Danilo da Silva header secures Flamengo Copa Libertadores triumph over Palmeiras

Flamengo celebrate their all-Brazilian Copa Libertadores finals victory against Palmeiras in Lima on Saturday. (AFP)
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Updated 30 November 2025
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Danilo da Silva header secures Flamengo Copa Libertadores triumph over Palmeiras

  • Danilo, became the first player to win twice both the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League
  • Flamengo won their fourth Copa Libertadores crown and their first since 2022. They also won in 1981 and 2019

LIMA, Peru: Former Juventus defender Danilo da Silva scored a second-half goal and Flamengo downed Palmeiras 1-0 to win the Copa Libertadores final on Saturday.

Danilo, who also spent time in Europe with Real Madrid and Manchester City, scored on a header in the 67th minute.

“I scored the goal for the team of my life,” said Danilo, who joined the Rio de Janeiro club this year after a 14-season career in Europe. “I knew we were going to have a set-piece opportunity and I was able to take advantage of it.”

Danilo, became the first player to win twice both the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League.

“They are all very difficult. I don’t remember much about the previous ones, but this one has been very difficult,” said the 34-year-old defender, who won the Libertadores in 2011 with Santos (also scoring in the second leg of the final against Peñarol) and the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2016 and 2017.

Midfielder Jorginho, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, joined the list of 18 players who have won both tournaments.

Flamengo won their fourth Copa Libertadores crown and their first since 2022. They also won in 1981 and 2019.

Brazil has 25 Copa titles, tying Argentina’s tally as the winningest nation in the tournament.

The Rio de Janeiro team became the first Brazilian four-time champion, surpassing the record held by Palmeiras, Sao Paulo, Santos, and Gremio. With this victory, they tied Argentine clubs River Plate and Estudiantes de La Plata. Only Independiente (7), Boca Juniors (6), and Peñarol (5) have more Libertadores titles.

Flamengo took home $24 million and a place in the 2029 Club World Cup. They will also play in the Recopa against Lanus, who won the Copa Sudamericana last Saturday. The runner-up receives $7 million.

Brazilian teams have won the Copa Libertadores seven years in a row. Argentina’s River Plate was the last non-Brazilian team to win the tournament when it defeated Boca Juniors in 2018.

Flamengo — who avenged their loss to Palmeiras in the 2021 final — could extend their celebration, as they are also close to winning the Brazilian championship. They lead with 75 points, five more than Verdao, with two matches to play.


Liverpool rocked by last-gasp defeat at Wolves

Updated 04 March 2026
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Liverpool rocked by last-gasp defeat at Wolves

  • Liverpool’s first defeat in five games in all competitions will raise fresh questions about Slot’s Anfield future

LONDON: Liverpool suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolves as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the Premier League’s bottom club on Tuesday.
Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux.
Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November.
But Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool.
It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017.
Liverpool have conceded 14 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, with only Newcastle shipping more in the same period in the Premier League.
The Reds remain fifth but their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League have been hurt by a defeat that means sixth-placed Chelsea will go above them if they beat Aston Villa on Wednesday.
Liverpool’s first defeat in five games in all competitions will raise fresh questions about Slot’s Anfield future.
This was the first of Liverpool’s two trips to Molineux in the space of four days, with an immediate chance for revenge in the FA Cup fifth round on Friday.
Slot this week said he no longer finds Premier League matches a “joy to watch” due to the rise in set-piece goals, and Liverpool supporters took no pleasure from this dismal performance.
Wolves and Liverpool fans joined in a sustained round of applause on 18 minutes in memory of Diogo Jota, who wore that shirt number during his time at Molineux before joining the Reds.
Portugal forward Jota died in a car crash in Spain last year.

Crest-fallen Slot

That emotional tribute seemed to suck the energy from both teams in a scrappy first half.
Liverpool were punished for their lethargy in the 78th minute.
Tolu Arokodare got away with a nudge on Virgil van Dijk to win the ball before playing a superb pass to Rodrigo Gomes, who held off Ibrahima Konate and guided a clinical finish past Alisson Becker.
Liverpool finally awoke from their slumber after that shock, grabbing an equalizer in the 83rd minute with a helping hand from Wolves.
Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was guilty of a woeful pass that Salah intercepted, racing into the area for a shot that eluded Jose Sa’s weak attempted save.
Salah has scored just eight goals — five in the league — during a turbulent season.
Liverpool were still creaky at the back and Andre pounced on Alisson’s poor clearance four minutes to steal the points in stoppage-time.
Andre’s powerful strike deflected off Liverpool defender Joe Gomez and looped over the wrong-footed Alisson as Wolves boss Rob Edwards sprinted down the touchline in a wild celebration while Slot looked on crestfallen.
Wolves are 11 points from safety with eight games left and relegation remains almost certain despite this memorable victory.
Everton ended their dismal home form and pushed Burnley closer to relegation with a 2-0 win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Buoyed by their 3-2 win at Newcastle last weekend, Everton dispatched second-bottom Burnley with their first win in eight home league matches.
Former Burnley defender James Tarkowski put Everton in front with a powerful header from James Garner’s 32nd minute free-kick.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall doubled Everton’s advantage on the hour taking Iliman Ndiaye’s pass and clipping a composed finish past Martin Dubravka from six yards.
Everton remain in contention for a European berth, while Burnley are eight points from safety with just nine games left.
Habib Diarra’s penalty fired Sunderland to a 1-0 victory against Leeds on their first Premier League visit to Elland Road since 2002.
Bournemouth and Brentford shared a goalless draw at the Vitality Stadium that did little to improve either side’s hopes of qualifying for Europe.