| Date | R | Home v Away | - |
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Teams
River Plate
Atletico Mineiro
Boca Juniors
Palmeiras
Nacional De Football
Flamengo
Atletico Nacional Medellin
Libertad Asuncion
Penarol
Cerro Porteno
Sao Paulo
Internacional
Gremio
Olimpia Asuncion
Independiente Santa Fe
Junior
Estudiantes LP
Fluminense
Cruzeiro
Santos
Rosario Central
Botafogo
Zamora
Independiente Medellin
Palestino
Argentinos Jrs
Deportes Tolima
Monagas
CD Lara
Liverpool Montevideo
Millonarios
Defensor Sporting
Deportivo Pereira
Toluca
Montevideo Wanderers
Lanus
CA Tigre
Huachipato
Nublense
Patronato Parana
CA Independiente
Bragantino
Danubio
America MG
Metropolitanos FC
Mineros
Deportivo La Guaira
Estudiantes Merida
Colon
Chapecoense
Wikipedia - Copa Libertadores
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (Portuguese: Copa/Taça Libertadores da América), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournament is named after the Libertadores (Spanish and Portuguese for liberators), the leaders of the Latin American wars of independence, so a literal translation of its former name into English is "Liberators of the Americas Cup".
The competition has had several formats over its lifetime. Initially, only the champions of the South American leagues participated. In 1966, the runners-up of the South American leagues began to join. In 1998, Mexican teams were invited to compete and contested regularly from 2000 until 2016. In 2000 the tournament was expanded from 20 to 32 teams. Today at least four clubs per country compete in the tournament, with Argentina and Brazil having the most representatives (six and seven clubs, respectively). A group stage has always been used but the number of teams per group has varied.
In the present format, the tournament consists of eight stages, with the first stage taking place in late January. The four surviving teams from the first three stages join 28 teams in the group stage, which consists of eight groups of four teams each. The eight group winners and eight runners-up enter the knockout stages, which end with the final in November. The winner of the Copa Libertadores becomes eligible to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the Recopa Sudamericana.
Independiente of Argentina is the most successful club in the cup's history, having won the tournament seven times. Argentine clubs have accumulated the most victories with 25 wins, while Brazil has the largest number of winning teams, with 12 clubs having won the title. The cup has been won by 27 clubs, 15 of them have done it more than once, and seven clubs have won two years in a row.
History
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 (Spanish: Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones), the most direct precursor to the Copa Libertadores, was played and organized by the Chilean club Colo-Colo after years of planning and organization. Held in Santiago, it brought together the champions of each nation's top national leagues. The tournament was won by Vasco da Gama of Brazil. The 1948 South American tournament began, in continent-wide reach, the "champions cup" model, resulting in the creation of the European Cup in 1955, as confirmed by Jacques Ferran (one of the "founding fathers" of the European Cup), in a 2015 interview with a Brazilian TV sports programme.
In 1958, the basis and format of the competition were created by Peñarol's board leaders. On October 8, 1958, João Havelange announced, at a UEFA meeting he attended as an invitee, the creation of Copa de Campeones de America (American Champions Cup, renamed in 1965 as Copa Libertadores), as a South American equivalent of the European Cup, so that the champion clubs of both continental confederations could decide "the best club team of the world" in the Intercontinental Cup. On March 5, 1959, at the 24th South American Congress held in Buenos Aires, 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.
Held annually, the Copa Libertadores showcases a thrilling format that includes group stages followed by knockout rounds, culminating in a grand final that captures the attention of millions. Clubs from across South America, including powerhouses like River Plate, Boca Juniors, Flamengo, and Palmeiras, compete fiercely, bringing their unique styles and fervent support to the pitch.
The tournament is not just a showcase of skill and strategy; it embodies the spirit of South American football, where rivalries run deep and every match is a battle for pride and glory. With its electrifying atmosphere, dramatic moments, and unforgettable matches, the Copa Libertadores is a celebration of the beautiful game, uniting fans and players in a quest for continental supremacy.