Copa Libertadores facts for kids
 |
|
| Organizing body | CONMEBOL |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1960 |
| Region | South America |
| Number of teams | 47 (from 10 associations) |
| Qualifier for |
|
| Related competitions | Copa Sudamericana (2nd tier) |
| Current champion(s) |  Botafogo(1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) |  Independiente(7 titles) |
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América, is a huge annual football competition. It's like the Champions League for South American club teams. CONMEBOL has organized it every year since 1960.
The tournament is named after the Libertadores. These were the brave leaders who helped South American countries become independent. So, the name means "Liberators of America Cup."
Over the years, the competition has changed its rules a few times. At first, only the champions from each South American country played. Later, runner-up teams also joined. From 2000, the tournament grew from 20 to 32 teams. Today, at least four clubs from each country play. Argentina and Brazil have the most teams, with six and seven clubs respectively.
The tournament always includes a group stage. The number of teams in each group has changed over time.
In the current setup, the tournament has eight stages. The first stage begins in late January. Four teams from the first three stages join 28 other teams in the group stage. This stage has eight groups, with four teams in each. The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout rounds. These rounds lead up to the final match in November.
The team that wins the Copa Libertadores gets to play in other big tournaments. These include the FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, and the Recopa Sudamericana.
Independiente from Argentina is the most successful club. They have won the tournament seven times. Argentine clubs have won a total of 25 titles. Brazil has the most different winning teams, with 12 clubs taking the title. Twenty-seven clubs have won the cup. Fifteen of them have won it more than once. Seven clubs have won two years in a row. Brazilian clubs currently hold a record. They have won six Copa Libertadores in a row, starting in 2019.
Contents
History of the Copa Libertadores
The idea for a big continental competition started in the 1930s. This was because of games like the Copa Aldao. In 1948, the South American Championship of Champions was played. This tournament was a direct ancestor to the Copa Libertadores. The Chilean club Colo-Colo organized it in Santiago. It brought together the champions from each country's top league. Vasco da Gama from Brazil won this first tournament. This 1948 event inspired the creation of the European Cup in 1955.
In 1958, leaders from Peñarol created the competition's basic plan. On October 8, 1958, João Havelange announced the "American Champions Cup." This was meant to be South America's version of the European Cup. The winners of both cups could then play to decide the "best club team in the world." This led to the Intercontinental Cup. On March 5, 1959, the competition was officially approved. In 1965, it was renamed to honor the Libertadores. These heroes included Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín.
How Teams Qualify and Play
Qualifying for the Tournament
Most teams get into the Copa Libertadores by winning special half-year tournaments. These are often called Apertura and Clausura tournaments. Or, they qualify by finishing high up in their league. Countries like Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela use this system. Argentina, Brazil, and Chile use a different league format. In these countries, teams can also qualify by winning their domestic cups.
Since 2011, the team that wins the Copa Sudamericana automatically qualifies for the next Copa Libertadores.
For example, in the 2019 tournament, many teams joined at different stages:
- First Stage: Teams like the runners-up from Bolivia's league or the winner of Ecuador's cup.
- Second Stage: Winners from the first stage joined. Also, teams like the fourth-placed team from Argentina or the fifth and sixth-placed teams from Brazil.
- Group Stage: The defending champions and the Copa Sudamericana winners joined here. Also, top teams like the champions and runners-up from Argentina and Brazil.
The winner of the previous Copa Libertadores gets an extra spot in the group stage. This happens even if they didn't qualify through their league. If they did qualify, another eligible team takes their extra spot.
Game Rules
The Copa Libertadores used to have different rules than most football games. For a long time, there was no extra time or away goals. From 1960 to 1987, two-game matches were decided by points. If teams had the same points, they played a third game. If that was a draw, a penalty shootout decided the winner.
From 1988, goal difference was used after points. If scores were still tied, it went straight to a penalty shootout. Since 2005, the "away goals" rule has been used. This means goals scored away from home count more. However, the finals were an exception to this rule from 2008. They used extra time instead. Since 1995, teams get three points for a win, one for a draw, and zero for a loss. This is the standard system used by FIFA.
Tournament Stages
The current tournament has 47 clubs. They compete over six to eight months. There are three main parts: the first stage, the second stage, and the knockout stage.
The first stage involves 12 clubs. They play two-game knockout matches. The six winners then join 26 other clubs in the second stage. Here, they are split into eight groups of four teams. Each team plays every other team in their group twice, once at home and once away. The top two teams from each group move to the knockout stage.
From there, the competition continues with two-game knockout matches. These lead to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finally, the championship game. From 1960 to 1987, past winners didn't join until the semifinal stage. This made it easier for them to win the cup again.
From 1960 to 2004, the tournament winner played in the Intercontinental Cup. This was against the winner of the European Cup. Since 2004, the winner plays in the Club World Cup. This is a global competition with champion clubs from all six continents. Because Europe and South America have very strong teams, their champions join the Club World Cup at the semifinal stage. The winning team also gets to play in the Recopa Sudamericana. This is a two-game final against the winners of the Copa Sudamericana.
Prizes
The Trophy
The tournament is named after its trophy, the Copa Libertadores. It's also simply called la Copa. An Italian artist named Alberto de Gasperi designed it. He made it at Camusso Jewelry in Lima, Peru. The top part of the trophy is made of sterling silver. The football player on top is made of bronze with a silver coating.
The bottom part, called the pedestal, is made of hardwood plywood. It holds badges from every team that has won the competition. These badges show the year, the winning club's name, and their city and country. The club's logo is also on the badge.
Any club that wins three tournaments in a row gets to keep the actual trophy forever. The current trophy is the third one in the competition's history.
Only two clubs have kept the trophy:
- Estudiantes kept it after winning three times in a row in 1970. They won a fourth title in 2009.
- Independiente kept it after their third straight win in 1974. They won two more titles later, in 1975 and 1984.
Prize Money
As of 2023, clubs in the Copa Libertadores earn money as they advance. Teams get US$500,000 for reaching the second stage. In the group stage, they get US$1,000,000 for each home game. They also get an extra US$300,000 for each match they win in that stage. This money comes from TV rights and stadium ads.
The payment for home matches goes up to US$1,250,000 in the round of 16. Each quarterfinalist receives US$1,700,000. Semifinalists get US$2,300,000. The runner-up earns US$7,000,000. The champion team wins a huge US$18,000,000!
Here's a quick look at the prize money:
- Eliminated at the first stage: US$400,000
- Eliminated at the second stage: US$500,000
- Eliminated at the third stage: US$600,000
- Group stage: US$3,000,000 (plus US$300,000 per win)
- Round of 16: US$1,250,000
- Quarter-finals: US$1,700,000
- Semi-finals: US$2,300,000
- Runners-up: US$7,000,000
- Champions: US$18,000,000
Cultural Impact
The Copa Libertadores is very important in South American culture. Many football competitions around the world have been influenced by its traditions and excitement.
The "Liberator Dream"
The "Liberator Dream" (Sueño Libertador) is a phrase used by sports reporters. It describes the hope and effort a team puts into winning the Copa Libertadores. When a team is knocked out, people say they have "woken up from the liberator dream." This dream usually starts after a club wins its national league. That win allows them to play in the next year's Copa Libertadores.
Clubs often spend a lot of money to try and win the Copa Libertadores. For example, in 1998, Vasco da Gama spent $10 million to win. Players and fans really value this tournament. In 2010, players from Guadalajara said they would rather play in the Copa Libertadores final than a friendly game against Spain. Former Boca Juniors goalkeeper Óscar Córdoba even said the Copa Libertadores was the most important trophy he won.
"The Cup is to be seen, not to be touched"
Since it began in 1960, clubs from countries with an Atlantic coast mostly won the Copa Libertadores. These were Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Olimpia from Paraguay was the first team outside these countries to win, in 1979.
The first club from a Pacific coast country to reach the final was Universitario from Lima, Peru. They lost in 1972. The next year, Independiente beat Colo-Colo from Chile. This led to a saying: "La Copa se mira y no se toca." This means "The Cup is to be seen, not to be touched." It suggested the trophy would never go to the west.
However, this changed! Atletico Nacional from Medellín, Colombia, won in 1989. They were the first Pacific coast nation to win. Other Pacific coast clubs have also won since then. These include Colo-Colo (Chile) in 1991, Once Caldas (Colombia) in 2004, and LDU Quito (Ecuador) in 2008. Atletico Nacional won again in 2016. After Colo-Colo's win in 1991, a new phrase was used in Chile: "la copa se mira y se toca" ("The Cup is seen and touched").
Media Coverage
Copa Libertadores matches are shown in over 135 countries. They have commentary in more than 30 languages. This makes the Copa one of the most watched sports events on TV.
Sponsorship
From 1997 to 2017, the competition had one main sponsor for its name. Toyota was the first, from 1997. Then Banco Santander took over in 2008. The last title sponsor was Bridgestone, from 2013 to 2017.
As of 2024, many companies sponsor the Copa Libertadores. Official Sponsors
- Amstel Brewery
- Coca-Cola (and Powerade)
- Crypto.com
- Entain (including Bwin and Sportingbet)
- EA Sports
- Hyundai
- Mapfre
- Mastercard
- Mercado Libre
- TCL Technology
Official Partners
- Absolut Sport
- DHL
- Puma
- Rexona
Official Licensee
- Panini Group
Match Ball
The German company Puma makes the official match ball. They started in 2024 and supply balls for all CONMEBOL competitions. Before this, Nike supplied the balls for 20 years. The Puma Cumbre is the official match ball for the 2024 Copa Libertadores.
Records and Statistics
Most Goals Scored
The player with the most goals in Copa Libertadores history is Alberto Spencer. He scored 54 goals.
Most Appearances
The player with the most games played is Ever Hugo Almeida from Paraguay. He played 113 matches for Olimpia.
Images for kids
-
-
-
Since its creation, the Copa Libertadores has been part of the culture of South America.
See also
In Spanish: Copa Libertadores de América para niños
