Copa Libertadores 1977

Lore & Background

In the two-game finals, both finalists won one game each. A third match therefore had to be played, which remained goalless and Boca Juniors won 5–4 on penalties.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights hummed over the damp grass of La Bombonera on a humid August night. The air smelled of charcoal and sweat, thick with the chants of the 'Boca Chica' section. Zubeldía paced the sideline, his eyes fixed on the penalty spot where the fate of the continent rested. Passarella stood tall in defense, arms outstretched, shielding the goal as if guarding a fortress.

Reader's Guide

The champions and runners-up of each football association were drawn into the same group along with another football association's participating teams. Three clubs from Brazil competed as Cruzeiro was champion of the 1976 Copa Libertadores. They entered the tournament in the Semifinals. The top finishers of each group in the first phase, plus the defending champions, are placed into two groups of three. The top finisher from each group play in the finals. The winner is determined by points; if the points are tied after two games, a single-game playoff at a neutral site will be played. If the game is tied after regulation, a penalty shootout will determine the winner.

Did You Know?

• Boca Juniors won their first Copa Libertadores title in 1977.
• The final was decided by a penalty shootout after a goalless third match.
• Defending champions Cruzeiro entered the tournament in the Semifinals.