Latin America Sports Daily for Monday, February 23, 2026

Olympics

Forty-six years to the day after the Miracle on Ice, Team USA reclaimed men’s hockey gold at Milano Cortina 2026. Jack Hughes scored the winner 1:41 into overtime, slipping the puck through Jordan Binnington’s pads after a rare goaltender assist from Connor Hellebuyck to Zach Werenski. Matt Boldy opened the scoring six minutes into the first period before Cale Makar equalised late in the second. The final was played at Milano Santagiulia Arena in front of a raucous crowd, with members of the USA women’s team — who also beat Canada 2–1 in OT earlier in the week — cheering from the stands. Finland had claimed bronze on Saturday, routing Slovakia 6–1. The US team celebrated on the ice with the jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau draped over the boards.

Olympics

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics ended Sunday evening with the closing ceremony at the Verona Olympic Arena — and for Latin America, these were the most significant Winter Games in history. Lucas Pinheiro Braathen’s giant slalom gold on February 14 made Brazil and South America the first tropical and southern-hemisphere continent to win a Winter Olympic medal. Norway dominated the final medal table with 18 golds (a single-Games record) and 41 total medals. The USA finished second with 12 golds and 33 total. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo became the first athlete ever to win six golds at one Winter Olympics, sweeping all men’s cross-country events. The IOC flag was handed to France, host of the 2030 Games.

Football

Flamengo turned a dismal first half into a dominant second to beat Madureira 3–0 at the Maracanã in the first leg of the Carioca semifinal. The crowd jeered the players at halftime after a scoreless 45 minutes lacking creativity. But Filipe Luís’s side found another gear after the break: Nicolás De La Cruz opened the scoring on 53 minutes with a firm strike from the edge of the box. Giorgian De Arrascaeta converted a penalty on 63 minutes to reach his 100th goal in a Flamengo shirt, becoming the first foreign player to reach the milestone. Luiz Araújo sealed it at 85 minutes. The second leg is March 2 at the Maracanã.

Football

Fluminense won the Clássico dos Gigantes 1–0 at the Nilton Santos in the other Carioca semifinal first leg, despite having Facundo Bernal sent off midway through the second half. Kevin Serna scored the only goal on 31 minutes, finishing first-time after a set-piece routine. The match was fiery: coach Luís Zubeldía was himself shown a straight red on 23 minutes for invading the pitch to protest a decision. Vasco fans directed frustration at manager Fernando Diniz after his side failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage. The second leg is March 1 at the Maracanã, where Fluminense needs only a draw to advance. With the current semifinal results, a Flamengo-Fluminense final — a repeat of the 2025 decider — is taking shape.

Football

Two dramatic quarterfinals on Sunday shaped the Paulistão semifinal bracket. At the Jorjão in Novo Horizonte, table-toppers Novorizontino eliminated Santos 2–1 with a header from Léo Naldi in the 95th minute. Rômulo had opened the scoring before halftime after a costly error from Neymar in his own half. Gabriel Bontempo equalised for Santos at 64 minutes, but the Tigre had the last word. Later in São Paulo, Corinthians needed a penalty shootout to see off Portuguesa at the Canindé. After a 1–1 draw — Zé Vitor opening for the Lusa before Vitinho equalised deep in stoppage time — goalkeeper Hugo Souza became the hero, saving three penalties (including one in normal time) as the Timão prevailed 8–7 on kicks. The semifinal bracket: Palmeiras vs São Paulo and Novorizontino vs Corinthians.

Football

The headline match of Liga MX Jornada 7 delivered. Cruz Azul beat Guadalajara 2–1 at the Estadio Cuauhtémoc to end Chivas’ perfect start to the Clausura 2026. Gabriel “Toro” Fernández opened for La Máquina on 34 minutes. Ángel Sepúlveda equalised for the Rebaño at 81 minutes, but Carlos “Charly” Rodríguez headed home the winner just four minutes later to hand Chivas their first defeat of the campaign. Despite the loss, Guadalajara remain top of the table with 18 points, now just two clear of Cruz Azul (16 pts) and Pumas (15 pts). The result reshuffles the title race heading into the second half of the season.

Football

Beyond the Cruz Azul-Chivas headline, Jornada 7 produced fireworks across Mexico. Toluca hammered Necaxa 3–0, with Brazilian striker Paulinho scoring a brace (79′, 83′) and Fede Pereira adding a late third — the Diablos Rojos remain unbeaten and climb to fourth. Atlas staged a sensational comeback, rallying from 2–0 down at Atlético San Luis to win 3–2 through goals from Diego González, Eduardo Aguirre and Agustín Rodríguez. Colombian forward Álvaro Angulo scored both goals as Pumas beat Monterrey 2–0 in Ciudad Universitaria to leap into third place. On Friday, Pachuca came from behind to beat Tigres 2–1 after a red card to Joaquim left the hosts with ten men, with Salomón Rondón heading the equaliser. América routed Puebla 4–0, with Brazilian midfielder Raphael Veiga netting his first Liga MX goal. Querétaro vs Juárez was postponed due to security concerns.

Baseball

With all 20 rosters officially revealed and spring training in full swing, the 2026 World Baseball Classic is now just 11 days from first pitch. Pool play opens March 5 in Tokyo (March 6 in the Americas). Brazil, competing in the WBC for the first time since 2013 after winning their qualifying tournament in Tucson, are drawn in Pool B in Houston alongside the United States, Mexico, Italy and Great Britain. Venezuela headline Pool D in Miami alongside the Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel and Nicaragua. Cuba and Colombia land in Pool A in San Juan with Canada, Puerto Rico and Panama. Team USA’s roster features Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Bryce Harper — widely considered the strongest American squad in Classic history.

Olympics

Saturday’s penultimate day of competition cemented Norway’s dominance. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo won the men’s 50km mass start classic to complete a clean sweep of all men’s cross-country events — six golds at a single Games, a feat never before achieved in any winter sport. His career tally stands at 11 Olympic golds, the all-time Winter Games record. Norway also won men’s curling gold and placed three on the cross-country 50km podium. The women’s biathlon mass start saw France’s Océane Michelon pip compatriot Julia Simon for gold. Spain earned a third medal through ski mountaineering mixed relay bronze, their best Winter Olympics haul ever. The USA won mixed aerials gold, bringing their total to a record-tying 12 golds.

Preview

A massive week lies ahead for Latin American football. Flamengo host Lanús on Thursday in the Recopa Sul-Americana second leg, needing to overturn a 1–0 deficit to claim the continental trophy. The Brasileirão Série A rolls through midweek — highlights include Fluminense at Palmeiras (Wednesday) and Vasco at Santos (Thursday). In São Paulo, the Paulistão semifinals are set for March 1: Palmeiras vs São Paulo and Novorizontino vs Corinthians, both single-leg ties. In Mexico, Liga MX Jornada 8 brings América vs Tigres on Saturday at the Estadio Azulcrema and Monterrey vs Cruz Azul in a clash of heavyweights. The WBC countdown continues with friendly matches: all 20 teams play practice games March 3–4 before pool play begins March 5–6.