Who are Platense, Fluminense's rivals in the Libertadores quarters | OneFootball

Fluminense already knows who it will face in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Copa Libertadores. The opponent will be Platense of Argentina, the club that eliminated Coquimbo Unido of Chile on penalties and has reached the final eight of the continent’s top competition for the first time in its history.

Although little known to Brazilian fans, “Calamar” has a history of more than 120 years and is living the most important period of its journey. Argentine champion for the first time in 2025, the club turned that domestic triumph into a standout continental campaign and will now have the Maracanã ahead.

The first match against Fluminense will be in Rio de Janeiro, in the week of September 9. The semifinal spot will be decided in Argentina, in the week of the 16th.

A 121-year-old club

Founded on May 25, 1905, Platense was born in the Recoleta neighborhood of Buenos Aires. The club’s origins are tied to horse racing. The founders are said to have used money won from a horse named Gay Simon to buy the team’s first sporting equipment.

The name Platense came from Stud Platense, while the brown and white colors were inspired by the uniform worn by the winning horse’s jockey.

The nickname Calamar came a few years later. In 1908, journalist Palacio Zino compared the club’s players to squids because of the conditions of the fields where Platense played. Frequently hit by flooding, the pitch would be covered in mud, and the players had to adapt to the terrain.

Platense team in 1912

The comparison stuck. More than a century later, the squid remains one of the club’s main symbols.

Platense also played a part in the history of Argentine football. The team was among the clubs involved in the founding of professionalism in the country in 1931 and spent decades in the national top flight.

Its journey, however, also had difficult periods. After being relegated in 1999, the club spent more than two decades away from the first division before returning to the top flight in 2021.

The first Argentine title came in 2025

The big turning point in Platense’s recent history came in the 2025 Torneo Apertura. In the first phase, the club finished sixth in Group B with 23 points and advanced to the knockout rounds. From there, it began a run that put Calamar on the map of Argentine football.

In the round of 16, Platense knocked out Racing with a 1-0 away win. Then it faced River Plate at the Monumental and advanced on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

In the semifinal, again away from its fans, it beat San Lorenzo 1-0.

The final against Huracán was played at a neutral venue in Santiago del Estero. Platense won 1-0, with a goal from Guido Mainero, and claimed the first top-flight title in its history.

Platense wins the first title in its history. Photo: Reproduction/Platense

The trophy also secured the club’s first-ever place in the Copa Libertadores.

Calamar has already shown it is not intimidated away from home

The trait that drew attention during its Argentine title run reappeared in the Libertadores.

Platense was drawn into Group E alongside Corinthians, Peñarol, and Independiente Santa Fe. And it was precisely away from home that it achieved some of its most important results.

In the second round, it beat Peñarol 2-1 at Campeón del Siglo in Montevideo. In the final round, it defeated Corinthians 2-0 at Neo Química Arena.

Image from the match between Corinthians and Platense (ARG) at Neo Química Arena, in the sixth round of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage. Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The team finished second in the group stage and advanced to the round of 16.

In the knockout stage, it faced Coquimbo Unido. The first match ended 1-1 in Vicente López. In the return leg in Chile, there was another draw, this time 0-0.

The qualification was decided on penalties. Platense won 7-6 after goalkeeper Juan Pablo Cozzani saved a kick in the seventh round.

Who are the main players?

Platense’s main attacking name is Franco Zapiola, 25. Developed by Estudiantes, the attacking midfielder is one of the most important players in the offensive system and is the team’s top scorer in the Libertadores.

Zapiola scored two goals in the win over Corinthians and also found the net against Peñarol. In addition to his finishing ability, he is used to speed up transitions and find spaces between the opposition’s lines.

Another important player is Guido Mainero. At 31, the forward scored the goal that gave Platense the 2025 Argentine title.

In defense, Brazilian fans will see a familiar face: Víctor Cuesta. At 37, the Argentine center-back has played for Internacional, Botafogo, and Bahia, as well as other clubs in his country. Experienced, he is one of the defensive leaders of Calamar.

Alongside him is Ignacio Vázquez, the team captain and another key player in the air and in physical duels.

In goal, Juan Pablo Cozzani stood out precisely in the qualification against Coquimbo Unido. The goalkeeper was decisive in the penalty shootout and is one of the team’s trusted pieces.

Nico López is another familiar name from Brazilian football

Platense’s attack also features a player who was on Fluminense’s radar.

Nico López, 32, joined the Argentine club in 2026 after building a career marked by spells at Nacional, Udinese, Internacional, Tigres, and León. In Brazilian football, the Uruguayan had an important spell with Inter, playing 168 matches and scoring 40 goals.

The forward was also on Fluminense’s radar in 2025, when he was playing for Nacional. The talks, however, did not move forward, and Nico remained in Uruguayan football.

Martín Palermo, a familiar face for Fluminense

If there is one Platense figure who needs no introduction for Tricolor fans, it is Martín Palermo.

The former Boca Juniors striker is currently Calamar’s coach. As a player, he built one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the Argentine club and became its all-time top scorer.

For Fluminense, however, Palermo is known for another reason.

In 2008, during Tricolor’s historic Libertadores campaign, the Argentine was one of Boca Juniors’ main players.

In that year’s semifinal, Palermo scored Boca’s first goal in the second leg at the Maracanã. Fluminense responded and won 3-1, with goals from Washington, Conca, and Dodô, securing qualification for the final.

Eighteen years later, Palermo returns to the Maracanã.

How does Platense play?

Tricolor fans can expect an opponent that does not usually depend on possession to be dangerous.

Platense’s approach is based on defensive organization, intensity, and quick transitions. The team usually works with compact lines, closes central spaces, and tries to force the opponent wide. Once it recovers the ball, the priority is to accelerate.

Zapiola is one of the main weapons to lead counterattacks, while Mainero offers pace and depth down the right.

Set pieces also deserve attention. The team has strong aerial players and often uses free kicks and corners to put the opposing defense under pressure.

On the other hand, Platense can struggle when it has to take control of the match. Against opponents who sit deep and leave little room for transitions, the team tends to have fewer alternatives to build attacks.

For Fluminense, therefore, controlling turnovers and avoiding offering space for counterattacks will be crucial.

The second leg will be played at Estadio Ciudad de Vicente López, Platense’s home ground. The stadium is in the Buenos Aires metropolitan area and has stands close to the pitch, a feature that helps create a pressurized atmosphere in decisive matches.

Ciudad de Vicente López Stadium, venue for the Platense vs. Fluminense Libertadores match. Photo: Endelli/Getty Images

The stadium has also undergone upgrades to host Libertadores matches.

Platense’s fan base has a strong connection to the club’s neighborhood identity. One of the most famous supporters in the institution’s history was Roberto Goyeneche, one of the great names of Argentine tango, who used to attend the stadium stands.

Platense may not carry the same weight of shirt as other Argentine clubs that usually appear in the decisive stages of the Libertadores, but its recent trajectory shows that Fluminense will not face an inexperienced opponent.

The club eliminated Racing, River Plate, and San Lorenzo in its 2025 Argentine title campaign. In this year’s Libertadores, it beat Peñarol and Corinthians away from home and has now knocked out Coquimbo Unido on penalties.

In addition, it has experienced players like Cuesta and Nico López and has on the bench a coach who knows the atmosphere of major South American clashes very well.

It will be the first official meeting in history between Fluminense and Platense.

And for Tricolor, getting to know the opponent before September is part of the preparation for a tie that could put the club back among the top four in South America.

Fluminense opens the series at the Maracanã and will decide the place in Argentina. The quarterfinals are scheduled by Conmebol for the weeks of September 9 and 16.

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