In a tense match held at the Estadio Monumental in front of approximately 50,000 spectators, veteran defender Danilo scored the only goal of the match with a header in the second half.
This title adds to Flamengo’s previous titles in 1981, 2019, and 2022, qualifying them to participate in the Intercontinental Cup and face Mexican Cruz Azul on December 10 in Doha, as well as the 2026 Recopa Sudamericana, and the 2029 Club World Cup.
This is the fifth final in the last six editions of the Libertadores to feature two Brazilian teams.
Flamengo’s victory represents revenge for their 2-1 loss to Palmeiras in the 2021 final and puts the famous club from Rio de Janeiro on the verge of achieving a historic treble in 2025.
Having started the year by winning the Brazilian Super Cup, Flamengo now needs only two points from their last two matches in the domestic league to secure the championship title.
With this title, Flamengo equals the record of Argentinian Estudiantes and River Plate with four titles and is three titles behind Argentinian Independiente, the record holder with seven titles.
After the break, Flamengo appeared with a better level, and despite the difficulty of creating clear opportunities, Arrascaeta managed to execute a perfect corner kick from the right side in the 67th minute, for Danilo (34 years old), unmarked, to jump and head the ball into the net, scoring the winning goal.
Danilo, the former Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Juventus player who was surprisingly left alone inside the area in the decisive goal scene, said: “We worked a lot on set pieces. I knew we would get a chance, and I took advantage of it.”
On the other hand, Palmeiras missed a valuable opportunity to score the equalizing goal when Vitor Roque shot the ball over the crossbar from very close range (89).
That opportunity was the best for Palmeiras in a final match that was tense and witnessed 33 fouls and seven yellow cards shared by the two teams.
The first half witnessed a lackluster performance, and the best opportunities were for Flamengo, where Bruno Henrique launched a shot in the 15th minute that went over the goal, before Samuel Lino threatened Palmeiras’ goal with a sideways shot after a breakthrough from the left side.
But that was the most Flamengo reached in the first half, and one of their players was almost sent off after half an hour following a brawl that broke out after a violent tackle by Palmeiras defender Bruno Fuchs against Flamengo’s Uruguayan star Giorgian de Arrascaeta.
As tension escalated, Chilean midfielder Erick Pulgar intervened violently against Fuchs, but escaped being sent off and the referee only gave him a warning.
De Arrascaeta, the assist provider and winner of the best player of the tournament award, said: “Our fans deserve it, and we deserve it too.”
