The Copa Libertadores roared back to life on Wednesday as South America’s premier club competition opened its second qualifying stage — and the altitude of Potosí delivered an immediate upset as Nacional Potosí stunned 2024 Libertadores champions Botafogo 1–0 at 4,000 meters. Bahia also fell 1–0 to Chile’s O’Higgins. In CONCACAF Champions Cup action, Philadelphia Union demolished Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force 5–0 in Port of Spain, while FC Cincinnati crushed Dominican Republic’s O&M FC 4–0 in Santiago. Colombia’s Liga BetPlay wrapped Matchday 8 with a dramatic finish in Barranquilla: Teófilo Gutiérrez converted a 90th-minute penalty to give Junior a 2–1 win over América de Cali. Brazil’s Copa do Brasil continued with 11 first-round matches across the country, and the Carioca Championship confirmed its semifinal schedule — Flamengo vs Madureira and Vasco vs Fluminense. From the Bolivian altiplano to the Caribbean coast, this is your daily Latin American sports briefing.
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Wednesday Scoreboard — 18 February 2026
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All results verified against official sources
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Competition
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Result
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Note
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Copa Libertadores — 2nd Stage
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O’Higgins (CHI) 1–0 Bahia (BRA)
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1st leg; see Card 1
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Copa Libertadores — 2nd Stage
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Nacional Potosí (BOL) 1–0 Botafogo (BRA)
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1st leg; altitude upset; see Card 1
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Copa Libertadores — 2nd Stage
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2 de Mayo (PAR) 2–2 Sporting Cristal (PER)
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1st leg; Paraguay hosts
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Copa Libertadores — 2nd Stage
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Barcelona SC (ECU) 0–1 Argentinos Juniors (ARG)
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1st leg; Porcel 91′ (10-man Argentinos); see Card 1
Porto-BA 2–1 Serra Branca (9-man comeback); see Card 5
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01Copa Libertadores Returns — Botafogo Stunned at Altitude, Bahia Fall in Chile
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Football
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\nSouth America’s greatest club competition delivered drama on its second qualifying stage opening night as both Brazilian entrants fell to first-leg defeats. At Potosí’s Estadio Víctor Agustín Ugarte — 4,090 meters above sea level — Nacional Potosí beat 2024 Libertadores champions Botafogo 1–0 through Óscar Baldomar’s 47th-minute header off a Jorge Rojas cross. The Bolivian side dominated possession (65%) and created far more chances than a Botafogo team visibly suffering from the thin air, managing just five shots to the hosts’ staggering total. Botafogo, who lost in the Carioca quarterfinals to Flamengo and dropped to the Taça Rio consolation bracket, need a turnaround in the return leg on February 25 at Nilton Santos Stadium. Earlier, O’Higgins defeated Bahia 1–0 in Rancagua, Chile, handing Rogério Ceni’s expensively assembled squad a tough result to overturn. In the other completed second-stage tie, Paraguay’s 2 de Mayo drew 2–2 with Peru’s Sporting Cristal, while Independiente Medellín won 2–1 at Liverpool (Uruguay) on Monday. Thursday brings Juventud (Uruguay) vs Guaraní (Paraguay) and Deportivo Táchira (Venezuela) vs Deportes Tolima (Colombia). Also on Wednesday night, Argentinos Juniors won 1–0 at Barcelona SC in Guayaquil through Diego Porcel’s 91st-minute strike while playing with 10 men for over 30 minutes.
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CONTEXT Brazil has won the last seven consecutive Libertadores titles. Only Palmeiras and Internacional have previously won away in Bolivia during that stretch. The group stage draw is March 18, with eight Brazilian clubs already confirmed for the main phase. The final is November 28 in Montevideo.
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02CONCACAF Champions Cup — Caribbean Sides Routed as MLS Flexes Muscle
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Football
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\nWeek 3 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup first round produced two more lopsided results as Caribbean representatives were overwhelmed by MLS opposition. In Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago’s Defence Force FC — appearing in the continental competition for the first time since 2002 — were swept 5–0 by Philadelphia Union at Hasely Crawford Stadium. Milan Iloski curled in a free kick in the 29th minute before Ezekiel Alladoh headed home two minutes later to make it 2–0 at the break. Olwethu Makhanya added a third from a corner (64′), then substitute Bruno Damiani completed the rout with a brace — a sharp Cavan Sullivan-assisted finish (69′) and a penalty (81′). The Union put eight shots on target to Defence Force’s one. In Santiago, Dominican Republic, O&M FC were dismantled 4–0 by FC Cincinnati at Estadio Cibao. Tom Barlow (12′) and Kévin Denkey (33′) gave Cincinnati early control before Ayoub Jabbari scored twice late (86′, 90+2′). The aggregate math is essentially settled for both ties, with second legs on February 24–26.
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LATAM ANGLE Defence Force are the only Trinidadian club to have won the continental crown, back in 1978 and 1985, but the gap with MLS has grown enormous. Caribbean and Central American sides have been comprehensively outclassed in Round One first legs across all three weeks, with a combined aggregate of 2–23 against MLS opponents.
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\nLatin America Sports Daily for Thursday, February 19, 2026. (Photo Internet reproduction)
03Liga BetPlay — Teófilo Gutiérrez Converts Dramatic Last-Gasp Penalty to Sink América
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Football
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\nJunior de Barranquilla produced one of the most controversial finishes of the Liga BetPlay season, beating América de Cali 2–1 at a packed Estadio Romelio Martínez in the Wednesday night closer of Matchday 8. Both goals for the hosts came from the penalty spot. Luis Fernando Muriel opened the scoring in the 7th minute after a handball in the box, coolly converting to make it 1–0. América equalized through Yeison Guzmán’s crisp long-range strike in the 28th minute, and the match appeared headed for a draw as the clock ticked deep into stoppage time. Then, in the 90+12th minute — well beyond the six minutes of added time originally announced — referee Ferney Trujillo pointed to the spot again after Andrés Mosquera was judged to have fouled Guillermo Paiva. Substitute Teófilo Gutiérrez, who had replaced Muriel, stepped up and buried the penalty to seal a 2–1 win amid furious América protests. América goalkeeper Jean Fernandes had been outstanding throughout the second half. The result lifts Junior to 12 points and fourth place, while América drop to seventh on 10 points.
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UPDATED STANDINGS 1. Inter Bogotá 14 pts, 2. Pasto 14, 3. Tolima 12, 4. Junior 12, 5. Bucaramanga 10, 6. Cali 10, 7. América 10, 8. Once Caldas 10, 9. Fortaleza 10, 10. Jaguares 10. Nine teams within 4 points of the lead. Next: América host Jaguares; Junior travel to Santa Fe.
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04Liga BetPlay Matchday 8 Wrap — Cali Stun Nacional, Tolima Rise to Third
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Football
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\nThe full Matchday 8 picture from Colombia is now complete. The round opened on Saturday with Millonarios returning to El Campín to beat Llaneros 2–1 (Contreras and Castro scoring headers; Miranda late consolation). Deportivo Pasto and table-toppers Inter Bogotá drew 1–1, keeping both on 14 points. Sunday delivered drama: Deportes Tolima beat Once Caldas 2–1 in Ibagué to climb to third, while Deportivo Cali stunned Atlético Nacional 1–0 at Palmaseca through a Juan Dinenno goal — ending Nacional’s unbeaten run and securing Alberto Gamero’s position after rumors of his imminent sacking. Independiente Medellín drew 1–1 with Pereira, while Fortaleza edged Boyacá Chicó 2–1 with a late winner. Tuesday saw Jaguares demolish Santa Fe 3–1 in Montería and Alianza draw 1–1 with Cúcuta, before Wednesday’s Junior–América finale capped a dramatic round. Five coaching changes have already occurred this season, the latest being Hubert Bodhert’s departure from Alianza Valledupar.
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KEY STAT The BetPlay Apertura must finish by June 5 due to the FIFA World Cup. Nacional sit 11th with 9 points despite the league’s best goal difference (+7). Boyacá Chicó, deep in relegation trouble, have just 4 points from 7 matches.
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05Copa do Brasil — 11 First-Round Matches Deliver Upsets and Heroics Across Brazil
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Football
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\nThe Copa do Brasil‘s expanded 126-team 38th edition delivered a blockbuster second night of action on Wednesday, with 11 first-round single-leg matches producing drama from Roraima to Mato Grosso do Sul. The standout story came from Porto Seguro, where two-year-old club Porto-BA overcame two red cards in the first half and a 1–0 deficit to beat Serra Branca-PB 2–1 with late goals in the 89th and 95th minutes — already an instant classic in the competition’s history. Carioca semifinalists Madureira cruised past Baré in Boa Vista, Roraima, advancing comfortably. In Pernambuco, Maguary beat Laguna-RN 1–0 with a first-half penalty. Betim-MG eliminated Piauí 1–0, while Santa Catarina-SC knocked out IAPE-MA 2–0. Other advancing sides included Primavera-SP (over Araguaína-TO), Gama-DF, Tirol-CE, and Ivinhema-MS. Two more first-round matches remain on Thursday (Galvez-AC vs Guaporé-RO), with the second round beginning February 24.
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CONTEXT The new single-leg format through the fourth round means no second chances — lose and you’re out. Série A clubs (including Flamengo, Palmeiras, Corinthians, Santos) don’t enter until the fifth round in late April. Cruzeiro lead all-time with 6 titles.
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06Carioca Semifinals Confirmed — Flamengo vs Madureira, Vasco vs Fluminense
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Football
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\nThe Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FERJ) confirmed the full schedule for the Campeonato Carioca semifinals on Wednesday. Both ties will be played over two legs, unlike the single-match quarterfinals. Fluminense (Taça Guanabara champions) face Vasco on Sunday February 22 at 6 PM at the Nilton Santos stadium, with the return on March 1 at the Maracanã. Flamengo meet surprise package Madureira on the same Sunday at 8:30 PM at the Maracanã, with the return on Monday March 2 also at the Maracanã. The final will be a single match. Flamengo advanced after beating Botafogo 2–1, Vasco eliminated Volta Redonda, Fluminense dispatched Bangu, and Madureira upset Boavista 2–1. Botafogo’s Carioca elimination has freed their schedule — but their Libertadores loss in Potosí only compounds a difficult start to 2026 for Martín Anselmi’s side.
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KEY STAT Madureira are the last non-Big Four club standing. Defending champions Flamengo are favorites, but the Suburbano have already shown knockout resilience. The Paulistão quarterfinals begin Saturday with Bragantino vs São Paulo and Palmeiras vs Capivariano.
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07Liga MX — Chivas Perfect at 6-0 Ahead of Saturday’s Blockbuster vs Cruz Azul
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Football
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\nMexico’s Liga MX Clausura is on pause between Rounds 6 and 7, but the anticipation is building for Saturday’s showdown between league leaders Chivas (6-0-0, 18 points) and second-placed Cruz Azul. Chivas’ 1–0 Clásico Nacional win over América last Saturday extended their best start to a Clausura since 2010, with Armando González’s first-half volley the difference. Cruz Azul, now playing at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla after losing their lease at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, drew 1–1 with Toluca in Round 6. Elsewhere from Round 6: Tigres thrashed Santos Laguna 5–1, Necaxa beat Atlético San Luis 4–1, Pachuca defeated Juárez 2–0, and Atlas drew 2–2 with Pumas. América edged Monterrey 1–0 to partially recover from the Clásico loss. Mazatlán remain bottom with zero points. The play-in round has been eliminated this season — only the top eight qualify for the Liguilla.
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PREVIEW Round 7 begins Friday: Tigres vs Pachuca. Saturday’s headliner: Cruz Azul vs Chivas. Ex-Palmeiras signing Raphael Veiga made his América debut in the Clásico. The Clausura must end by May due to the FIFA World Cup kicking off June 11 at Estadio Azteca.
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08Argentine Liga Profesional — Round 5 Begins Thursday as Boca vs Racing Looms
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Football
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\nArgentina’s Liga Profesional 2026 Apertura was off on Wednesday but Round 5 begins today with four matches: Instituto vs Atlético Tucumán in Córdoba, Defensa y Justicia vs Belgrano (Thursday), San Lorenzo vs Estudiantes de Río Cuarto, and Independiente Rivadavia vs Independiente. Friday brings Estudiantes LP vs Sarmiento, while Saturday’s highlight is the superclásico at La Bombonera: Boca Juniors vs Racing Club. After four rounds, Belgrano lead with 11 points from 5 matches (3W, 2D), while Vélez Sársfield are among the early pacesetters. Boca drew 0–0 with Platense last weekend in a frustrating display (just 3 shots on target to Platense’s 14 attempts). Rosario Central’s Ángel Di María scored in their 2–0 Round 4 win over Barracas. The 30-team format splits clubs into two groups of 15, with a single round-robin before a knockout phase.
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THURSDAY FIXTURES Instituto vs Atl. Tucumán (earliest), then Defensa y Justicia vs Belgrano, San Lorenzo vs Estudiantes RC, Ind. Rivadavia vs Independiente. Saturday: Boca vs Racing, Rosario Central vs Talleres, Banfield vs Newell’s.
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09WBC Countdown — 15 Days to First Pitch, LATAM Rosters Ready to Roll
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Baseball
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\nWith 15 days until the World Baseball Classic opens at Tokyo Dome on March 5, all 20 official rosters are locked in — and Latin American representation is massive. Nine LATAM nations are competing: the Dominican Republic (Pool D, Miami), Venezuela (Pool D), Mexico (Pool B, Houston), Cuba (Pool A, San Juan), Puerto Rico (Pool A), Panama (Pool A), Colombia (Pool A), Nicaragua (Pool D), and Brazil (Pool B). The Dominican roster may be the deepest in tournament history: Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Ketel Marte, with Sandy Alcantara and Brayan Bello anchoring the rotation under manager Albert Pujols. Venezuela counter with Ronald Acuña Jr., Jackson Chourio, Salvador Pérez, Andrés Giménez, and Yordan Alvarez. Cuba’s roster features 44-year-old Alexei Ramírez, who would become the oldest player in WBC history. Brazil return to the tournament for the first time since 2013, drawn into Pool B with the USA, Mexico, Italy, and Great Britain. Puerto Rico’s preparation was disrupted by insurance denials affecting Francisco Lindor (who subsequently had hamate bone surgery), Carlos Correa, and José Berríos. A record number of MLB stars are spread across all 20 rosters — Team USA alone features 22 All-Stars and six Cy Young Award winners. The top two American teams will qualify for baseball at the 2028 LA Olympics.
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SCHEDULE Pool play: March 5–11. Quarterfinals: March 13–14. Semis: March 15–16. Final: March 17 at loanDepot Park, Miami. For the first time, the WBC will use a pitch clock (15 seconds bases empty, 18 with runners).
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10Looking Ahead — Thursday, February 19
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Preview
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COPA LIBERTADORES
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Second stage first legs continue: Juventud (Uruguay) vs Guaraní (Paraguay) at Parque Alfredo Víctor Viera, Montevideo (6 PM local). Friday: Deportivo Táchira (Venezuela) vs Deportes Tolima (Colombia) in San Cristóbal. Return legs begin next week (Feb 24–27) across all second-stage ties.
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ARGENTINE LIGA PROFESIONAL
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Round 5 opens: Instituto vs Atlético Tucumán (Córdoba), Defensa y Justicia vs Belgrano (Buenos Aires), San Lorenzo vs Estudiantes RC, Independiente Rivadavia vs Independiente. Saturday blockbuster: Boca vs Racing at La Bombonera.
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COPA DO BRASIL
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Final first-round matches: Galvez-AC vs Guaporé-RO, Primavera-MT vs Bragantino-PA, Vasco-AC vs Velo Clube-SP. Second round begins February 24 with Madureira vs ABC, Joinville vs CSA among the highlights.
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BRAZILIAN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Paulistão quarterfinals begin Saturday: Bragantino vs São Paulo (6:30 PM), Palmeiras vs Capivariano (8:30 PM). Sunday: Novorizontino vs Santos (4 PM), Portuguesa vs Corinthians (8:30 PM). Carioca semis start Sunday: Vasco vs Fluminense (6 PM), Flamengo vs Madureira (8:30 PM).
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LIGA MX
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Round 7 begins Friday: Tigres vs Pachuca (9 PM CT). Saturday: Cruz Azul vs Chivas — the match of the week as league leaders meet. Countdown: 14 days to WBC first pitch in Tokyo.
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All times are local unless noted. Check local listings.
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This is part of The Rio Times’ comprehensive coverage of sports news across Brazil and Latin America.
