Estudiantes de La Plata booked their ticket to the 2026 Copa Libertadores final on Thursday night following a dramatic and hard-fought victory over Brazilian giants Flamengo. After navigating a tense second leg at the iconic Maracanã Stadium, the Argentine side triumphed 3-2 on penalties, securing a spot in their sixth-ever tournament final. The Pincharrata will now prepare to face another powerhouse from Brazil, Palmeiras, in the ultimate showdown scheduled for November 27.
The journey to the final proved to be a nail-biting affair from start to finish. Estudiantes entered the second leg of the semifinal with everything still hanging in the balance following a tightly contested, scoreless 0-0 draw at home in La Plata. Knowing they had to face one of the most intimidating environments in South American football at the Maracanã, the Argentine club braced themselves for a long and grueling night in front of a hostile partisan crowd.
Despite the daunting atmosphere, the build-up to the match brought a major piece of positive news for the visiting side. Veteran defender Marcos Rojo was cleared to make his debut for Estudiantes after successfully navigating a high-stakes legal battle through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the international body that independently settles sports disputes.
The eligibility issue had sparked considerable controversy in the days leading up to the clash. The South American football governing body, CONMEBOL, had initially rejected the inclusion of the former Boca Juniors and Racing Club player in Estudiantes’ tournament squad. CONMEBOL officials argued that Rojo’s acquisition and registration case was not covered under world football governing body FIFA’s strict regulations regarding player signings completed outside of the official transfer window.
However, Estudiantes firmly contested the ruling, pointing directly to the official Copa Libertadores operations manual. The club argued that the rulebook explicitly allowed the registration of any player already legally registered with their domestic governing body—in this case, the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Following a rapid review of the appeal, CAS ruled in favor of the club, granting Rojo the green light to take the pitch in Rio de Janeiro.
The decision by CAS nearly paid off almost immediately in the opening stages of the match. Just 15 minutes into the first half, Rojo made his presence felt inside the penalty area, coming desperately close to breaking the deadlock and giving Estudiantes a crucial early lead. The defender connected with a well-delivered corner kick from winger Joaquín Tobio, attempting a sharp tap-in from close range. However, Flamengo goalkeeper Agustín Rossi reacted with lightning reflexes, coming up with a vital save to keep the score level.
That early flurry proved to be the only real moment of genuine attacking danger in a tightly locked and cautious first half. Both teams deployed rigid tactical setups, denying each other space and forcing a midfield battle of attrition.
As the match moved into the second half, the tactical landscape shifted dramatically, opening up the possibility of a breakthrough. Just five minutes after the restart, in the 50th minute, Estudiantes were forced onto the back foot when Baltasar Rodríguez picked up his second yellow card of the match and was swiftly shown a red card, leaving the visitors to play with ten men for the remainder of regular time.
With a numerical advantage, Flamengo began to press forward with increasing urgency as the clock wound down. The Brazilian side’s most dangerous scoring opportunity arrived with just ten minutes remaining in regulation time. Midfielder Lucas Paquetá carved open the Estudiantes defense with a precise, probing pass into the path of forward Gonzalo Plata, who rose to meet the cross with a powerful header.
However, veteran Estudiantes goalkeeper Fernando Muslera produced a brilliant, reactionary save, rushing off his line to close down the Ecuadorian forward and smother the attempt. From that critical moment onward, the match effectively became the Fernando Muslera show, as the experienced Uruguayan shot-stopper took complete control of his penalty area to weather the late storm.
With the score remaining locked at 0-0 after regulation time and the aggregate deadlock unbroken, the high-stakes semifinal advanced straight to a penalty shootout. Under immense pressure in the cauldron of the Maracanã, Muslera emerged as the undisputed star of the night.
The veteran goalkeeper delivered a heroic performance in the shootout, stopping three consecutive penalties from Flamengo takers Jorginho, Lucas Paquetá, and Bruno Henrique. Ecstatic over his decisive saves, Muslera celebrated the stops by dancing in the style of Argentina’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez. Those crucial stops proved more than enough to secure the victory, sending Estudiantes players, coaching staff, and traveling supporters into wild celebrations as they punched their ticket to the continental final.
The joy is immense
The historic victory proved deeply emotional for everyone associated with the Estudiantes organization, from the coaching staff to the players who fought through adversity on the pitch.
“The joy of what we achieved is immense,” said Pincharrata head coach Alexander Medina in his post-match remarks. “Estudiantes deservedly earned it across the series. This team has shown character, personality, heart, and guts.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Rojo, who completed a romantic return to the club where he made his professional senior debut back in 2008. Reflecting on the tumultuous build-up to the match and the grueling nature of the 90 minutes, the defender emphasized the unique ethos of the institution.
“This is Estudiantes, there’s no explanation for it,” Rojo said. “We came to a tough stadium, stood our ground, and played a great first half. It became an uphill battle after the red card, but this club believes nothing is impossible.”
For his part, Muslera chose to dedicate the monumental victory to the loyal Estudiantes fans who were unable to make the long trip to Brazil to support the team in person, as well as to the behind-the-scenes club staff who supported the squad through a demanding campaign.
The heroics in Rio de Janeiro also marked a significant personal redemption for the Uruguayan goalkeeper. Muslera entered the crucial fixture carrying the weight of a difficult spell with the Uruguayan national team during the 2026 World Cup, a tournament where he had shouldered heavy criticism after making several costly errors.
Reflecting on the psychological turnaround from his recent struggles to his starring role in continental glory, Muslera offered a philosophical view on his career.
“Football always gives you another chance,” he said.
