The Argentine Germán Cano is synonymous with goals for Fluminense, who aim to lift their first Copa Libertadores this Saturday, a title they are contesting for the first time in fifteen years, with Boca Juniors as their rival.

At 35 years of age, the player born in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires, seeks glory in the continent's premier club tournament and has the firepower at his disposal.

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He has scored twelve goals in the current edition of the Libertadores, nine more than his teammate John Kennedy and the Peruvian Luis Advíncula of Boca Juniors, the other two players remaining in the competition, whose final will be held at the Maracanã.

Throughout the season, encompassing the Campeonato Carioca (the regional tournament of Rio de Janeiro), the Libertadores, and the Brazilian League, Cano has tallied 39 goals, positioning himself to potentially become the world's top scorer for the year.

Last year, the Argentine finished fourth in the season with 44 goals, twelve less than the Frenchman Kylian Mbappé of Paris Saint-Germain.

A Different Kind of Striker 

Differing from the typical Argentine center forwards known for their strength, tenacity, and prowess in aerial play, Cano, since his early days at Lanús, was distinguished by his unique style: speed and greater intelligence in positioning himself in front of the opponent's goal.

The Brazilian press also often praises Cano's team-oriented play, as he frequently puts aside egoism and provides assists to his fellow attacking partners: Keno, Kennedy, and the Colombian Jhon Arias.

Path to Scoring Success

After leaving Lanús in 2010 with just two goals in 24 matches, mostly as a reserve behind the club idol José Sand, the son of the neighborhood cobbler and the club's cook tried his luck, with little success, at Chacarita and Colón.

In 2011, he packed his bags and it was abroad that Cano reached his peak, leaving his goal-scoring mark in Paraguay, Mexico, Colombia—where fans and some of the press call for his nationalization into the national team—and now in Brazil.

The all-time top scorer of Independiente Medellín has already been the leading scorer in six of the semiannual tournaments in Colombia, in a Copa Colombia, a Copa do Brasil, the latest Brazilian League, and this year's Campeonato Carioca.

From Colombia, he celebrates his goals by making an "L" with his hands in honor of his children, Lorenzo and Leonella, a gesture that stirred some controversy in Brazil as many initially mistook it for a reference to the progressive leader and former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

The player has also raised the LGBTQ+ flag during celebrations and showed solidarity on social media with Australian colleague Joshua Cavallo, who publicly came out as gay and faced insults from some individuals, a gesture applauded by the queer community."