After the 0-0 draw in Argentina, Flamengo and Estudiantes must win the second leg to secure a place in the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores final within regulation time. Any win sends the winning team through; any draw, including a scoring draw, sends the semi-final straight to a penalty shootout. Away goals do not provide a tiebreaker, and there is no extra time at this stage.
This is the situation ahead of the second leg, based on information checked on October 21, 2026. The return match had not yet been played at the time of this assessment.
When is Flamengo vs Estudiantes, and what happened in the first leg?
The opening semi-final match finished Estudiantes 0-0 Flamengo on October 15 at the UNO Jorge Luis Hirschi stadium in La Plata. CONMEBOL scheduled the return for Thursday, October 22, 2026, at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time (UTC-3), at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, with Flamengo at home. The schedule was also confirmed in an official club notice about the match.
The goalless draw means neither team enters the second leg ahead on aggregate. Home advantage determines where the match is played but is not a tiebreaking rule.
Qualification scenarios: what does each result mean?
With the aggregate score starting at 0-0, the second-leg result will determine who advances or whether a shootout is required. The table covers every possible win, draw or defeat at the end of regulation time without predicting the actual score.
| Second-leg result | Aggregate after both legs | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Flamengo win by any score | Flamengo ahead on aggregate | Flamengo qualify for the final |
| Draw, with or without goals | Aggregate scores level | Penalty shootout; qualifier still undecided |
| Estudiantes win by any score | Estudiantes ahead on aggregate | Estudiantes qualify for the final |
Hypothetical examples: 1-0 or 2-1 to Flamengo would send the Brazilian club through; 0-1 or 1-2 would send Estudiantes through. A 0-0, 1-1 or even 2-2 draw would lead to penalties. These are mathematical illustrations, not results or predictions.
Would a 1-1 draw help Estudiantes on away goals?
No. Section 2.4.3 of the 2026 Libertadores Club Manual applies goal difference across the tie as the first semi-final tiebreaker and, if the teams are still level, a penalty shootout. Away goals are not a separate criterion. A 1-1 draw at the Maracanã therefore has the same consequence as 0-0: penalties, with no extra time.
The stages must be distinguished. The same manual allows for 30 minutes of extra time in the single-match final, but that procedure does not apply to aggregate ties in the semi-finals.
What did the first leg show, and what remains uncertain?
Folha de S.Paulo's report on the October 15 match recorded that Flamengo did not register a shot on target against Estudiantes, although the Brazilian side held on for a draw. That attacking display provides context for the opening leg but does not change the qualification equation: Flamengo gain no formal bonus for hosting the return, and Estudiantes gain no advantage for scoring in Rio.
Both teams enter the second leg in the same mathematical position. Flamengo will be at home at the Maracanã; Estudiantes must either win away or contest a shootout if the scores remain level. Qualification still depends on the action on the pitch or the penalties.
Who awaits in the 2026 final?
The winner of Flamengo vs Estudiantes will face the winner of the other semi-final, Palmeiras vs Fluminense. CONMEBOL has scheduled the single-match final for November 28, 2026, at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay. As of the October 21 editorial cutoff, this article does not assume the outcome of either tie.
