Flaco López spearheads Palmeiras’ 2026 charge with decisive returns | OneFootball

Flaco López has been Palmeiras’ most decisive player in 2026, his 13 goals and six assists underpinning the Paulista title and leadership in the Brasileirão and Libertadores.

As reported by Globo.com, the Argentine forward has chosen his moments well. On Tuesday in Lima, he led a 2-0 win over Sporting Cristal, volleying the opener then sparking the move finished by Sosa to take top spot in Group F.

Of his 13 goals, nine directly altered results. Six came in the Campeonato Paulista, including the only strike in the first leg of the final against Novorizontino. His goals are worth 23 points, excluding the 2-1 State semi-final against São Paulo, when he scored the second with his side already 1-0 up.

In the 2026 opener against Santos in Barueri, he set up Allan for the game’s only goal. Five of his six assists have directly affected Palmeiras’ points, against São Paulo three times, Junior Barranquilla and Santos. The other created Jhon Arias’ opener at Bahia in Salvador, and his six already match last season’s tally.

Abel Ferreira wants him near goal and joked that chasing assists would put him beside him on the bench. He said there is no need for the striker to drop into midfield and that his job is to extract the maximum from his players.

Tuesday’s outing was his 30th of the season. His first-half target remains a World Cup call-up. Seven matches remain before the break, and he is 12 goal contributions from equalling his 2025 marks.

Next up is Remo away on Sunday in round 14 of the Brasileiro, kick-off 16:00 in Belém.

Source: Globo.com