The 2026 Copa Libertadores final is set for Saturday 28 November, a single match at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, between Palmeiras of Brazil and Estudiantes of Argentina. Kick-off time has not been confirmed by Conmebol, and ticket sales had not been officially announced as of Monday.
Since 2019 the Libertadores has been decided in one match at a neutral venue — the format that took the 2021 final to Uruguay, and that now returns there.
How they got there
Neither finalist won its semi-final inside 90 minutes.
Estudiantes drew 0-0 in both legs against Flamengo — in La Plata and at the Maracanã — and went through on penalties. Palmeiras beat Fluminense 2-1 at home in the first leg, lost the second 1-0 in São Paulo and advanced on penalties, 5-3.
That leaves the last Brazilian side standing from a bracket that had both Flamengo and Fluminense among the semi-finalists.
What is at stake
Palmeiras have won three Libertadores titles — 1999, 2020 and 2021 — and are playing for a fourth. Estudiantes have four — 1968, 1969, 1970 and 2009 — and are chasing a fifth, which would put them among the competition's most decorated clubs.
1968, again
The two clubs have met in a Libertadores final once before, in 1968. Because the rules of the time did not use goal difference as a tiebreaker, the tie needed three matches: Estudiantes won the first 2-1 in La Plata, Palmeiras took the second 3-1 at the Pacaembu, and the third, in Montevideo, finished 2-0 to the Argentines, who took the title. Brazilian outlets that noted the coincidence point to the Centenario itself as the venue of that decisive match.
Fifty-eight years separate the two finals — same opponent, same city.
With information from Lance!, Ámbito, ABC do ABC and the 2026 Copa Libertadores page on Wikipedia.
