Copa Libertadores facts for kids
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| Organizing body | CONMEBOL |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1960 |
| Region | South America |
| Number of teams | 47 (from 10 associations) |
| Qualifier for |
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| Related competitions | Copa Sudamericana (2nd tier) |
| Current champion(s) |  Flamengo(4th title) |
| Most successful club(s) |  Independiente(7 titles) |
| Motto | The Eternal Glory (La Gloria Eterna) |
The CONMEBOL Libertadores, often called the Copa Libertadores, is a super exciting yearly football competition for clubs in South America. It's like the Champions League for Europe, but for teams from countries like Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay! Organized by CONMEBOL since 1960, it's the biggest and most important club tournament in South American football.
The tournament gets its name from the "Libertadores" (which means "liberators" in Spanish and Portuguese). These were the brave leaders who helped South American countries gain their independence a long time ago. So, the name means "Liberators of the Americas Cup."
Over the years, the Copa Libertadores has changed its rules a bit. At first, only the champions of each country's league could play. Later, more teams joined, including runners-up. From 2000, the tournament grew to include 32 teams, and today, 47 clubs from 10 different countries compete! Countries like Argentina and Brazil usually have the most teams in the competition.
The winner of the Copa Libertadores gets to play in other big international tournaments, like the FIFA Club World Cup and the Recopa Sudamericana. The club with the most wins is Independiente from Argentina, with an amazing seven titles!
Contents
What is the Copa Libertadores?
The Copa Libertadores is the top club football competition in South America. It brings together the best teams from across the continent to compete for the prestigious trophy. Imagine the excitement as teams battle it out to be crowned the champions of South America!
How the Tournament Started
The idea for a big South American club tournament began way back in the 1930s. Teams from Argentina and Uruguay used to play in a competition called the Copa Aldao. This sparked the dream of a continent-wide championship.
In 1948, a tournament called the South American Championship of Champions was held in Santiago, Chile. This event was a direct inspiration for the Copa Libertadores. It brought together the champions from different national leagues. A Brazilian team, Vasco da Gama, won that first tournament. This idea of a "champions cup" even helped inspire the creation of the European Cup (now the Champions League) in Europe!
Later, in 1958, leaders from the Uruguayan club Peñarol helped create the official plan for the new competition. On March 5, 1959, the tournament was officially approved. In 1965, it was named "Copa Libertadores" to honor heroes like Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín, who fought for South American freedom.
How the Tournament Works
The Copa Libertadores is a long and exciting tournament that runs for about six to eight months. It has several stages, starting in late January and ending with the final match in November.
Qualifying for the Copa
Teams usually qualify for the Copa Libertadores by winning their national leagues or domestic cups. For example, in some countries, teams win special half-year tournaments to get a spot. Argentina and Brazil, which are big football nations, have many teams that qualify. The winner of the Copa Sudamericana (another South American tournament) also gets a spot in the following year's Copa Libertadores.
Game Rules and Decisions
The Copa Libertadores has some unique rules. For a long time, if teams tied after two games, they didn't use the "away goals rule" (where goals scored away from home count more). Instead, they might play a third match or go straight to a penalty shootout.
Since 2005, the "away goals rule" has been used in most matches. However, in the finals, they sometimes use extra time before a penalty shootout if the score is tied. Also, like most football competitions today, teams get 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss.
Tournament Stages Explained
The tournament starts with three early stages where 12 clubs play in knockout matches. The teams that win these matches then join 28 other clubs in the group stage. Here, 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four. Each team plays every other team in their group twice, once at home and once away.
The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout stages. This is where the competition gets really intense! Teams play two-legged matches (one home, one away) in the Round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals. Finally, the two best teams meet in a single, thrilling final match to decide the champion!
The team that wins the Copa Libertadores gets to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they compete against champions from other continents. They also play in the Recopa Sudamericana against the winner of the Copa Sudamericana.
Amazing Prizes and Trophies
Winning the Copa Libertadores is a huge achievement, and the champions receive a magnificent trophy and significant prize money.
The Famous Copa Trophy
The tournament's trophy is also called the Copa Libertadores, or simply la Copa. It was designed by a talented goldsmith named Alberto de Gasperi in Lima, Peru. The top part of the trophy is made of shiny sterling silver, with a football player figure made of bronze covered in silver.
The bottom part, called the pedestal, is made of wood and has special badges for every team that has ever won the competition. Each badge shows the year, the winning club's name, and their city and country. If a club wins the tournament three times in a row, they get to keep the actual trophy forever! So far, only two clubs, Estudiantes and Independiente, have achieved this incredible feat.
Winning Big: Prize Money
Clubs in the Copa Libertadores can win a lot of money as they advance through the tournament. This money comes from things like TV rights and stadium advertising. As of 2023, here's how the prize money works:
- 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 for each match won in this stage)
- Round of 16: US$1,250,000
- Quarter-finals: US$1,700,000
- Semi-finals: US$2,300,000
- Runners-up (second place): US$7,000,000
- Champions (winners): US$18,000,000
The Spirit of South American Football
The Copa Libertadores is more than just a football tournament; it's a huge part of South American culture. The passion, the fans, and the way it's organized have influenced many other competitions around the world.
The "Liberator Dream"
In South American sports journalism, there's a special phrase called the "Liberator Dream" (Sueño Libertador). This describes the big dream and effort a team puts into trying to win the Copa Libertadores. When a team is eliminated, people say they have "woken up from the liberator dream."
Clubs often spend a lot of money and effort to try and win this cup. Players and fans consider it one of the most important trophies they can win. For many players, winning the Copa Libertadores is even more special than winning their national league or other international cups!
The Myth of the Pacific Coast
For a long time, clubs from countries with an Atlantic coast (like Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay) were the only ones winning the Copa Libertadores. Teams from countries with a Pacific coast (like Peru, Chile, and Colombia) often reached the finals but couldn't win.
This led to a saying: "La Copa se mira y no se toca" (The Cup is to be seen, not to be touched). It meant that teams from the Pacific coast could see the trophy but never win it. However, this myth was finally broken in 1989 when Atlético Nacional from Colombia (a Pacific coast country) won the cup! Later, Colo-Colo from Chile won in 1991, and other Pacific teams have won since then, proving that the cup can indeed be "seen and touched" by everyone!
Copa Libertadores in Media
The Copa Libertadores is a very popular event watched by millions of people around the globe.
Watching the Games
Matches are broadcast in over 135 countries and in more than 30 languages! This makes the Copa Libertadores one of the most-watched sports events on TV. Fans everywhere can tune in to see the exciting matches.
Video Games and the Copa
If you love football video games, you might have seen the Copa Libertadores there too! Since 2023, EA Sports includes the tournament and its teams in their EA Sports FC series. Before that, it was featured in the FIFA series and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer.
Who Supports the Copa?
Big companies help support the Copa Libertadores, making it possible for the tournament to be so grand and exciting.
Official Sponsors
From 1997 to 2017, the tournament had a main sponsor, like Toyota, Banco Santander, and Bridgestone. As of 2024, many official sponsors and partners support the Copa Libertadores, including well-known brands like Amstel, Coca-Cola, Crypto.com, EA Sports, Hyundai, Mastercard, and Puma.
The Official Match Ball
Since 2024, the German company Puma supplies the official match ball for the Copa Libertadores, as they do for all other CONMEBOL competitions. The ball used in the 2024 edition was called the Puma Cumbre.
Records and Top Teams
Let's look at some amazing records and see which clubs and countries have been the most successful in the Copa Libertadores.
Most Goals Scored
The player who has scored the most goals in the history of the Copa Libertadores is Alberto Spencer from Ecuador, with an incredible 54 goals! Another record holder is Daniel Onega from Argentina, who scored 17 goals in a single season in 1966.
List of Copa Libertadores top scorers
Most Games Played
Playing in the Copa Libertadores many times shows a player's dedication and skill. Here are some of the players with the most appearances:
| Rank | Country | Player | Apps | Goals | From | To | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Ever Hugo Almeida | 113 | 0 | 1973 | 1990 | Olimpia |
| 2 | |
Fábio | 110 | ? | 2001 | present | Vasco da Gama Cruzeiro Fluminense |
| 3 | |
Franco Armani | 108 | ? | 2013 | present |  Atlético Nacional River Plate |
| 4 | |
Sergio Aquino | 107 | ? | 2006 | 2020 | Club Libertad |
| 5 | |
Enzo Pérez | 105 | ? | 2007 | present | Estudiantes River Plate |
| 6 | |
Lucas Pratto | 96 | ? | 2011 | 2022 |  Universidad Católica Vélez Sarsfield Atlético Mineiro River Plate |
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Vladimir Soria | 4 | 1986 | 2000 |  Bolívar |
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Weverton | ? | 2014 | present | Athletico Paranaense Palmeiras |
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| 9 | |
Andrés D'Alessandro | 95 | ? | 2001 | 2017 | River Plate San Lorenzo Internacional |
| 10 | |
Nacho Fernández | 94 | ? | 2016 | present | River Plate Atlético Mineiro |
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Antony de Ávila | 29 | 1983 | 1998 | América de Cali Barcelona |
Top Clubs and Countries
Many clubs have won the Copa Libertadores, but some have lifted the trophy more often than others.
Club Champions
Here are the clubs that have won the Copa Libertadores, with the most successful ones at the top:
Country Champions
Brazil and Argentina are the most successful countries in the Copa Libertadores, with 25 titles each as of the 2025 final. Uruguay is next with 8 titles. Colombia and Paraguay have 3 titles each, while Chile and Ecuador each have 1 title.
| Nation | Winners | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil |
25 | 20 | 45 |
| Argentina |
25 | 13 | 38 |
 Uruguay |
8 | 8 | 16 |
| Colombia |
3 | 7 | 10 |
| Paraguay |
3 | 5 | 8 |
| Chile |
1 | 5 | 6 |
| Ecuador |
1 | 3 | 4 |
 Mexico |
0 | 3 | 3 |
 Peru |
0 | 2 | 2 |
| Bolivia |
0 | 0 | 0 |
 Venezuela |
0 | 0 | 0 |
More Football Fun
- Copa Libertadores Femenina (the women's version of the tournament)
- Copa Sudamericana (another important South American club competition)
- Continental football championships
Images for kids
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The Copa Libertadores logo is shown on the centre of the pitch before every game in the competition.
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Fans cheering at a Copa Libertadores match.
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Fans celebrating a Copa Libertadores victory.
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Passionate supporters at a Copa Libertadores game.
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The logo of Banco Santander displayed on the field of Estadio Gran Parque Central, 2010
See also
In Spanish: Copa Libertadores de América para niños
