Supercopa Libertadores

Exclusive to past champions: The annual showdown for Copa Libertadores winners.

The Supercopa Libertadores was an annual football competition contested from 1988 to 1997 exclusively for past winners of the Copa Libertadores. Organized by CONMEBOL, it ranked as the second most prestigious South American club tournament behind the main Copa Libertadores and ahead of the Copa CONMEBOL. Participation required a history of winning the continental title, though Vasco da Gama was later admitted as a winner of the predecessor, the Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones. The last champion was River Plate, while Cruzeiro and Independiente hold the record with two titles each. Boca Juniors were among the teams relegated from the group stage in 1997 before the tournament ceased operations to make way for the Copa Mercosur and Copa Merconorte.

Quick Facts

Organiser: CONMEBOL
Founded: 1988
Abolished: 1997
Region: South America
Number of teams: 16 (1997)
Current champions: ARG River Plate (1st title)
Most successful club: BRA Cruzeiro; ARG Independiente (2 titles each)

Lore & Background

The Supercopa operated on a strict historical premise: only clubs with a history of winning the Copa Libertadores could enter. This exclusivity created a rotating cast of South American giants battling for continental supremacy beyond the main event. The format evolved nearly every season to accommodate new champions, shifting from single-elimination stages to a group stage in 1997 where the bottom teams were cut. In that final year, Velez Sarsfield, Racing Club, Boca Juniors, and Gremio descended from the groups, leaving just four teams for the semifinals. The competition utilized two-legged ties decided by points (3 for a win), with goal difference or penalties settling aggregate draws, notably without extra time.

Reader's Guide

For fans tracking Boca Juniors' continental history, the Supercopa offers two distinct eras of participation within its ten-year run. The competition required a specific qualification: being a past Copa Libertadores winner. While Boca did not win the title in this specific dataset's scope, their presence was notable in the 1997 edition. That year, the format changed drastically to include a group stage, and Boca was one of four teams (alongside Velez Sarsfield, Racing Club, and Gremio) that failed to advance from these groups. The tournament concluded with River Plate as the final champion, while Cruzeiro and Independiente emerged as the most successful clubs with two victories each. Following 1997, the slot previously reserved for the Supercopa winner in the Recopa Sudamericana was taken by the new Copa Sudamericana winner.

Did You Know?

The tournament was discontinued in 1998 to make way for the Copa Mercosur and Copa Merconorte.
In 1997, teams that finished last in their groups were demoted, reducing the field to four semifinalists.
The Supercopa Masters 1998 was planned for Avellaneda but cancelled due to a lack of sponsors.
Unlike European competitions, ties in the Supercopa were never decided by extra time; they went straight to penalties if points and goal difference were level.