the first meeting carried them into the last four.
Estudiantes reached this stage by beating Corinthians 1-0 in La Plata, completing a 2-1 aggregate victory. Palmeiras also advanced at LDU Quito’s expense, while Fluminense survived a more unsettled return against Platense. Having built a 2-0 lead in the first leg, Fluminense lost the second match 2-1 but progressed 3-2 overall.
Two routes to Montevideo
Estudiantes will meet Flamengo in one semi-final, setting Argentina’s last contender against the defending champions. Flamengo are pursuing a place in the final and the chance to become the first club to retain the Libertadores since Palmeiras won successive editions in 2020 and 2021.
The other tie keeps two Rio-São Paulo powers on the same side of Brazil’s football map: Fluminense face Palmeiras for the other berth in the final. Their meeting guarantees Brazil at least one representative in the championship match.
First legs are provisionally scheduled for 13 and 14 October, with the return fixtures due on 20 and 21 October. The winners will travel to Uruguay for the one-match final at Estadio Centenario on Saturday 28 November.
Brazilian clubs have won every Libertadores title since 2020, and only four non-Brazilian teams have lifted the trophy since 2010. Estudiantes, carrying Argentina’s remaining hope, will attempt to interrupt both trends on their way towards Montevideo.
