Copa Libertadores

Lore & Background

The clashes for the Copa Aldao between the champions of Argentina and Uruguay kindled the idea of continental competition in the 1930s. In 1948, the South American Championship of Champions, the most direct precursor to the Copa Libertadores, was played and organized by the Chilean club Colo-Colo. The tournament was won by Vasco da Gama of Brazil. In 1958, the basis and format of the competition were created by Peñarol's board leaders. On October 8, 1958, João Havelange announced the creation of Copa de Campeones de America, renamed in 1965 as Copa Libertadores. On March 5, 1959, the competition was ratified by the International Affairs Committee. In 1965, it was named in honor of the heroes of South American liberation, such as Simón Bolívar, José de San Martín, Pedro I, Bernardo O'Higgins, and José Gervasio Artigas, among others.

In Their Own Story

The air in the stadium was thick with humidity and tension, a suffocating blanket of anticipation that only the Copa Libertadores could create. On the pitch, the blue and gold stripes seemed to vibrate with energy as the final whistle approached. The scoreboard showed a stalemate, but the history books were waiting for a new chapter. A roar erupted from the stands, a sound so deafening it drowned out the players' footsteps. In that moment, time suspended; there was only the ball, the goal, and the weight of generations on the shoulders of the penalty taker known to step up when everything is on the line. The net rippled, and suddenly, the noise became a singular, unified chant that would be sung for decades: '¡Campeones de América!'

Reader's Guide

The current tournament features 47 clubs competing over a six- to eight-month period. There are three stages: the first, the second and the knockout stage. The first stage involves 12 clubs in a series of two-legged knockout ties. The six survivors join 26 clubs in the second stage, in which they are divided into eight groups of four. The top two teams from each group enter the knockout stage, which consists of two-legged knockout ties to quarterfinals, semifinals, and the finals. The winner qualifies for the FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the Recopa Sudamericana.

Did You Know?

• Independiente of Argentina is the most successful club in the cup's history, having won the tournament seven times.
• Argentine and Brazilian clubs have accumulated the most victories with 25 wins each.
• Brazil has the largest number of winning teams, with 12 clubs winning the title.
• The cup has been won by 27 clubs; 15 of them have won it more than once, and seven clubs have won two years in a row.
• Brazilian clubs currently hold a record-breaking winning streak of seven Copa Libertadores in a row, starting in 2019.