Conmebol's decision to keep yellow cards for Flamengo v Cruzeiro

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Coluna do Fla

·13 August 2026

Conmebol's decision to keep yellow cards for Flamengo v Cruzeiro

Flamengo have Luiz Araújo at risk of suspension, but the No. 7 will not play the first leg

Flamengo have one player at risk of suspension for the clash with Cruzeiro in the Copa Libertadores round of 16. That is because Conmebol decided that, starting this year, yellow cards will no longer be wiped out for the early knockout rounds.

Therefore, Luiz Araújo is the only Flamengo player with two yellow cards accumulated during the group stage. However, the No. 7 will not play the first leg at Mineirão as he recovers from a knee injury.

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What time do Flamengo and Cruzeiro face off in the round of 16?

The ball is already rolling this Wednesday (12) at Mineirão for Flamengo and Cruzeiro in the first leg of the round of 16. The return leg will be played from 9:30 pm (Brasília time) on Wednesday (19) at the Maracanã.

When does Conmebol wipe yellow cards in the Libertadores?

Therefore, the yellow card count will only be reset starting from the Libertadores semifinals. If they advance to the quarterfinals, the Rubro-Negro will face the winner between Tolima (COL) and Independiente del Valle (EQU), who play this Thursday (13).

Does Cruzeiro have players at risk for the clash with Flamengo?

The Minas Gerais side, however, are concerned about four players. That is because Gerson, Matheus Henrique, Matheus Pereira and Villarreal each carry two yellow cards from the group stage. Fagner and Lucas Romero are already serving suspensions this Wednesday (13).

Does Flamengo have many yellow cards?

In fact, the Rubro-Negro are the team with the fewest cards in this edition of the Libertadores so far. After all, Fla have received four bookings in the six group-stage matches, tied with Corinthians, Argentinos Juniors (ARG) and Nacional Potosí (BOL). Emerson Royal and Evertton Araújo have two yellow cards each.

The low number of bookings for the Rubro-Negro contributed to the best group-stage campaign in this edition. That is because Mengão collected 16 points, with five wins, one draw and 12 goals.

What is the author’s opinion on Conmebol’s new rule?

I understand that it is a measure to make players police themselves and try to keep the game clean. But there is still a long way to go until the semis. I think wiping them from the quarterfinals onward would have been enough,” said João Vítor Reis of Coluna do Fla, who added: “But... common sense is not exactly one of Conmebol’s qualities. Luckily, Mengão do not have many cards, which is unusual for a team with Erick Pulgar. The Chilean could have problems with the new measure,” he opined.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.