Flamengo beats Cusco 2-0 amid VAR controversy in Copa Libertadores

Flamengo defeated Cusco 2-0 in the opening match of the Copa Libertadores group stage, with goals from Bruno Henrique and Arrascaeta. The victory, however, was marked by controversial refereeing decisions that drew criticism from Spanish media.

Paraguayan referees Derlis López and Fernando López, the latter serving as VAR official, oversaw the match. Spanish newspaper AS described the refereeing as a "VAR scandal," citing multiple contentious moments.

The first controversy occurred early in the match when Cusco's Plata stepped on an opponent's ankle while the score remained 0-0. The on-field referee and VAR declined to issue a red card for the challenge. Flamengo subsequently opened the scoring with Bruno Henrique's goal shortly after.

In the second half, Cusco had a goal disallowed for offside. The VAR conducted an extended review before determining that Manzaneda was in a marginal offside position when Ruidías scored at the 20-minute mark of the second half. AS questioned the precision of the offside decision.

The match represented the first group-stage fixture for both teams in the 2026 Copa Libertadores competition.

Separately, Fluminense drew 0-0 with Deportivo La Guaira of Venezuela in their Libertadores debut on Wednesday. Fluminense players expressed frustration with the refereeing, citing an unmarked penalty and a controversial yellow card incident. Samuel Xavier stated that a Deportivo La Guaira player, Osio, should have been sent off for a foul on Castilho, but instead the yellow card was issued to teammate Rivero. Xavier also noted that the referee's management of fouls slowed the match's pace.