Copa Sudamericana facts for kids
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| Organizing body | CONMEBOL |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Region | South America |
| Number of teams | 56 (from 10 associations) |
| Qualifier for | Recopa Sudamericana Copa Libertadores UEFA–CONMEBOL Club Challenge |
| Related competitions | Copa Libertadores |
| Current champion(s) |  LDU Quito(2nd title) |
| Most successful club(s) |
|
| Television broadcasters | List of broadcasters |
The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, often called the Copa Sudamericana, is a big yearly football competition. It's for club teams in South America. CONMEBOL, the main football group in South America, has organized it since 2002. It's the second most important club tournament in South American football.
This competition replaced older tournaments like the Copa CONMEBOL, Copa Mercosur, and Copa Merconorte. The team that wins the Copa Sudamericana gets to play in other exciting matches. They play in the Recopa Sudamericana, which is like a South American supercup. They also get a spot in the next Copa Libertadores, which is the top club competition. Plus, they can play in the UEFA–CONMEBOL Club Challenge against the winners of the UEFA Europa League from Europe.
The current champions are LDU Quito from Ecuador. They won the last final against Fortaleza from Brazil.
Clubs from Argentina have won the most titles, with nine victories. Seven different Argentine clubs have lifted the cup. Overall, 17 different clubs have won the tournament. Boca Juniors and Independiente (Argentina), Athletico Paranaense (Brazil), and Independiente del Valle and LDU Quito (Ecuador) are the most successful teams. They have each won the tournament twice. Boca Juniors is the only team to win it two years in a row, in 2004 and 2005.
Contents
History of the Tournament
Before the Copa Sudamericana, there were other tournaments for South American clubs. In 1992, the Copa CONMEBOL started. It was for clubs that didn't qualify for the two biggest competitions back then. This tournament ended in 1999.
Then, the Copa Merconorte and Copa Mercosur began in 1998. These tournaments also ended in 2001. After that, CONMEBOL decided to create one big competition. This new tournament was the Copa Sudamericana, which started in 2002. It began as a knockout tournament, meaning teams were eliminated if they lost.
How the Tournament Works
The Copa Sudamericana has changed its rules over the years. Here's how it generally works now:
- Many teams from different South American countries play.
- Some teams enter directly into the first stage.
- Other teams that get eliminated from the Copa Libertadores (the top tournament) can join the Copa Sudamericana later.
- The tournament now includes a group stage. Teams play against others in their group.
- After the group stage, there are knockout rounds. Teams play two matches against an opponent, one at home and one away. The team with more goals wins and moves on.
- The final match decides the champion.
The tournament starts in February and finishes in December. This means it runs almost all year!
The Sudamericana Trophy
The tournament is named after its trophy, which is also called the Copa Sudamericana. Sometimes people just call it la Sudamericana. This beautiful trophy is given to the winning team each year.
La Otra Mitad de La Gloria
La Otra Mitad de La Gloria means "The other half of glory" in Spanish. This is a special phrase used to describe winning the Copa Sudamericana. It shows how important and respected this tournament has become. Many people in Spanish-speaking countries use this phrase.
For example, when Cienciano from Peru won in 2004, it was a huge celebration across their country. Also, when Pachuca from Mexico won in 2006, it was seen as the most important title ever won by a Mexican club.
Sponsors of the Tournament
Like other big football events, the Copa Sudamericana has sponsors. These are companies that help fund the tournament. In return, their names and logos are shown during the matches.
The first big sponsor was Nissan Motors, starting in 2003. Even with these main sponsors, individual clubs can still have their own sponsors on their jerseys.
As of 2024, some of the main sponsors include:
- Amstel Brewery
- Coca-Cola (and Powerade)
- Entain (with Bwin and Sportingbet)
- EA Sports
- Mercado Libre
- MG Motor
- DHL
- Puma
The Official Match Ball
Since 2024, the German company Puma makes the official match ball for the Copa Sudamericana. They also make the balls for all other CONMEBOL competitions. The official ball for the 2024 tournament is called the Puma Cumbre.
Prize Money for Teams
Winning the Copa Sudamericana comes with a great trophy and also prize money! For the 2023 Copa Sudamericana, teams received money at different stages:
- Teams playing their first home match got US$225,000.
- Teams playing their first away match got US$250,000.
- Clubs reaching the group stage received US$900,000.
- They also earned US$100,000 for each match they won in the group stage.
- Teams reaching the knockout round play-offs got US$500,000.
- Teams in the round of 16 received US$550,000.
- Quarter-finalists earned US$600,000.
- Semi-finalists got US$800,000.
- The team that finished as runner-up received US$2,000,000.
- The champions took home a huge US$5,000,000!
This money comes from TV rights and advertising at the stadiums.
Where to Watch the Games
Many TV channels and streaming services broadcast the Copa Sudamericana matches. This allows fans all over South America and beyond to watch the games. Different companies have the rights to show the matches in different countries. For example, in Latin America, DSports often broadcasts the games. In Brazil, channels like SBT and ESPN show them.
Records and Fun Facts
There are some cool records in the Copa Sudamericana:
- Claudio Morel Rodríguez is the only player to have won three Copa Sudamericana winner's medals.
- Eduardo Vargas scored the most goals in a single tournament, with 11 goals in 2011. He is also the top scorer in the tournament's history.
- LDU Quito and São Paulo have played the most games in the tournament, with 50 matches each by the end of 2014.
Who Has Won the Copa Sudamericana?
Here's a list of clubs that have won the Copa Sudamericana, and those who have been runners-up:
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDU Quito |
2 | 1 | 2009, 2023 | 2011 |
 Boca Juniors |
2 | — | 2004, 2005 |
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| Independiente |
2 | — | 2010, 2017 |
|
 Athletico Paranaense |
2 | — | 2018, 2021 |
|
| Independiente del Valle |
2 | — | 2019, 2022 |
|
| São Paulo |
1 | 1 | 2012 | 2022 |
| Lanús |
1 | 1 | 2013 | 2020 |
| River Plate |
1 | 1 | 2014 | 2003 |
| San Lorenzo |
1 | — | 2002 |
|
 Cienciano |
1 | — | 2003 |
|
 Pachuca |
1 | — | 2006 |
|
| Arsenal |
1 | — | 2007 |
|
| Internacional |
1 | — | 2008 |
|
 Universidad de Chile |
1 | — | 2011 |
|
 Santa Fe |
1 | — | 2015 |
|
| Chapecoense |
1 | — | 2016 |
|
| Defensa y Justicia |
1 | — | 2020 |
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| Atlético Nacional |
0 | 3 |
|
2002, 2014, 2016 |
 Bolívar |
0 | 1 |
|
2004 |
| UNAM |
0 | 1 |
|
2005 |
| Colo-Colo |
0 | 1 |
|
2006 |
| América |
0 | 1 |
|
2007 |
| Estudiantes |
0 | 1 |
|
2008 |
| Fluminense |
0 | 1 |
|
2009 |
| Goiás |
0 | 1 |
|
2010 |
| Tigre |
0 | 1 |
|
2012 |
| Ponte Preta |
0 | 1 |
|
2013 |
| Huracán |
0 | 1 |
|
2015 |
| Flamengo |
0 | 1 |
|
2017 |
| Junior |
0 | 1 |
|
2018 |
| Colón |
0 | 1 |
|
2019 |
| Red Bull Bragantino |
0 | 1 |
|
2021 |
| Fortaleza |
0 | 1 |
|
2023 |
Winners by Country
Here's how many titles and runner-up spots each country's clubs have achieved:
| Nation | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina |
9 | 6 | 15 |
| Brazil |
5 | 7 | 12 |
 Ecuador |
4 | 1 | 5 |
 Colombia |
1 | 4 | 5 |
 Mexico |
1 | 2 | 3 |
 Chile |
1 | 1 | 2 |
 Peru |
1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bolivia |
0 | 1 | 1 |
 Costa Rica |
0 | 0 | 0 |
 Honduras |
0 | 0 | 0 |
 Paraguay |
0 | 0 | 0 |
 United States |
0 | 0 | 0 |
 Uruguay |
0 | 0 | 0 |
 Venezuela |
0 | 0 | 0 |
See also
In Spanish: Copa Sudamericana para niños
