Semifinal day in Caracas, a double helping of Rio–São Paulo drama, nine Olympic golds, and a Venezuelan baseball star’s Hollywood moment. The Serie de las Américas crowns its final four today after a wild final round-robin that saw Argentina shock unbeaten Panama 10–6. In Milano Cortina, Day 6 delivered nine medal events headlined by Italy’s Federica Brignone claiming Super-G gold on her home mountain just three weeks after returning from a career-threatening injury. And in Brazil, Palmeiras beat Internacional 3–1 at the Beira-Rio to seize the Brasileirão lead, while Fluminense edged Botafogo 1–0 in a Maracanã classic decided by a Lucho Acosta masterpiece.
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Thursday Scoreboard
\n11–12 Feb 2026
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Competition
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Result
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Note
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Serie de las Américas · Final RR
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Argentina 10–6 Panama
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Panama’s 1st loss
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Serie de las Américas · Final RR
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Cuba 8–7 Colombia
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Cuba clinches SF
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Serie de las Américas · Final RR
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Venezuela 12–4 Curaçao
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5th straight W
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Brasileirão Série A · Rd 3
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Internacional 1–3 Palmeiras
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Palmeiras top
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Brasileirão Série A · Rd 3
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Fluminense 1–0 Botafogo
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Lucho Acosta stunner
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Brasileirão Série A · Rd 3
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Corinthians 2–0 RB Bragantino
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Timão’s 1st win
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Brasileirão Série A · Rd 3
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Athletico-PR 2–1 Santos
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Santos winless
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Olympics · Day 6
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9 gold medals awarded
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44 of 116 events done
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01
\nArgentina Shock Panama, Serie de las Américas Semifinals Set
\nBaseball
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\nThe final round-robin day in Caracas produced the tournament’s biggest upset. Argentina’s Club DAOM came from behind to stun previously unbeaten Panama 10–6, with outfielder Danyer Sanabria blasting a crucial grand slam to flip the script after Panama had opened with a 3–0 lead through David Rodríguez’s two-run homer. The loss was Panama’s first in six games but didn’t cost them the top seed.
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\nCuba clinched the third semifinal spot by edging Colombia 8–7, with reliever Yankiel Mauris throwing crucial scoreless innings. Venezuela completed a five-game winning streak with a 12–4 rout of Curaçao, powered by Renato Núñez’s three RBIs and dominant relief pitching.
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\nThe final standings: Panama (5-1), Venezuela (5-1), Cuba (3-3), Colombia (3-3), Nicaragua (2-4), Argentina (2-4), Curaçao (1-5). Tiebreakers gave Panama first place via head-to-head over Venezuela, and Cuba third over Colombia.
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SEMIFINALS TODAY
\nSF1: Colombia vs. Panama — 1:30 PM VEN (12:30 PM EST)
\nSF2: Cuba vs. Venezuela — 7:30 PM VEN (6:30 PM EST)
\nBoth at Estadio Monumental, Caracas. Finals & 3rd place: Saturday.
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02
\nPalmeiras Win at Beira-Rio, Seize Brasileirão Lead
\nFootball
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\nPalmeiras went to Porto Alegre and left with a commanding 3–1 victory over Internacional, closing Brasileirão Round 3 at the top of the table with seven points from three matches. Gustavo Gómez headed in the opener, before Inter equalized through Ronaldo. Vitor Roque restored the lead early in the second half, capitalizing on a defensive mix-up between Bruno Gomes and Gabriel Mercado, and Andreas Pereira sealed it late.
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\nAbel Ferreira’s side now leads on goal difference over São Paulo, Fluminense, and Bahia, all level on seven points. Inter sits 17th with a single point from three games.
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KEY STAT
\nPalmeiras are unbeaten in four straight visits to the Beira-Rio in the Brasileirão: 0-0 (2023), 1-1 (2024), 1-0 (2025), 3-1 (2026).
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\nLatin America Sports Daily for Friday, February 13, 2026. (Photo Internet reproduction)
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\nArgentine playmaker Lucho Acosta produced the decisive moment in the first Clássico Vovô of the Brasileirão season, beating Botafogo 1–0 at the Maracanã in Round 3. After a poor first half low on quality, Acosta unlocked the game with a piece of brilliance in the second period. Botafogo played most of the match with ten men after Danilo was forced off injured with all substitutions already used, yet couldn’t find an equalizer.
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\nFluminense climb to seven points and remain unbeaten in the league. Botafogo stay on three points and face a difficult fixture list: Flamengo in the Carioca quarterfinals Sunday, then a trip to Bolivia for Pré-Libertadores midweek.
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04
\nBrignone’s Comeback Gold Headlines Olympic Day 6
\nOlympics
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\nNine gold medals were handed out on Day 6 of Milano Cortina 2026, none more emotional than Federica Brignone’s Super-G triumph. The 35-year-old Italian, who returned to racing just three weeks ago after a career-threatening injury sustained last April, won on her home snow ahead of France’s Romane Miradoli and Austria’s Cornelia Huetter. It was Italy’s sixth gold medal of these Games.
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\nSouth Korea’s 17-year-old Choi Ga-on stunned two-time defending champion Chloe Kim in the women’s snowboard halfpipe, recovering from a nasty first-run fall to post 90.25 on her final attempt, pushing Kim (88.00) to silver. Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida added the 5000m speed skating title to her 3000m gold, becoming the most decorated Italian speed skater in Olympic history. Australia’s Cooper Woods edged Canada’s Mikaël Kingsbury in moguls, and Germany extended their perfect record in luge by winning the team relay.
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MEDAL COUNT AFTER DAY 6
\nNorway 7-2-5 (14) · Italy 6-3-8 (17) · USA 4-7-3 (14) · Germany 4-3-2 (9) · Sweden 4-3-1 (8) · Switzerland 4-1-2 (7) · Austria 3-6-3 (12) · France 3-4-1 (8) · Netherlands 3-3-0 (6). 44 of 116 events completed.
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05
\nDay 6 Olympic Golds: Karlsson, Velzeboer, Hämmerle and More
\nOlympics
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\nSweden’s Frida Karlsson won her second gold of these Games in the women’s 10km interval start free, dominating by over 46 seconds ahead of compatriot Ebba Andersson. The USA’s Jessie Diggins, competing with bruised ribs in what she said would be her fourth and final Olympics, battled to bronze. The Netherlands’ Xandra Velzeboer took women’s 500m short track gold, while countryman Jens van ‘t Wout won the men’s 1000m in a dramatic bell-lap attack. Austria’s Alessandro Hämmerle defended his men’s snowboard cross title.
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LATAM ANGLE
\nNo Latin American athletes medaled on Day 6. The region’s best medal hopes in the remaining program rest on cross-country and ski mountaineering events, plus Argentina’s luge entries. The WBC countdown (21 days) means many Latin American baseball players are monitoring Olympic developments from spring training camps.
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06
\nAcuña Reveals Day-Of Super Bowl Halftime Invite from Bad Bunny
\nBaseball / Culture
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\nVenezuelan star Ronald Acuña Jr. revealed Thursday at Braves spring training that his cameo during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show was completely last-minute — he was only invited the day of the game. The five-time All-Star was seen dancing alongside actors Pedro Pascal and Jessica Alba and rappers Cardi B and Ricky Martin at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on February 8.
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\nThe crossover moment underlined Latin baseball’s cultural reach. Acuña, who has used Bad Bunny tracks as walk-up songs throughout his career, told reporters he was thrilled despite the zero-notice invite. He also said he’s “feeling 200 percent” heading into his ninth MLB season, with Braves manager Walt Weiss adding the outfielder is “in a really good place” after injury-plagued recent years.
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CONTEXT
\nAcuña posted an OPS of .935 with 21 home runs in 2025 and earned his fifth All-Star nod. Multiple Latin MLB stars — Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado — have also used Bad Bunny tracks as walk-up songs.
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07
\nWBC Rosters Locked: Latin Powerhouses Load Up for March
\nBaseball
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\nWith rosters finalized and Designated Pitcher Pools announced, the 2026 World Baseball Classic picture is complete. The Dominican Republic’s lineup reads like an All-Star roster — Soto, Guerrero Jr., Machado, Tatis Jr., Rodríguez and more — backed by a pitching staff featuring Bello, Sánchez, and Alcantara. Venezuela and Mexico are similarly stacked, while Colombia and Nicaragua bring WBC experience from qualifying. Team USA is widely considered to have assembled their best pitching staff ever, led by Cy Young winners Skenes and Skubal.
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\nPuerto Rico took a hit when Francisco Lindor was ruled out with a hamate bone injury, joining Correa and Berríos on the insurance-denied list. Cuba will feature 44-year-old Alexei Ramírez — potentially the oldest player in WBC history. Pool play begins March 6 in Miami, Houston, San Juan, and Tokyo.
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KEY STAT
\nThe WBC’s top two finishers from the Americas will join hosts USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, per WBSC announcement on Feb. 9. Pool play starts in 21 days.
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08
\nLooking Ahead: Friday February 13
\nPreview
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3:30 PM
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Serie de las Américas — 3rd Place Game
\nLosers of today’s SFs · Estadio Fórum La Guaira
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7:30 PM
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Serie de las Américas — CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
\nWinners of today’s SFs · Estadio Monumental, Caracas
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DAY 7
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Winter Olympics — 7 medal events
\nMen’s 10km XC free, skeleton, ski jumping + more. NHL stars debut: CAN, FIN, SWE in men’s hockey.
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SUN
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Paulistão — Final round (Rd 8)
\nAll matches 20:30 BRT. Corinthians at São Bernardo, Palmeiras vs Guarani. 4 QF spots + 1 relegation spot still open.
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SUN
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Campeonato Carioca — Quarterfinals begin
\nBotafogo vs Flamengo is the marquee tie.
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09
\nPaulistão Final Round: Four Spots, One Relegation Still Open
\nFootball
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\nThe Campeonato Paulista heads into its decisive final round on Sunday with Novorizontino, Palmeiras, RB Bragantino, and Portuguesa already through to the quarterfinals. Four more spots remain open, with Corinthians, Guarani, Botafogo-SP, and São Paulo currently in the top eight and controlling their own destinies. Santos, Mirassol, São Bernardo, and Primavera all still have mathematical chances but need results elsewhere to go their way.
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\nAt the bottom, Ponte Preta are already relegated. Five clubs — Velo Clube, Noroeste, Primavera, São Bernardo, and Mirassol — enter the final day fighting to avoid the second drop spot. All round-eight matches kick off simultaneously at 20:30 BRT on Sunday.
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KEY MATCH
\nCorinthians travel to São Bernardo needing a result to guarantee qualification. The defending Paulistão champions sit 5th with 11 points. A loss combined with other results could see them miss the quarterfinals entirely.
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10
\nSerie de las Américas: Tuesday’s Full Recap & Stat Lines
\nBaseball
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\nTuesday’s penultimate round-robin slate (covered in yesterday’s edition) saw Panama survive Cuba 7–6 on a ninth-inning error, Venezuela batter Colombia 11–5 with Angel Reyes launching two home runs, and Nicaragua thump Argentina 10–2 behind nine-hit offense. Those results set up Wednesday’s dramatic finale.
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\nOver the full seven round-robin days, Panama and Venezuela each scored prolifically — Panama totaling 42 runs in six games, Venezuela outscoring opponents in five straight after their opening-day loss. The tournament’s home run leader entering semifinals is Venezuela’s Hernán Pérez, while Panama’s Brainer Bonaci has been the most consistent table-setter throughout the event.
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CONTEXT
\nToday’s semifinal winners advance to the championship at Estadio Monumental on Saturday. The tournament champion earns bragging rights as the top club team in the Americas outside the Caribbean Series structure. Several players from the Serie de las Américas are expected to feature in their national WBC squads next month.
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End of briefing
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Compiled by Oliver Mason — all results verified against official sources and wire reporting.
\nSources include World Baseball Network, Séptima Entrada, LVBP, Olympics.com, NBC Sports, SI, ESPN, Flashscore, Gazeta Esportiva, Itatiaia, Nosso Palestra, VAVEL, and local match reports.
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This is part of The Rio Times’ comprehensive coverage of sports news across Brazil and Latin America.
