Cruzeiro come back from 0-3 against Corinthians to win their first Libertadores Femenina on penalties in Quito

Cruzeiro are the new CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina champions. On Saturday 31 October, at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado in Quito, the Belo Horizonte side trailed 3-0 against Corinthians, winners of the last three editions, and ended up lifting the trophy after a 4-4 draw over 90 minutes and a 5-4 penalty shootout. It is their first continental title, in their first appearance in the competition, and it ended the São Paulo club's run of three consecutive crowns.

From 0-3 to 4-4

Corinthians struck early: Gabi Zanotti headed in after 3 minutes, the fastest goal in a Libertadores Femenina final in the last five editions according to CONMEBOL, and scored again in the 44th to make it 2-0 at half-time. Vic Albuquerque added the third in the 49th minute and the match looked settled.

Cruzeiro's response was led by their captain. Byanca Brasil pulled one back from close range in the 52nd minute after goalkeeper Lelê had parried a shot, and Vitória Calhau converted a penalty in the 58th to make it 3-2. Albuquerque's second of the night restored a two-goal cushion at 4-2 in the 68th, but Ketlin headed in a corner in the 75th for 4-3 and, in the first minute of stoppage time, Letícia Ferreira, also with a header, made it 4-4.

A seven-round shootout

In the shootout, Byanca Brasil, Letícia Ferreira, Michelle Romero and Vitória Calhau scored for Cruzeiro, while Vic Albuquerque, Duda Sampaio, Belén Aquino and Thaís Ferreira scored for Corinthians. Lelê saved Pri Back's kick and Jaqueline shot over the bar. Level at 4-4, the shootout went to sudden death: Lorena Bedoya and Gisela Robledo both missed the target, Milena made it 5-4 and goalkeeper Camila Rodrigues saved from Gi Fernandes to spark the celebrations.

Corinthians had most of the ball (62% to 38%), but Cruzeiro, coached by Jonas Urias and runners-up to Corinthians in the 2025 Brasileirão, reached the final unbeaten: they topped their group with a perfect record (8 goals scored, 1 conceded), including a 2-1 win over Liga de Quito and a 3-0 win over Bolívar, then beat Libertad 3-0 in the quarter-finals and Olimpia 1-0 in the semi-finals.

Byanca Brasil, three Libertadores titles with three clubs

At 30, Cruzeiro's number 10 and captain won her third Libertadores Femenina, after 2017 with Corinthians/Audax and 2022 with Palmeiras, and finished among the tournament's top scorers alongside Vic Albuquerque, who ended with six goals, and Mariana Zamorano. "She is a natural leader, very professional and very funny," Urias had said of her in the days before the final, according to CONMEBOL.

It was the third all-Brazilian final in the competition's history. Corinthians, the most successful club in the tournament with six titles, were playing their fourth consecutive final and had arrived with five wins from five matches, 21 goals scored and 2 conceded.

What comes next

The title earns Cruzeiro a place at the 2027 FIFA Women's Champions Cup. Earlier in the day, at the same stadium, Colombia's Independiente Santa Fe beat Paraguay's Olimpia 4-3 to take third place, with two goals from Mariana Zamorano.

Sources: CONMEBOL (official match report and Byanca Brasil profile), Teleamazonas, Metro Ecuador.