Corinthians draws Estudiantes again in Libertadores 2026 quarterfinals, with a rocky history against Argentine sides

Every time Corinthians runs into an Argentine club in the Copa Libertadores, things tend to get complicated. Now it's happening again: in the Libertadores 2026 quarterfinals, the Brazilian side will face Estudiantes de La Plata, another chapter in a rivalry that, number by number, hasn't been kind to Timão.

The numbers sting a bit if you're a Corinthians fan: against Argentine opponents, across all competitions, the São Paulo club has played 46 matches, with 11 wins, 17 draws and 18 losses. In other words, it loses more than it wins. And narrowing it down to just the Libertadores, the picture doesn't improve much either: 24 matches, with 6 wins, 8 draws and 10 losses.

Where does this hoodoo come from? You have to go back to 1991, when Corinthians played its first Libertadores match against an Argentine club. It was against none other than Boca Juniors, which knocked it out in the round of 16 after a resounding 3-1 win at La Bombonera and a 1-1 draw on Brazilian soil. An early blow that set the tone for this rivalry.

From Rosario Central to two clashes with River

Some measure of payback didn't come until 2000, when Corinthians faced an Argentine side in the Libertadores again after several encounters that had only come in the now defunct Copa Mercosur. That time it eliminated Rosario Central in the round of 16, winning at home and losing away, but coming out ahead on aggregate.

Then came two straight blows from River Plate, which knocked Corinthians out in the round of 16 in both 2003 and 2006. Those were years when the Brazilian club simply couldn't find a way past its rivals from across the border in knockout rounds.

The big turnaround, perhaps the one best remembered, came in 2012. That time Corinthians ran into Boca Juniors again, but this time not in the round of 16, rather in the tournament final itself. After a draw in Buenos Aires, the São Paulo club closed out the series with a resounding 2-0 win in Brazil and lifted the title.

Just one meeting with Estudiantes

With Estudiantes de La Plata specifically, the history is short but favorable: the two sides have met just once, in the 2023 Copa Sudamericana, when Corinthians eliminated them in the quarterfinals on penalties.

In this 2026 edition, Corinthians' road against Argentine teams was already eventful before reaching Estudiantes. In the group stage it faced Platense, winning away and losing at home. Then, in the round of 16, it ran into Rosario Central again, eliminating them after a draw in Rosario and a win at home.

Now comes Estudiantes, with recent history favoring Timão but with an overall record against Argentine clubs that calls for caution. The numbers are there, and in the Libertadores, against rivals from across the border, Corinthians knows every matchup comes down to the details.