Final Continent Result: Fluminense Triumphs Over Boca Juniors in Rio
The Argentinian veteran German Canoe and the rising star John Kennedy played pivotal roles as Fluminense defeated Boca Juniors 2-1 in extra time to clinch the Libertadores Cup. The decisive clash unfolded on a rain-softened night at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, and Fluminense’s victory marked their first continental crown.
Fluminense dominated large stretches of the final, with Cano stepping forward to claim the tournament’s top scorer honor. The win also completed a long-held dream for the club, which had previously fallen short in the 2008 final against Ecuador’s Liga de Quito. This triumph extends Brazil’s dominance in the Libertadores, reinforcing a streak of Brazilian champions after Flamengo won in 2019 and 2022, and Palmeiras lifted the trophy in 2020 and 2021. Boca Juniors, chasing a seventh continental title, was unable to equal Independiente de Avellaneda’s historic record.
Continental finals at their best reward aggression, boldness, and the elegant football style known as Jogo Bonito. Coach Fernando Diniz guided Fluminense with a fearless approach, while Boca’s coach Jorge Almirón was forced to contend with counter-attacks that tested his defense. The opening minutes saw Fluminense press high, moving the ball quickly through the wings and cutting through Boca’s midfield with rapid one-touches and short exchanges.
On the left flank Arias created chances while Marcelo joined Mercelo on the right, making Fluminense’s forwards increasingly dangerous. Twice in quick succession, Advíncula had to foul to stop Keno’s advances. Fluminense’s first real chance came in the 12th minute after Marcelo’s foul, with Cano meeting the ball on a dangerous header, only to be matched by a sharp save from Romero.
Moments later Boca countered. Merentiel approached the penalty area and fired a shot that Fabio saved comfortably. The game soon steadied as Boca found more rhythm and began to press, but Cavani found himself isolated up front in a difficult position to influence the flow of play.
Fluminense’s breakthrough arrived in the 35th minute. Arias and Keno combined to release Cano on the right wing, and Cano finished from close range to give his team the lead. The Brazilian side carried that narrow advantage into the half, maintaining control as the clock ran down with patient build-ups and measured passing exchanges.
Early in the second half, Boca attempted to react with greater intent, creating opportunities through Merentiel. Fluminense, however, extended their advantage around the 54th minute after a sustained sequence where Arias and Keno continued to probe the Boca defense, only to be thwarted by Romero on a couple of occasions before Cano was left in space to drive a shot that narrowly missed the target.
Around this period, Boca found their footing and pressed harder for an equalizer. The game swung as the tempo shifted and both teams traded periods of dominance. In a critical moment, Advíncula found the back of the net with a powerful strike from outside the box at the 71st minute to restore parity and ignite renewed tension in the Maracanã.
After the draw, the match lost some tempo, though Fluminense’s youth presence kept the attack lively. The introduction of John Kennedy added a fresh spark, giving Fluminense more forward options as coaches considered a possible extra-time scenario.
In the first half of extra time, the game was tightly contested with play often taking place in the central areas and few clear scoring opportunities. Boca appeared to prefer penalties, while Fluminense pressed for a late winner. John Kennedy seized his moment, chasing a ball after a sequence involving Barbosa and Keno and firing into the net to give Fluminense a decisive lead as the clock ticked toward the final whistle.
The celebrations of the young Argentine forward were intense but short-lived, as his exuberance led to a shirt removal and his sending-off by the officials. An additional red card was shown to Fabra of Boca after a VAR review confirmed an aggressive action toward Nino, leaving the score at 1-1 with ten men each for a period. With equal players restored after the suspensions, Fluminense managed the remaining minutes with composure, avoiding risk and safeguarding the lead to seal the title. Guga nearly added a last goal on a counter-attack as time wound down.
Data sheet: 1 – Boca Juniors: Sergio Romero; Luis Advíncula, Nicolas Figal (d.112, Bruno Valdez), Nicolas Valentini, Frank Fabra; Cristian Medina (m.106, Taborda), Ezequiel Fernandez (m.106, Saracchi), Pol Fernandez, Valentin Barco (m.77, Langoni); Miguel Merentiel (m.91, Janson) and Edinson Cavani (m.77, Benedetto).
2 – Fluminense: Fabio; Samuel Xavier (m.84, Guga), Nino, Felipe Melo (m.51, Marlon), Marcelo (m.79, Diogo Barbosa); Andre, Paulo Henrique Ganso (d.79, John Kennedy), Martinelli (d.79, Lima); Jhon Arias, Keno (m.101, David Braz) and German Cano.
Goals: 1-0, m.35: German Cano. 1-1, art.71, Advíncula. 2-0, m.98: John Kennedy.
Judges: Colombian Wilmar Roldán officiated the match, issuing a caution to Cavani, Keno, Figal, Kennedy, Langoni, Nino, Cano and Saracchi. John Kennedy, Fabra, and Fluminense assistant Eduardo Barros were sent off following the review, while a separate red card was shown to Fabra for an on-field incident confirmed by VAR. The match was played before a crowd of 69,232 at the Maracanã, with tickets valued around 6.4 million dollars.