The last week of football across the Americas resulted in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana finals being defined, and meaningful table movement across Liga MX, MLS and more. Here are all your headlines.
Estudiantes vs Palmeiras in 2026 Copa Libertadores Final
The powerhouse that is Palmeiras won the all-Brazilian semifinal clash, but it was a close one. They lost the second leg across 90 minutes to Fluminense and had to go to a penalty shootout, Carlos Miguel saved Nonato’s penalty, and by that slim margin, Palmeiras are back in the Copa Libertadores final, where they are the favorites.
In that final, Argentina’s Estudiantes will carry the underdog banner. Estudiantes upset Flamengo by holding them scoreless for 180 minutes, and then winning on penalties. It was a redemption game for Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, one of the worst players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he saved three penalties to stop Flamengo cold. Estudiantes also had to suffer with 10 men for a half.
Estudiantes are the first non-Brazilian finalist since 2023, and still continue the trend of the Libertadores being between Brazil and Argentina. The last Argentine club to win a Copa Libertadores? River Plate in 2018.
Saturday, November 28th in Montevideo, the two clubs will meet in the final.
Boca Juniors Into Copa Sudamericana Final
Boca Juniors supporters have a lot to celebrate these days, in a tournament where they were considered one of the top favorites to win at the commencement, the Buenos Aires giants are into the final, a 3-2 aggregate result over Vasco da Gama over two legs. Leandro Paredes, who came off the bench in the second half, scored a golazo that settled the result late in the second half.
Boca’s last remaining rival is Atletico Mineiro, the Brazilian club staved off a late comeback attempt by Montevideo City Torque, advancing 3-2 on aggregate. Kevin Castano and Tomas Cuello are among the key players for Mineiro, as they take on a Boca side with Miguel Merentiel, Leandro Paredes, and Lautaro Di Lollo. The Copa Sudamericana final is set for November 21st.
First, Boca Juniors plays River Plate in the Superclasico on November 1st, and they are hosts. Boca is chasing the anual table title in Argentina.
Thrills and Spills in the Brasileiro
The weekend action in Brazilian football was entertaining. Neymar and Santos settled for a 1-1 draw on a waterlogged pitch against Bahia. While Neymar was able to showcase his dribbling on the atrocious pitch, he was later red carded for covering his mouth, and with 10 men, Santos scored a late equalizer. The result ensures both clubs have some hope of reaching the Copa Libertadores places on the table.
In a battle with relevance for the relegation places, Marino Hinestroza erupted with a pair of goals two minutes apart in the 88th and 90th minute. Vasco da Gama’s comeback was a 3-2 win over Corinthians that pushed Corinthians into the relegation places while Vasco are currently five points clear of the drop, and just one point outside of the Copa Sudamericana positions. New manager Clarence Seedorf will need to do a rescue job for Corinthians who are two points into the relegation zone with Mirassol and Sao Paulo their next two opponents.
Chivas Win in the Rain in Monterrey
Chivas Guadalajara traveled to the most well-attended stadium in Mexico, and came away winners over the weekend. They held on after Roberto Alvarado scored an early goal setup by Santiago Sandoval, defeating Monterrey Rayados 1-0. El Tri national team goalkeeper Raul “Tala” Rangel saved Lucas Ocampos penalty, and a late Monterrey equalizer from Diego Rossi was waved off for a handball. This match was played in a rainstorm and it had everything, with Chivas moving to third in the Liga MX standings. Monterrey remains 7th and tied with Tijuana Xolos and Queretaro on points, as the three teams battling for the last two playoff places.
Tijuana’s 4-1 win over Santos Laguna pushed Xolos into 8th and ended Santos’ recent momentum. Xolos face Liga MX table leading Club America in a midweek game.
Nashville SC Wins MLS Supporters Shield
Nashville SC 21-3-7 on the season have clinched the MLS Supporters shield and will be the #1 seed in the eastern conference. Their historic season, one of the best in MLS history, has featured 18 goals from Sam Surridge and 17 from Hany Mukhtar. Argentine Cristian Espinoza has 14 assists. With rock solid performances all season long in all environments, you can only praise what Nashville has built and look forward to their games in the MLS playoffs.
Sunday in MLS we also saw a thriller between LAFC and La Galaxy “El Trafico” didn’t disappoint, as Joseph Paintsil’s brace earned Galaxy a point despite being outshot by LAFC. The Galaxy remain 9th in the Western Conference, two points clear of Real Salt Lake, while LAFC are 6th in the west and have clinched a playoff place.
Atletico Nacional and Two Clubs from Cali the Best in Colombia
As the regular season for the Liga Betplay Dimayor winds down this fall, three clubs have emerged as frontrunners for the title. Atletico Nacional continued to stake their claim, having the most expensive roster in Colombia, and winning another Clasico Paisa, this time in the league, 2-1 via a comeback against Medellin. Edwin Cardona continued his hot streak, and Andres Sarmiento scored the winner as Medellin fell back in the second half against their city rivals.
The other two clubs already on 30 or more points are from Cali, America De Cali on 31 points after a 3-1 win over Cucuta on Saturday, where Yeison Guzman scored again. Deportivo Cali on 30 points after drawing with Fortaleza 1-1 on Sunday. With teams having just a few games remaining in the regular season, these top three teams are already into the final eight. Medellin, Once Caldas, Cucuta, and Tolima are among the teams battling it out for the last two playoff positions. With Bogota’s two giants, Millonarios and Santa Fe likely to feature in the finals, despite the problems at their home stadium El Campin.
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Is There a Title Race in Chile?
Colo-Colo looked to be dominating Chile’s Primera Division, but a recent slump means Universidad de Chile has cut that gap to seven points. Colo-Colo are winless in their last four, and they drew with Palestino on Sunday, the goalkeeping performance of Vozinha keeping Colo-Colo from dropping more points. Universidad de Chile faces Universidad Catolica on Sunday in the Clasico Universitario, that’s second place vs third, and if Universidad de Chile prevails there may be a livewire of a title race in Chile after all.
Extra Time Notes:
The Copa Libertadores final between Palmeiras and Estudiantes, and the Copa Sudamericana showdown between Boca Juniors and Atlético Mineiro, will once again put the strength of Brazilian and Argentine football on display. But there is plenty at stake elsewhere across the Americas. In Brazil, Corinthians are fighting relegation it’s a crowded table for the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana positions. In Mexico, Chivas are building momentum ahead of the Liga MX playoffs, while Monterrey and Tijuana still have work to do to ensure passage. Nashville SC have set the standard in MLS, Atlético Nacional are making their case as Colombia’s best team, and Colo-Colo’s grip on the Chilean title has slipped. The continental finals will crown two champions, but for plenty of clubs across the Americas, the most important matches of the season are still ahead.
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Main Photo Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images
