History of the Copa Libertadores
Encyclopedia
The Copa Libertadores is the most important international football
club competition in South America. Throughout the history of the tournament, 22 teams from seven countries have won the competition. Its rich history has been saturated with many legendary matches, iconic players and exceptional teams; from Peñarol
's historical consegration in 1960, to Coutinho
and Pelé
enchanting the world with Santos's magical football, down to Estudiantes
's unlikely success at the end of the 1960s, and Club Atlético Independiente
being brought to glory in the utmost manner.
Juan Carlos Lorenzo's legendary upbringing of Boca Juniors
, seeing Flamengo
engrave their names on the winner's list at the hands of a squad led by Zico
, René Higuita
's memorable saves against Olimpia, São Paulo's time dos sonhos coached by legend Telê Santana
and Carlos Bianchi
's exploits with Boca Juniors and Vélez Sársfield
are some of the more recent stories still talked about till this day. The Copa Libertadores is, arguably, the most important club trophy in the world.
The sport was introduced to South America in many different ways. For example, football was introduced to Argentina in the latter half of the 19th century by the British immigrants
in Buenos Aires
, while Colombia was exposed to football in the early 20th century. An expatriate named Charles William Miller
introduced the sport to Brazil. Football was first brought to Chile by the British that exhibited the sport during visits to the commercial ports such as in Valparaíso
. Dutchman William Paats
, who moved from the Netherlands to Asunción
(the capital of Paraguay) in 1888, introduced football to Paraguay, as well as laying the foundations for a classic South American club.
The roots of the competition had existed for a long while the South American spirit of competition at club level was present since the beginning of the century. During the 1930s and 1940s, Argentinean and Uruguayan clubs vied for the Copa Río de La Plata between their respective champions rotating the location of the final every a year Buenos Aires
and Montevideo
. The delegates of Colo-Colo
, after years of insistence, managed to push CONMEBOL
into creating the first continental tournament. The Copa de Campeones became the first "prototype" and it was successfully played in 1948 in what is now considered an official title in South America; Vasco da Gama won the competition played entirely in Santiago, Chile
.
For all this, the subject of the South American Congress held in 1958 in Rio de Janeiro
was not unknown to board members: Raúl Colombo and Eduardo Palma of Argentina, Fermín Sorhueta, Washington Cataldi, Luis Tróccoli and Bracco
of Uruguay, doctor
Quiroga
of Bolivia, Lydio Quevedo of Paraguay, Teófilo Salinas of Perú, Alberto Goñi of Chile, and Joao Havelange
and Abilio D'Almeida of Brazil. The secretary general of the Union des Associations Européennes de Football
, or UEFA, Henry Delaunay, submitted a proposal to the then-head of CONMEBOL José Ramos de Freitas of Brazil to organize an annual double confrontation between the champions of Europe and South America in what was seen as a welcomed but unneeded incentive. The proposal for the creation of a South American club championship was supported by Argentina and Brazil but was opposed by Uruguay, a country which at that time still had a transcendent pre-eminence in the decision-making of the confederation, sharing political and continental power with Argentina. Brazil had just won their first World Cup and had not yet the privileges or political weight that presently holds.
Uruguay's opposition was based on that "the competition being promoted would go against the interest of the South American national-team championships". Moreover, Argentina, with the support of Brazil, had proposed that those tournaments should be played every four years instead of every two in early 1957 (in which Uruguay strongly opposed as they were the main architects of the Campeonato Sudamericano
). On March 5, 1959, the Chilean delegates insisted and proposed the creation of the South American club tournament at the 24th South American Congress held in Buenos Aires
which was approved by the International Affairs Committee. Only the Uruguayans voted against it. The tournament would be named in homage of the heroes of South American history
such as Simón Bolívar
, José de San Martín
, Manuel Belgrano
, Bernardo O'Higgins
, José Miguel Carrera
, José Gervasio Artigas
, Antonio José de Sucre
, Ramón Castilla
, José Joaquín de Olmedo
, among others: the Copa Libertadores de America. That was the last deed of José Ramos de Freitas as president of CONMEBOL who relinquished his position to the newly elected president, Uruguayan Sorhueta Fermin. In Montevideo, the idea was approved with the presence of all 10 CONMEBOL representatives to finally begin the development of the tournament with the first edition being played by seven participants. The club President of Peñarol
, Washington Cataldi, explained years later:
of Brazil, Jorge Wilstermann
of Bolivia, Millonarios of Colombia, Olimpia of Paraguay, Peñarol of Uruguay, San Lorenzo
of Argentina and Universidad de Chile of Chile. Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela did not send any representatives. Carlos Borges
of Peñarol scored the first goal of the tournament, with fellow teammate and legendary figure Alberto Spencer
scoring the first hat-trick
. They will become fundamental figures for Peñarol as the manyas begun their journey with a crushing 7-1 victory over Jorge Wilstermann in the first leg. After a 1-1 draw in the second leg, they progressed to the semifinal stage where they faced the San Lorenzo
of José Sanfilippo
; after drawing both matches of the semifinal series, the boardmembers of the Ciclón allowed the tie-breaking match to be held at Peñarol's home stadium, the Estadio Centenario
, in exchange for economic incentives. This move was quietly criticized by the San Lorenzo players and they went out of the tournament after a 2-1 defeat. In the finals, Peñarol would face Olimpia with the first match being played in Montevideo. The Paraguayans managed to keep the score goalless until 11 minutes from full time when Spencer broke the deadlock to take a 1-0 victory to Asunción
; and in a highly-charged atmoshere in the Manuel Ferreira
stadium, Luis Cubilla
scored at the 83rd minute to tie a match Peñarol was losing since the first half, and give his club the honor of becoming the first ever champions of the competition.
The second edition of the tournament saw Ecuador and Peru send a representative to the tournament. Peñarol opened their title defense with a 5-0 thrashing over Universitario
; the large scoreline allowed the champions to cruise to the semifinals with a 2-0 defeat to face Olimpia, in a rematch of the previous year's final. However, Peñarol swept aside Olimpia with a 3-1 victory at home and a 1-2 triumph away in order to contest their second, consecutive final, this time against Brazilian giants Palmeiras
. Like last year's final, Peñarol managed a 1-0 victory in the first leg thanks to another late goal from Alberto Spencer at the 89th minute. In the second leg, Peñarol managed to come away with a 1-1 tie to retain the title. Due to the great contributions made by Peñarol's board directors in the creation of the Copa Libertadores, the success of the Manyas in this two editions are widely considered a "historical justice" well earned.
. At that time, Santos was led by Brazilian football superstar Pelé
. The club went on to win the Taça Brasil
that previous year, crushing Bahia
in the finals; Pelé finished as top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals. The victory allowed Santos to participate in the Copa Libertadores. The Copa Libertadores did not receive international attention until its third edition, which was swept through the sublime football of the ballet blanco led by Pelé
, Coutinho, Lima
, Zito
, Dorval and Pepe
, considered by some the best club team of all times.
Santos' most successful club season started in 1962; the team was seeded in Group 1 alongside Cerro Porteño
and Deportivo Municipal, winning every match of their group but one (a 1-1 away tie vs Cerro), while performing a 9-1 rout of Cerro. Santos defeated Universidad Católica
in the semifinals and met defending champions Peñarol
in the finals in which Pelé scored another brace in the playoff match to secure the first title for a Brazilian club. Coutinho and Pelé finished as the first and second best scorer of the competition with 6 and 4 goals, respectively.
As the defending champions, Santos qualified automatically to the semifinal stage of the 1963 Copa Libertadores. The ballet blanco managed to retain the title in spectacular fashion after impressive victories over Botafogo
and Boca Juniors
. Pelé helped Santos overcome a Botafogo team that contained legends such as Garrincha
and Jairzinho
with an agonizing last-minute goal in the first leg of the semifinals and bring the match to 1-1. In the second leg, Pelé produced one of his best performances as a footballer with a hat-trick
in the Estádio do Maracanã
as Santos crushed Botafogo 0-4 in the second leg. Appearing in their second consecutive final, Santos started the series by winning 3-2 in the first leg thanks to a brace by Coutinho and defeating the Boca Juniors of José Sanfilippo
and Antonio Rattín
1-2 in La Bombonera
, with another goal from Pelé and Coutinho each, becoming the first (and so far only) Brazilian team to lift the Copa Libertadores in Argentine soil. Pelé finished the tournament as the scorer runner-up with 5 goals, while Coutinho finished third with 3 goals.
knocked-out the defending champions Santos in semi-final, and later became the first Argentine team to win the competition.
Peñarol lost to the Argentine side Independiente in final of the previous year. In 1966, they successfully revenged by defeating another Argentine team, River Plate
, in the extra time of a play-off and clinched their third tournament championship.
. They defeated another Uruguayan team Nacional
2–1 in a play-off and were crowned the South American champions for the first time.
broke the domination of the "big five" teams in Argentina in 1967 by winning their first domestic league title. They went on to win the Copa Libertadores in 1968, defeating Palmeiras in the final. Though they did not win the Primera División Argentina
in the following years, they continued their success in the continental tournament. Coached by Osvaldo Zubeldía
, and led by star players like Carlos Bilardo
, Juan Ramón Verón
and Oscar Malbernat
, they won the Copa Libertadores again in 1969 and 1970, becoming the first team to win the title for three consecutive years.
, José Omar Pastoriza, Ricardo Bochini
and Daniel Bertoni
, they once again were crowned the champions after seven years since their last championship. With their strong squad, they conquered the continent for the next three years, winning a record four consecutive titles.
broke through the Argentine dominance. Although the Argentine champions River Plate
could still enter the final, they were not able to capture the first continental title in their club history. Cruzeiro defeated River Plate in the play-off of the final and were crowned the new champions.
, which were famous for their defense led by the goalkeeper Hugo Gatti
.
Boca re-captured the title in 1978 by winning over Deportivo Cali
, the first Colombia
n finalist of the competition.
, Brazil
and Uruguay
had ever won a title. However, in 1979, Olimpia
successfully brought the trophy back to Paraguay
. They defeated Boca Juniors, the champions of the two previous years, in the final and became the first champions not coming from the aforementioned three countries. Their conquest of Boca also ended the Argentine dominance of the past 15 years.
won the title again in 1984.
, a "small team" in Argentina, won the continental tournament for their only time in the history in 1985, defeating Colombian champions América de Cali
in the final.
, another traditional team in Argentina, became the South American champions for the first time in 1986. Colombian team América de Cali were, again, the losing team in the final.
América de Cali entered the final for the third consecutive year. Nonetheless, they were once again the runners-up of the tournament. In 1987, they were defeated by the Uruguayan champions C.A. Peñarol
1–0 in the play-off.
Nacional
, the rival of Peñarol, followed suit in the following year. They won their third title by defeating Newell's Old Boys
, a first-time finalist, 3–1 aggregately.
Until today, these are the last two titles won by Uruguayan teams.
became the first Colombian continental champions. They defeteated Olimpia
in the final, which was for the first time entirely competed by teams not coming from Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay.
, Gabriel González
and Ever Hugo Almeida
they won the trophy again by beating Ecuador
ian team Barcelona Sporting Club
3–1 in the final.
, the only Chile
an title winner, 3–0 in the final.
were the dominating team. With Telê Santana
as the coach, and star players like Müller, Raí
, Cafú
and Palhinha, the old club of Leônidas and Zizinho
won their first international title in 1992. They repeated their success again in 1993, becoming the first Brazilian team to successfully defend the title since Santos FC in 1963.
, led by José Luis Chilavert
, Christian Bassedas
and Omar Asad
, in the final.
, Cruzeiro
, Vasco da Gama
and Palmeiras
also won the title in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999 respectively.
as its main sponsor, resulting in a change in the name of the competition: "Copa Toyota Libertadores".
In 2002, the final was contested by Olimpia
and São Caetano
. Olimpia, managed by Nery Pumpido
at that time, returned to the triumph and won their third title by beating their Brazilian opponent on a penalty shootout.
In 2005, it was the first time in the cup history to have a final contested by clubs from the same country. In that edition, São Paulo
defeated Atlético Paranaense
in the final and were crowned the champions for the third time.
São Paulo entered the final again in 2006. This time, it was also a full Brazilian final competed by São Paulo and Internacional
, with the latter winning their first Copa Libertadores title.
team Internacional won the title in 2006, and Grêmio, their rival from the same Brazilian city wanted to repeat the same success as their rival in the previous year. However, they failed to win the title because Román Riquelme
helped Boca Juniors
to clinched their sixth title by sweeping Grêmio 5–0, the largest win margin in the records of the finals.
to win the Copa Libertadores. They beat Brazilian team Fluminense on penalties after a 5–5 aggregate score in the Maracana
stadium, which was the highest score in the history of the Copa Libertadores final. Their goalkeeper José Francisco Cevallos saved three penalties in the penalty shootout, including the penalty of Thiago Neves, who had scored a hat-trick
in the second leg to recover a 2–5 deficit.
The 2008 edition also marked the change of the name from "Copa Toyota Libertadores" to "Copa Santander Libertadores" due to a new sponsorhip contract with Spanish bank Santander.
won its fourth title in the 2009 Copa Libertadores. The first match was played on 8 July 2009 in La Plata, and finished 0-0. The second leg was played on 15 July in Belo Horizonte, and it started 1-0 for Cruzeiro, but Estudiantes turned it around, and it finished 2-1 for Estudiantes.
Estudiantes had not played a Copa Libertadores final since 1971, and had not won one since 1970. They had won two other titles in 1968 and 1969.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club competition in South America. Throughout the history of the tournament, 22 teams from seven countries have won the competition. Its rich history has been saturated with many legendary matches, iconic players and exceptional teams; from Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
's historical consegration in 1960, to Coutinho
Coutinho
Antônio Wilson Vieira Honório , nicknamed Coutinho, is a Brazilian former football player. He played as a forward for Santos Futebol Clube, being a teammate and attacking partner of Pelé, and became a member of the Brazilian national team.Born in Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Coutinho was...
and Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
enchanting the world with Santos's magical football, down to Estudiantes
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
's unlikely success at the end of the 1960s, and Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
being brought to glory in the utmost manner.
Juan Carlos Lorenzo's legendary upbringing of Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, seeing Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo
Clube de Regatas do Flamengo , also known as Flamengo and familiarly as Mengão, is a Brazilian sports club based in the Flamengo bairro, Zona Sul, Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team...
engrave their names on the winner's list at the hands of a squad led by Zico
Zico
Arthur Antunes Coimbra , better known as Zico , is a Brazilian coach and former footballer. He is the current head coach of the Iraq national football team. Often called the "White Pelé", he is commonly considered one of the most skilled finishers and one of the best passers ever and possibly the...
, René Higuita
René Higuita
José René Higuita Zapata is a former Colombian football goalkeeper nicknamed El Loco...
's memorable saves against Olimpia, São Paulo's time dos sonhos coached by legend Telê Santana
Telê Santana
Telê Santana da Silva, also known as Telê Santana , was a Brazilian football manager and former player...
and Carlos Bianchi
Carlos Bianchi
Carlos Arcecio Bianchi , popularly known as El Virrey , is a prolific Argentine football forward turned manager...
's exploits with Boca Juniors and Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
are some of the more recent stories still talked about till this day. The Copa Libertadores is, arguably, the most important club trophy in the world.
The sport was introduced to South America in many different ways. For example, football was introduced to Argentina in the latter half of the 19th century by the British immigrants
English settlement in Argentina
English Argentines are citizens of Argentina who can claim ancestry originating in England. The English settlement in Argentina , took place in the period after Argentina's independence from Spain through the 19th century...
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, while Colombia was exposed to football in the early 20th century. An expatriate named Charles William Miller
Charles William Miller
Charles William Miller was a Brazilian sportsman, who is considered to be the father of football in Brazil.-Early life:...
introduced the sport to Brazil. Football was first brought to Chile by the British that exhibited the sport during visits to the commercial ports such as in Valparaíso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
. Dutchman William Paats
William Paats
William Paats was a Dutch sports instructor.Often regarded as "the father of Paraguayan football", Paats' family moved to Asunción, Paraguay in 1894...
, who moved from the Netherlands to Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
(the capital of Paraguay) in 1888, introduced football to Paraguay, as well as laying the foundations for a classic South American club.
The dawn to the Copa Libertadores
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
and Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
. The delegates of Colo-Colo
Colo-Colo
Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
, after years of insistence, managed to push CONMEBOL
CONMEBOL
The South American Football Confederation , commonly known as CONMEBOL , is the continental governing body of association football in South America and it is one of FIFA's six continental confederations...
into creating the first continental tournament. The Copa de Campeones became the first "prototype" and it was successfully played in 1948 in what is now considered an official title in South America; Vasco da Gama won the competition played entirely in Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
.
For all this, the subject of the South American Congress held in 1958 in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
was not unknown to board members: Raúl Colombo and Eduardo Palma of Argentina, Fermín Sorhueta, Washington Cataldi, Luis Tróccoli and Bracco
Bracco
Bracco is a surname, and may refer to:* Elizabeth Bracco* Giovanni Bracco* Lorraine BraccoBracco may also stand for Bracco Italiano, a breed of dog....
of Uruguay, doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Quiroga
Quiroga
Quiroga may refer to:in geography,* Quiroga, Galicia, a municipality in Lugo province, Galicia, Spain* Quiroga Valley, a valley in Lugo province, Galicia, Spain* Quiroga, Michoacán, a municipality in the Mexican state of Michoacánfor people,...
of Bolivia, Lydio Quevedo of Paraguay, Teófilo Salinas of Perú, Alberto Goñi of Chile, and Joao Havelange
João Havelange
Jean-Marie Faustin Goedefroid de Havelange , more commonly known as João Havelange , was the 7th President of FIFA, serving from 1974 to 1998. He received the title of Honorary President when leaving office. He succeeded Sir Stanley Rous and was succeeded by Joseph Blatter...
and Abilio D'Almeida of Brazil. The secretary general of the Union des Associations Européennes de Football
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, or UEFA, Henry Delaunay, submitted a proposal to the then-head of CONMEBOL José Ramos de Freitas of Brazil to organize an annual double confrontation between the champions of Europe and South America in what was seen as a welcomed but unneeded incentive. The proposal for the creation of a South American club championship was supported by Argentina and Brazil but was opposed by Uruguay, a country which at that time still had a transcendent pre-eminence in the decision-making of the confederation, sharing political and continental power with Argentina. Brazil had just won their first World Cup and had not yet the privileges or political weight that presently holds.
Uruguay's opposition was based on that "the competition being promoted would go against the interest of the South American national-team championships". Moreover, Argentina, with the support of Brazil, had proposed that those tournaments should be played every four years instead of every two in early 1957 (in which Uruguay strongly opposed as they were the main architects of the Campeonato Sudamericano
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
). On March 5, 1959, the Chilean delegates insisted and proposed the creation of the South American club tournament at the 24th South American Congress held in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
which was approved by the International Affairs Committee. Only the Uruguayans voted against it. The tournament would be named in homage of the heroes of South American history
Libertadores
Libertadores refers to the principal leaders of the Latin American wars of independence from Spain. They are named that way in contrast with the Conquistadors, who were so far the only Spanish peoples recorded in the South American history...
such as Simón Bolívar
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
, José de San Martín
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
, Manuel Belgrano
Manuel Belgrano
Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano , usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano, was an Argentine economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader. He took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina...
, Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins
Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme was a Chilean independence leader who, together with José de San Martín, freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. Although he was the second Supreme Director of Chile , he is considered one of Chile's founding fathers, as he was the first holder...
, José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera
José Miguel Carrera Verdugo was a Chilean general, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most important leader of the Chilean War of Independence during the period of the Patria Vieja...
, José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas
José Gervasio Artigas is a national hero of Uruguay, sometimes called "the father of Uruguayan nationhood".-Early life:Artigas was born in Montevideo on June 19, 1764...
, Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre
Antonio José de Sucre y Alcalá , known as the "Gran Mariscal de Ayacucho" , was a Venezuelan independence leader. Sucre was one of Simón Bolívar's closest friends, generals and statesmen.-Ancestry:...
, Ramón Castilla
Ramón Castilla
Ramón Castilla y Marquesado was a Peruvian caudillo and President of Peru four times. His earliest prominent appearance in Peruvian history began with his participation in a commanding role of the army of the Libertadores that helped Peru become an independent nation...
, José Joaquín de Olmedo
José Joaquín de Olmedo
José Joaquín de Olmedo y Maruri Patriot and poet, son of the Spanish Captain Don Miguel de Olmedo y Troyano and the Guayaquilean Ana Francisca de Maruri y Salavarría....
, among others: the Copa Libertadores de America. That was the last deed of José Ramos de Freitas as president of CONMEBOL who relinquished his position to the newly elected president, Uruguayan Sorhueta Fermin. In Montevideo, the idea was approved with the presence of all 10 CONMEBOL representatives to finally begin the development of the tournament with the first edition being played by seven participants. The club President of Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
, Washington Cataldi, explained years later:
1960–1961: Peñarol's Historic Justice
The first entrants of the inaugural edition included seven national champions: BahiaEsporte Clube Bahia
Esporte Clube Bahia , known familiarly as Bahiaço, is a Brazilian professional football club, based in Salvador, Bahia. They play in the Campeonato Baiano, Bahia's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Brazil's national league. Bahia was a founding member of the Clube dos 13 group...
of Brazil, Jorge Wilstermann
Club Jorge Wilstermann
Club Jorge Wilstermann is a Bolivian football club from the city of Cochabamba. It is named after Bolivian aviator Jorge Wilstermann.- History :...
of Bolivia, Millonarios of Colombia, Olimpia of Paraguay, Peñarol of Uruguay, San Lorenzo
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is an Argentine sports club based in Boedo neighbourhood, Buenos Aires, mostly known because of its football team....
of Argentina and Universidad de Chile of Chile. Peru, Ecuador and Venezuela did not send any representatives. Carlos Borges
Carlos Borges
Carlos Ariel Borges is a former Uruguayan footballer, best known for scoring the first goal ever in a Copa Libertadores.He earned 35 caps and scored 10 goals for the Uruguay national football team from 1954 to 1959...
of Peñarol scored the first goal of the tournament, with fellow teammate and legendary figure Alberto Spencer
Alberto Spencer
Alberto Pedro Spencer Herrera was an Ecuadorian football player, regarded as the best of his country. He is probably best known for his still-standing record for scoring the most goals in the Copa Libertadores, the most important club tournament in South America...
scoring the first hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
. They will become fundamental figures for Peñarol as the manyas begun their journey with a crushing 7-1 victory over Jorge Wilstermann in the first leg. After a 1-1 draw in the second leg, they progressed to the semifinal stage where they faced the San Lorenzo
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is an Argentine sports club based in Boedo neighbourhood, Buenos Aires, mostly known because of its football team....
of José Sanfilippo
José Sanfilippo
José Francisco "El Nene" Sanfilippo is a former Argentine footballer.During his club career he played for San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors and Banfield in Argentina, Nacional in Uruguay and Bangu and SC Bahia in Brazil He also earned 29 caps and scored 21 goals for the Argentina national football team,...
; after drawing both matches of the semifinal series, the boardmembers of the Ciclón allowed the tie-breaking match to be held at Peñarol's home stadium, the Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario
Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution...
, in exchange for economic incentives. This move was quietly criticized by the San Lorenzo players and they went out of the tournament after a 2-1 defeat. In the finals, Peñarol would face Olimpia with the first match being played in Montevideo. The Paraguayans managed to keep the score goalless until 11 minutes from full time when Spencer broke the deadlock to take a 1-0 victory to Asunción
Asunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
; and in a highly-charged atmoshere in the Manuel Ferreira
Estadio Manuel Ferreira
The Estadio Manuel Ferreira, is a football stadium in Asunción, Paraguay. It is the home venue of Club Olimpia and is named after former club president Manuel Ferreira....
stadium, Luis Cubilla
Luís Cubilla
Luis Alberto Cubilla Almeida is a former Uruguayan football player and coach. He had a successful playing career winning 15 major titles...
scored at the 83rd minute to tie a match Peñarol was losing since the first half, and give his club the honor of becoming the first ever champions of the competition.
The second edition of the tournament saw Ecuador and Peru send a representative to the tournament. Peñarol opened their title defense with a 5-0 thrashing over Universitario
Universitario de Deportes
Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of...
; the large scoreline allowed the champions to cruise to the semifinals with a 2-0 defeat to face Olimpia, in a rematch of the previous year's final. However, Peñarol swept aside Olimpia with a 3-1 victory at home and a 1-2 triumph away in order to contest their second, consecutive final, this time against Brazilian giants Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
. Like last year's final, Peñarol managed a 1-0 victory in the first leg thanks to another late goal from Alberto Spencer at the 89th minute. In the second leg, Peñarol managed to come away with a 1-1 tie to retain the title. Due to the great contributions made by Peñarol's board directors in the creation of the Copa Libertadores, the success of the Manyas in this two editions are widely considered a "historical justice" well earned.
1962–1963: The Santasticos
During the early years, Peñarol was the dominating team in the South American club football, and managed to reach the final for the third consecutive year when they faced the Brazilian champions SantosSantos Futebol Clube
Santos Futebol Clube is a Brazilian professional football club based in Santos, São Paulo They play in the Campeonato Paulista and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the highest professional leagues in São Paulo state and Brazil, respectively....
. At that time, Santos was led by Brazilian football superstar Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
. The club went on to win the Taça Brasil
Taça Brasil
The Taça Brasil was a Brazilian national football competition which was contested from 1959 to 1968. It is considered by many historians the most important football tournament in Brazil at the time and is compared, in importance level, to the current Campeonato Brasileiro.Bahia, Cruzeiro and...
that previous year, crushing Bahia
Esporte Clube Bahia
Esporte Clube Bahia , known familiarly as Bahiaço, is a Brazilian professional football club, based in Salvador, Bahia. They play in the Campeonato Baiano, Bahia's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Brazil's national league. Bahia was a founding member of the Clube dos 13 group...
in the finals; Pelé finished as top scorer of the tournament with 9 goals. The victory allowed Santos to participate in the Copa Libertadores. The Copa Libertadores did not receive international attention until its third edition, which was swept through the sublime football of the ballet blanco led by Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
, Coutinho, Lima
Antônio Lima dos Santos
Antônio Lima dos Santos, known as Lima is a former Brazilian footballer.He played for the following clubs: Juventus, Santos, Fluminense and Portuguesa Santista...
, Zito
José Ely de Miranda
José Ely de Miranda, best known as Zito was an association footballer who played in defensive midfield....
, Dorval and Pepe
José Macia
Pepe, real name José Macia, is a former association footballer and manager. He was left winger for Santos F.C. and the Brazilian national team...
, considered by some the best club team of all times.
Santos' most successful club season started in 1962; the team was seeded in Group 1 alongside Cerro Porteño
Cerro Porteño
Club Cerro Porteño is a professional Paraguayan football club, based in the neighbourhood of Barrio Obrero in Asunción. Founded in 1912, Cerro has won 28 Primera División titles and is one of the most popular football club in Paraguay...
and Deportivo Municipal, winning every match of their group but one (a 1-1 away tie vs Cerro), while performing a 9-1 rout of Cerro. Santos defeated Universidad Católica
Club Deportivo Universidad Católica
Club Deportivo Universidad Católica is a professional football club based in Santiago, Chile, which plays in the Primera División.Universidad Católica is one of the most successful and popular football clubs in Chile and considered one of the three "big teams"...
in the semifinals and met defending champions Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
in the finals in which Pelé scored another brace in the playoff match to secure the first title for a Brazilian club. Coutinho and Pelé finished as the first and second best scorer of the competition with 6 and 4 goals, respectively.
As the defending champions, Santos qualified automatically to the semifinal stage of the 1963 Copa Libertadores. The ballet blanco managed to retain the title in spectacular fashion after impressive victories over Botafogo
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas
Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas , also known as Botafogo and familiarly as Estrela Solitária, is a Brazilian sports club based in Botafogo, neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its football team. They play in the Campeonato Carioca, Rio de Janeiro's state league, and the Campeonato...
and Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
. Pelé helped Santos overcome a Botafogo team that contained legends such as Garrincha
Garrincha
Manuel Francisco dos Santos , known by the nickname "Garrincha" , was an association football right winger and forward who helped the Brazil national team win the World Cups of 1958 and 1962. He played the majority of his professional career for Brazilian club Botafogo.The word garrincha itself...
and Jairzinho
Jairzinho
Jair Ventura Filho, better known as Jairzinho , is a former association footballer. A quick, powerful forward or winger, he was a member of the legendary Brazilian national team that won the 1970 FIFA World Cup, during which he scored in every game Brazil played...
with an agonizing last-minute goal in the first leg of the semifinals and bring the match to 1-1. In the second leg, Pelé produced one of his best performances as a footballer with a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the Estádio do Maracanã
Estádio do Maracanã
The Estádio do Maracanã , officially Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, is an open-air stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Owned by the Rio de Janeiro State Government, it is named after the Maracanã neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro. It was opened in 1950 to host the FIFA World Cup, and in the final...
as Santos crushed Botafogo 0-4 in the second leg. Appearing in their second consecutive final, Santos started the series by winning 3-2 in the first leg thanks to a brace by Coutinho and defeating the Boca Juniors of José Sanfilippo
José Sanfilippo
José Francisco "El Nene" Sanfilippo is a former Argentine footballer.During his club career he played for San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors and Banfield in Argentina, Nacional in Uruguay and Bangu and SC Bahia in Brazil He also earned 29 caps and scored 21 goals for the Argentina national football team,...
and Antonio Rattín
Antonio Rattín
Antonio Ubaldo Rattín is a former Argentine football player, best known as a Boca Juniors midfielder, and because of an incident in a match at the 1966 FIFA World Cup...
1-2 in La Bombonera
Estadio Alberto J. Armando
The Estadio Alberto J. Armando is a stadium located in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium...
, with another goal from Pelé and Coutinho each, becoming the first (and so far only) Brazilian team to lift the Copa Libertadores in Argentine soil. Pelé finished the tournament as the scorer runner-up with 5 goals, while Coutinho finished third with 3 goals.
1964–1965: Independiente's Mística Copera
An Argentine team wrote down its name in the history of the tournament for the first time in 1964. IndependienteClub Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
knocked-out the defending champions Santos in semi-final, and later became the first Argentine team to win the competition.
1966: Peñarol's third victory and River Plate's disaster
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, in the extra time of a play-off and clinched their third tournament championship.
1967: The miracle of La Academia
The championship of Peñarol in 1966 did not stop the Argentine teams' domination in the era. In 1967, another Argentine team won the title: Racing ClubRacing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
. They defeated another Uruguayan team Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
2–1 in a play-off and were crowned the South American champions for the first time.
1968–1969: The rise of Estudiantes de La Plata
Starting from 1968, the era of another Argentine team started. Not being one of the traditional "big five" teams in Argentine football, Estudiantes L.P.Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
broke the domination of the "big five" teams in Argentina in 1967 by winning their first domestic league title. They went on to win the Copa Libertadores in 1968, defeating Palmeiras in the final. Though they did not win the Primera División Argentina
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
in the following years, they continued their success in the continental tournament. Coached by Osvaldo Zubeldía
Osvaldo Zubeldía
Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía, was a football player and an influential Argentine coach.-Playing career:...
, and led by star players like Carlos Bilardo
Carlos Bilardo
Carlos Salvador Bilardo is an Argentine former football player and coach, who is currently the General Manager of the Argentina national football team....
, Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón
Juan Ramón Verón is an Argentine football coach and former professional player.-Estudiantes:Nicknamed La Bruja , Juan Ramón Verón was a midfielder and striker renowned for his technical ability. He played for Estudiantes de La Plata, who were a dominant force in Argentine football during the late...
and Oscar Malbernat
Oscar Malbernat
Oscar Miguel Malbernat is a retired Argentine footballer, who was the captain of Estudiantes de La Plata between 1967 and 1972, when the team won a local championship in 1967, three consecutive Copa Libertadores titles and one Intercontinental Cup , where he marked Manchester United's George...
, they won the Copa Libertadores again in 1969 and 1970, becoming the first team to win the title for three consecutive years.
1971: Nacional enters the list of champions
In 1971, they entered the final of the tournament for the fourth consecutive year and faced Nacional of Uruguay. However, they failed to clinch the title again this time and were defeated 2–0 in the play-off match of the final.1972–1975: Independiente domination
In 1972, Argentine team Independiente returned to the title race. With star players such as Francisco SáFrancisco Sá
Francisco Pedro Manuel Sá is a retired Argentine football defender.Sá holds the record for the most Copa Libertadores titles, he won six; 4 consecutive titles with Club Atlético Independiente between 1972 and 1975, and a further 2 with Boca Juniors in 1977 and 1978.Sá started his career with...
, José Omar Pastoriza, Ricardo Bochini
Ricardo Bochini
Ricardo Enrique Bochini is an Argentine former professional football player. He is nicknamed El Bocha. Bochini was a childhood idol of Diego Maradona....
and Daniel Bertoni
Daniel Bertoni
Ricardo Daniel Bertoni is a former Argentine footballer who played in a Right Winger role.He played 31 times for the Argentina national football team between 1974 and 1982. in both the 1978 and the 1982 FIFA World Cups...
, they once again were crowned the champions after seven years since their last championship. With their strong squad, they conquered the continent for the next three years, winning a record four consecutive titles.
1976: Breakthrough of Cruzeiro
Brazilian teams had not won a title since 1963. In 1976, Brazilian league runners-up CruzeiroCruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
broke through the Argentine dominance. Although the Argentine champions River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
could still enter the final, they were not able to capture the first continental title in their club history. Cruzeiro defeated River Plate in the play-off of the final and were crowned the new champions.
1977–1978: Boca Juniors double
Following the breakthrough of 1976, Cruzeiro were again in the final of the 1977 session. However, they could not make a double and were defeated by another Argentine team, Boca JuniorsBoca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
, which were famous for their defense led by the goalkeeper Hugo Gatti
Hugo Gatti
Hugo Orlando Gatti, Loco Gatti is a former Argentine professional football goalkeeper who played in the Argentine First Division for 26 seasons and set a record of 765 appearances...
.
Boca re-captured the title in 1978 by winning over Deportivo Cali
Deportivo Cali
Asociación Deportivo Cali is a Colombian sports club based in Cali, Colombia. Mostly known for its football team, it also sponsors basketball, volleyball and swimming...
, the first Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n finalist of the competition.
1979: Olimpia's first golden era
Before 1979, no teams from countries other than ArgentinaArgentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
had ever won a title. However, in 1979, Olimpia
Olimpia Asunción
Club Olimpia is a Paraguayan sport club based in Asunción. It is best known for its professional football team which plays in the Paraguayan Primera División....
successfully brought the trophy back to Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
. They defeated Boca Juniors, the champions of the two previous years, in the final and became the first champions not coming from the aforementioned three countries. Their conquest of Boca also ended the Argentine dominance of the past 15 years.
1982: Peñarol, "el carbonero " returns to the top
from the hand of Fernando Morena, the Big Uruguayan team return to top of America .1984: Independiente, Rey de Copas
Ex-champions IndependienteClub Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
won the title again in 1984.
1985: Argentino's unprecedented triumph
Argentinos JuniorsArgentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
, a "small team" in Argentina, won the continental tournament for their only time in the history in 1985, defeating Colombian champions América de Cali
América de Cali
Corporación Deportiva América, commonly known as América de Cali or simply América is a Colombian football club based in Cali. They currently play in the Categoría Primera A, the top-flight professional league in the country....
in the final.
1986: A distinctive edition for River Plate
River PlateClub Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, another traditional team in Argentina, became the South American champions for the first time in 1986. Colombian team América de Cali were, again, the losing team in the final.
1987–1988: Uruguayan football's fall from grace
Diego Aguirre (la fiera) scored in the final against América de Cali,in the third game, in extra time, 2 seconds from the final.América de Cali entered the final for the third consecutive year. Nonetheless, they were once again the runners-up of the tournament. In 1987, they were defeated by the Uruguayan champions C.A. Peñarol
C.A. Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol also known as Carboneros, Aurinegros and familiarly as Manya, is an Uruguayan sports club based in the Peñarol barrio, Montevideo, best known for its professional football team. The team plays their home matches in Estadio Centenario, the largest stadium in the country, but...
1–0 in the play-off.
Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
, the rival of Peñarol, followed suit in the following year. They won their third title by defeating Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
, a first-time finalist, 3–1 aggregately.
Until today, these are the last two titles won by Uruguayan teams.
1989: A dramatic victory for the Pacific
In 1989, Atlético NacionalAtlético Nacional
Corporación Deportiva Atlético Nacional is a Colombian football team based in Medellín. They play their home games at the Estadio Atanasio Girardot stadium which also serves as home to Deportivo Independiente Medellín...
became the first Colombian continental champions. They defeteated Olimpia
Olimpia Asunción
Club Olimpia is a Paraguayan sport club based in Asunción. It is best known for its professional football team which plays in the Paraguayan Primera División....
in the final, which was for the first time entirely competed by teams not coming from Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay.
1990: Olimpia's second golden era
Olimpia continued striving for their second title after 1979. They entered the final once more in 1990, and led by players such as Raúl Vicente AmarillaRaúl Vicente Amarilla
Raúl Vicente Amarilla is a retired Paraguayan football striker.-Career as a player:Amarilla made his debut in his hometown team, Sportivo Luqueño at the age of 17. Because of his scoring ability and great heading skills he soon moved to Spain and signed for Real Zaragoza...
, Gabriel González
Gabriel González (footballer)
Gabriel González Chaves is a former football player from Paraguay that used to play as a forward or attacking midfielder....
and Ever Hugo Almeida
Ever Hugo Almeida
Ever Hugo Almeida ; naturalized Paraguayan in 1975, is a former football goalkeeper and now is the national coach of Guatemala....
they won the trophy again by beating Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian team Barcelona Sporting Club
Barcelona Sporting Club
Barcelona Sporting Club is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. They currently play in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of football in the country, and hold the distinction of being the only team to have never been relegated.With...
3–1 in the final.
1991: Colo-Colo for Chile
In 1991, for the third year in a row the final did not involve teams from Argentina, Brazil or Uruguay. Olimpia were one of the finalists again, but this time they were defeated by Colo-ColoColo-Colo
Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo is a Chilean football club based in the commune of Macul, Santiago. It competes in the Primera División, the top-flight football league in the country, from which they have never been relegated. Their home ground is the Estadio Monumental David Arellano.Colo-Colo...
, the only Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an title winner, 3–0 in the final.
1992–1993: Telê Santana's São Paulo
From 1992 to 1993, São PauloSão Paulo Futebol Clube
São Paulo Futebol Clube , commonly known as São Paulo, is a professional football club based in São Paulo, Brazil. They play in the Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão, Brazil's national league, and are one of the only five clubs to...
were the dominating team. With Telê Santana
Telê Santana
Telê Santana da Silva, also known as Telê Santana , was a Brazilian football manager and former player...
as the coach, and star players like Müller, Raí
Raí
Raí, full name Raí Souza Vieira de Oliveira is a former Brazilian football midfielder. He was part of the Brazil team which won 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also played for São Paulo FC when he had the most glorious time of his career, and Paris Saint-Germain, two clubs for which he has achieved...
, Cafú
Cafu
Marcos Evangelista de Moraes , better known as Cafu, is a former Brazilian footballer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest right-backs ever. He was given this nickname due to his speed up and down the right flank which was reminiscent of Cafuringa, a Brazilian forward from the 1970s...
and Palhinha, the old club of Leônidas and Zizinho
Zizinho
Thomaz Soares da Silva, also known as Zizinho , was a Brazilian football player, who played as an attacking midfielder or winger for Brazil's national team. He came to international prominence at the 1950 World Cup, where scored two goals...
won their first international title in 1992. They repeated their success again in 1993, becoming the first Brazilian team to successfully defend the title since Santos FC in 1963.
1994: The zenith of Vélez Sársfield
They were once again one of the finalists in the 1994 edition, but this time they lost against Vélez SársfieldClub Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
, led by José Luis Chilavert
José Luis Chilavert
José Luis Félix Chilavert González is a Paraguayan former football player who played as a goalkeeper. He was a three-time IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award winner....
, Christian Bassedas
Christian Bassedas
Christian Gustavo Bassedas is a former Argentine football midfielder who works as general manager for Vélez Sársfield of the Argentine Primera División....
and Omar Asad
Omar Asad
Omar Andrés Asad is an Argentine football manager and former player.As a player, Asad spent all of his career in Vélez Sársfield, winning 8 titles with the club ....
, in the final.
1995: Felipão leads Grêmio to the top of the world
Besides São Paulo, GrêmioGrêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense
Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, commonly known as just Grêmio , is a Brazilian professional association football team based in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul founded by English and German immigrants on September 15, 1903. Major titles captured by Grêmio include one Intercontinental Cup, two Copa...
, Cruzeiro
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube
Cruzeiro Esporte Clube is a Brazilian football team, from Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Internacional. Founded on January 2, 1921, they are only one of three clubs to have participated in...
, Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama
Club de Regatas Vasco da Gama |Rowing Club]]), usually known as Vasco da Gama or simply Vasco, is a famous and traditional Brazilian multisports club from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, founded on August 21, 1898...
and Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras
Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras is a Brazilian football club from São Paulo. The club was founded on August 26, 1914, as Palestra Italia but changed to the current name on September 14, 1942...
also won the title in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 1999 respectively.
1997–1999: Brazilian dominance
In 1998, the competition added the Toyota Motor CorporationToyota Motor Corporation
, , , commonly known simply as Toyota and abbreviated as TMC, is a multinational automaker headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. In 2010, Toyota Motor Corporation employed 317,734 people worldwide, and was the world's largest automobile manufacturer by production.The company was founded by...
as its main sponsor, resulting in a change in the name of the competition: "Copa Toyota Libertadores".
2002: An unlikely consegration for Olimpia
Olimpia Asunción
Club Olimpia is a Paraguayan sport club based in Asunción. It is best known for its professional football team which plays in the Paraguayan Primera División....
and São Caetano
Associação Desportiva São Caetano
Associação Desportiva São Caetano, commonly known as São Caetano, is a Brazilian football team based in the city of São Caetano, Brazil, part of the São Paulo greater metropolitan area. The team is dubbed Azulão , after the shirt colour. The sponsor is Consul, a well known Brazilian producer of...
. Olimpia, managed by Nery Pumpido
Nery Pumpido
Nery Alberto Pumpido is a football coach and former goalkeeper who played for the Argentine national team in two World Cups. After retirement, Pumpido moved into club management and is currently in his second spell as coach of Paraguayan side Olimpia of Asunción.-Club career:Pumpido began his...
at that time, returned to the triumph and won their third title by beating their Brazilian opponent on a penalty shootout.
2005–2006: All Brazilian finals
In 2005 and 2006, the tournament was again dominated by Brazilian teams.In 2005, it was the first time in the cup history to have a final contested by clubs from the same country. In that edition, São Paulo
São Paulo Futebol Clube
São Paulo Futebol Clube , commonly known as São Paulo, is a professional football club based in São Paulo, Brazil. They play in the Campeonato Paulista, São Paulo's state league, and the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão, Brazil's national league, and are one of the only five clubs to...
defeated Atlético Paranaense
Clube Atlético Paranaense
Clube Atlético Paranaense is a Brazilian football team from Curitiba in Paraná, founded on March 26, 1924. The club won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 2001.-History:...
in the final and were crowned the champions for the third time.
São Paulo entered the final again in 2006. This time, it was also a full Brazilian final competed by São Paulo and Internacional
Sport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
, with the latter winning their first Copa Libertadores title.
2007: One last victory for Boca Juniors
Porto AlegrePorto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
team Internacional won the title in 2006, and Grêmio, their rival from the same Brazilian city wanted to repeat the same success as their rival in the previous year. However, they failed to win the title because Román Riquelme
Juan Román Riquelme
Juan Román Riquelme is an Argentine footballer who plays for Boca Juniors. A longtime Argentine international, Riquelme is best known for his spells with Boca Juniors and Villarreal...
helped Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
to clinched their sixth title by sweeping Grêmio 5–0, the largest win margin in the records of the finals.
2008: Ecuador's first international club title
LDU Quito was the first team from EcuadorEcuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
to win the Copa Libertadores. They beat Brazilian team Fluminense on penalties after a 5–5 aggregate score in the Maracana
Maracanã
Maracanã may refer to:* The Red-shouldered Macaw, a bird known in Brazil as Maracanã* Maracanã , a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil* Maracanã , a stadium located in Maracanã neighborhood...
stadium, which was the highest score in the history of the Copa Libertadores final. Their goalkeeper José Francisco Cevallos saved three penalties in the penalty shootout, including the penalty of Thiago Neves, who had scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the second leg to recover a 2–5 deficit.
The 2008 edition also marked the change of the name from "Copa Toyota Libertadores" to "Copa Santander Libertadores" due to a new sponsorhip contract with Spanish bank Santander.
2009: The biggest resurgence of the decade
Estudiantes de La PlataEstudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
won its fourth title in the 2009 Copa Libertadores. The first match was played on 8 July 2009 in La Plata, and finished 0-0. The second leg was played on 15 July in Belo Horizonte, and it started 1-0 for Cruzeiro, but Estudiantes turned it around, and it finished 2-1 for Estudiantes.
Estudiantes had not played a Copa Libertadores final since 1971, and had not won one since 1970. They had won two other titles in 1968 and 1969.
See also
- Records and statistics of the Copa LibertadoresRecords and statistics of the Copa LibertadoresThis page details the records and statistics of the Copa Libertadores football tournament. The Copa Libertadores is an international premier club tournament played annually by the top clubs of South America. It includes 3-5 teams from all ten CONMEBOL members plus Mexico, whose clubs are invited...
- Copa Libertadores de América TopscorersCopa Libertadores de América TopscorersThis is a year-by-year and all-time list of topscorers in the Copa Libertadores football tournament. Alberto Spencer is the all-time goalscorer record of the Copa Libertadores with 54 goals...