RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – OCTOBER 19: José Manuel López of SE Palmeiras (R) and Danilo of Flamengo (L) fight for possession during a Brasileirao 2025 match between Flamengo and Palmeiras at Maracana Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Riquelve Nata/Sports Press Photo/Getty Images)
Getty Images
This Saturday Flamengo and Palmeiras will face off in the biggest game in the South American soccer calendar. It’s the Copa Libertadores final and the two Brazilian giants will take the field in Lima, Peru.
Flamengo Is The Champion Elect In Brazil
On Tuesday night Grêmio defeated Palmeiras 3-2 in the Brazilian League. Flamengo drew 1-1 away to Atlético Mineiro. These results put Flamengo five points ahead of Palmeiras with just two games left to play in the league. The Rio club has more than one hand on the Brasileirão title.
BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL – NOVEMBER 25: Bruno Henrique (L) of Flamengo celebrates with teammate Evertton Araujo (R) after scoring the first goal of their team during match between Atletico Mineiro and Flamengo as part of Brasileirao 2025 at Arena MRV on November 25, 2025 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. (Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Palmeiras was leading the charge for the league title recently. However, five league games without a win have turned the São Paulo-based team’s domestic season around.
Just days before this Saturday’s Copa Libertadores final, Palmeiras decided to rest their strongest players, already four points behind in the league. For some fans that may seem like throwing away the chance to fight for the league title. For others it’s a smart move days before the big final. When you consider the points gap in the league, it was unlikely Palmeiras would come back anyway, so the club has rightly put all its energy into winning the continental trophy.
All Or Nothing For Palmeiras
Palmeiras was dreaming of an historic double a couple of weeks ago. Flamengo still is. However, since the league has slipped out of the reach of Palmeiras it seems there is more pressure on the men in green to go out and win the Copa Libertadores. To go from eyeing a double to winning absolutely nothing would be a massive blow for the club.
Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira clearly feels that way. Hence he announced the league title as finished and has put all of his eggs into the Copa Libertadores basket.
BELO HORIZONTE, BRAZIL – AUGUST 02: Abel Ferreira coach of Palmeiras gives instructions during the Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores round of 16 first leg match between Atletico Mineiro and Palmerias at Mineirao Stadium on August 02, 2023 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. (Photo by Pedro Vilela/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Palmeiras has reason to believe that its name is etched on this trophy. In the semi finals it completed an incredible comeback against LDU Quito from Ecuador. The Brazilian side lost 3-0 away from home but returned to São Paulo for the second leg and managed an historic 4-0 victory. Ferreira won’t want that night to be forgotten.
Palmeiras and Flamengo Share Historic Rivalry
Palmeiras and Flamengo are the top two teams in Brazil and South America at the moment. There is no doubt about that.
Between 2019 and 2022, these two clubs won all four editions of the Copa Libertadores. The teams won twice each and in 2021, Palmeiras won when they met in the final.
MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY – NOVEMBER 27: Felipe Melo of Palmeiras lifts the Champions Trophy of Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores after the final match of Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2021 between Palmeiras and Flamengo at Centenario Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Montevideo, Uruguay. Palmeiras defeated Flamengo by 2-1 in extra time. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Getty Images
This isn’t the first year they have battled for league titles at home. Botafogo won the league last season but Palmeiras won back-to-back titles before that and Flamengo won back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.
In the FIFA Club World Cup last summer, both competed well against elite European opposition. Flamengo defeated eventual winners Chelsea in the group stage and Palmeiras lost narrowly to Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
In the league this season, Flamengo twice beat Palmeiras. Can they do it on Saturday in the Copa Libertadores final to win an historic double, or will Palmeiras win to share the silverware at the end of the season? Whichever side wins, they will have four Copa Libertadores titles; the most ever won by a Brazilian side. The final has never been as tight as this.
TOPSHOT – Players of Fluminense celebrate with the trophy after winning the Copa Libertadores final football match between Brazil’s Fluminense and Argentina’s Boca Juniors at Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 4, 2023. (Photo by CARL DE SOUZA / AFP) (Photo by CARL DE SOUZA/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/josephosullivan/2025/11/26/flamengo-faces-palmeiras-in-historic-2025-copa-libertadores-final/
