Gustavo Gómez can hit a historic mark for Palmeiras before the World Cup | OneFootball

Palmeiras takes on Junior Barranquilla this Thursday (28), seeking qualification for the Libertadores round of 16 and with an important milestone on the line for center-back Gustavo Gómez.

Captain of the Verdão squad, the Paraguayan could stand alone as the player with the most wins in Libertadores history for Palmeiras. He has 56, tied with goalkeeper Weverton. As a result, the Paraguayan could also move into sole possession of 4th place in the ranking of players with the most wins in the competition’s history.

The defender is also close to other milestones. Gómez is one win away from catching Raphael Veiga in 3rd place among the players with the most wins for Palmeiras at Allianz Parque – he has 114 compared to the midfielder’s 115. And he is one goal away from surpassing Borja and drawing level with Gustavo Scarpa in 6th place on the list of Palmeiras players with the most goals at the stadium – he has 19, alongside the striker and just behind the midfielder).

In the match against Junior Barranquilla in Palmeiras’ Libertadores opener, Gómez became the player with the most appearances for the club in the competition’s history, overtaking Weverton. The Paraguayan now has 85 matches.

Gómez is one of two remaining members of the squad that won the 2021 Libertadores in Montevideo, alongside Joaquín Piquerez. Five years later, he remains a key figure in Abel Ferreira’s team.

Historic numbers

The most decorated player in Palmeiras history, with 13 titles, Gómez has also built up impressive numbers in the continental competition.

In 2025, he became the defender with the most goals in Libertadores history, with 14. For the club, he trails only Raphael Veiga (17 goals) and Rony (21) in Palmeiras’ scoring chart in the tournament.

Overall, he is the highest-scoring defender in Palmeiras history, with 45 goals, surpassing names such as Luís Pereira and Cléber.

A two-time Libertadores champion in 2020 and 2021, Gómez is now aiming to win a third continental title with the club. If he does, he will join a select group of players with three titles in the competition.

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