It was Danilo, the former Real Madrid and Real Madrid defender, who netted the winner for the Rio club with a header in the 67th minute after the showpiece event, dubbed the final of the century, descended into wartime exhaustion, with both sides prioritizing a result over playing entertaining football.
With two minutes left on the clock, striker Vitor Roque had the opportunity to equalize, but he blasted his effort over from close range.
Neither side had an attempt on goal in the first half and Edgar Pulgar was fortunate not to be sent off for planting his opponents.
The final in Lima was certainly not an advertisement for South American football, but Flamengo took revenge for the lost 2021 final against Palmeiras. The two clubs have won five of the last seven Libertadores finals, cementing their – and Brazil’s – dominance in the competition.
The Peruvian capital once again proved to be a fertile breeding ground for Flamengo. In 2019, they defeated River Plate 2-1 in the final at the Monumental Stadium to win their first Copa Libertadores since 1981. The victory capped a perfect year for the club under Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus and kickstarted Flamengo’s recent rise.
As winning finalists, Flamengo will receive $24 million, bringing their total prize money from the campaign to 178 million Brazilian reais ($27.6 million).
Flamengo will represent South America in the Intercontinental Cup and face Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the quarter-finals. The winner will meet Pyramids of Egypt in the semi-finals and European champions Paris Saint-Germain await in the final. Flamengo also booked their spot at the 2029 Club World Cup. Earlier this summer, during the first edition of the revamped 32-team FIFA tournament, Flamengo defeated Chelsea in the group stage but lost to Bayern Munich in the second round.
The new South American champions can win the double. They sit at the top of the Brazilian rankings, five points ahead of Palmeiras with two rounds of matches remaining.
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