Spanish paper hails Fábio after Flu go through: 45-year-old hero

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·19 August 2026

Spanish paper hails Fábio after Flu go through: 45-year-old hero

Fluminense’s heroic qualification for the Conmebol Libertadores quarter-finals made headlines in the international press.

Spanish newspaper As praised goalkeeper Fábio’s decisive performance in the win over Independiente Rivadavia in Argentina, calling the Tricolor shot-stopper a “45-year-old hero.”

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In the match played last Tuesday (18) at the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in Mendoza, Fluminense drew 1-1 in normal time.

The place had to be decided on penalties, and that was when Fábio’s experience made the difference to secure a 5-4 victory.

Penalty shootout highlights:

Resilience: After Lucho missed Fluminense’s second penalty, Fábio put the team back in the contest by saving Florentín’s effort.
Composure: Guga took responsibility for Fluminense’s final penalty and converted it with precision.
The final save: Next, Atencio needed to score to keep the Argentine side alive, but Fábio stepped up again, saved the penalty, and sealed Fluminense’s qualification.

Next steps

With their place in the Libertadores quarter-finals secured, Fluminense now await the identity of their next opponent, who will come from the tie between Coquimbo Unido (Chile) and Platense (Argentina).