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Copa Libertadores



The Copa Libertadores is the South American continent's annual club championship. Established in 1960 by the South American Football Confederation (Confederacion Sudamericana de Futbol, aka CONMEBOL) it translates as the Liberators Cup (named in honour of the continent's independence wars).

From 1960 to 1970 only the champions of each major country was allowed entry into the competition, but from 1970 each country was allowed at least 2 clubs, with the smaller countries also being allowed entry. At the turn of the century the competition was widened further, with some countries having more than 2 club entries, and Mexicans clubs being invited to take part.

Unlike the one-off European Cup final, the Copa Libertadores final has always been played over 2 legs. Strangely, up until 1987, the two-legged games were decided on a points system, rather than the aggregate goal difference, this often meant a 3rd game being used to decide the winner. Since then the rules have been changed to take into account aggregate goals, with penalties being used if necessary.

Teams from Argentina have dominated the Copa Libertadores over the years, with Independiente out in front as the cup's dominant team. The only team to have won it 4 years in a row (1972-75), they are the kings of the Copa Libertadores, closely followed by Penarol and Boca Juniors.


List of Winners

Year Winner Runner-up Agg. Scores 3rd Game Pens
2012 Corinthians (Bra) Boca Juniors (Arg) 3-1 1-1 2-0
2011 Santos (Bra) Penarol (Uru) 2-1 0-0 2-1
2010 Internacional (Bra) Guadalajara (Mex) 5-3 2-1 3-2
2009 Estudiantes L.P. (Arg) Cruzeiro (Bra) 2-1 0-0 2-1
2008 LDU Quito (Ecu) Fluminese (Bra) 5-5 4-2 1-3 3-1
2007 Boca Juniors (Arg) Gremio (Bra) 5-0 3-0 2-0
2006 Internacional (Bra) Sao Paulo FC (Bra) 4-3 2-1 2-2
2005 Sao Paulo FC (Bra) Atletico Paranaense (Bra) 5-1 1-1 4-0
2004 Once Caldas (Col) Boca Juniors (Arg) 1-1 0-0 1-1 2-0
2003 Boca Juniors (Arg) Santos FC (Bra) 5-1 2-0 3-1
2002 Olimpia (Par) Sao Caetano (Bra) 2-2 0-1 2-1 4-2
2001 Boca Juniors (Arg) Cruz Azul (Mex) 1-1 1-0 0-1 3-1
2000 Boca Juniors (Arg) Palmeiras (Bra) 2-2 2-2 0-0 4-3
1999 Palmeiras (Bra) Deportivo Cali (Col) 2-2 0-1 2-1 4-3
1998 Vasco da Gama (Bra) Barcelona Sporting (Ecu) 4-1 2-0 2-1
1997 Cruzeiro (Bra) Sporting Cristal (Per) 1-0 0-0 1-0
1996 River Plate (Arg) America de Cali (Col) 2-1 0-1 2-0
1995 Gremio (Bra) Atletico Nacional (Col) 4-2 3-1 1-1
1994 Velez Sarsfield (Arg) Sao Paulo FC (Bra) 1-1 0-1 1-0 5-3
1993 Sao Paulo FC (Bra) Universidad Catolica (Chi) 5-3 5-1 0-2
1992 Sao Paulo FC (Bra) Newell's Old Boys (Arg) 1-1 1-0 0-1 3-2
1991 Colo-Colo (Chi) Olimpia (Par) 3-0 0-0 3-0
1990 Olimpia (Par) Barcelona Sporting (Ecu) 3-1 2-0 1-1
1989 Atletico Nacional (Col) Olimpia (Par) 2-2 2-0 0-2 5-4
1988 Nacional (Uru) Newell's Old Boys (Arg) 3-1 0-1 3-0
1987 Penarol (Uru) America de Cali (Col) 2-3 0-2 2-1 2-0 aet
1986 River Plate (Arg) America de Cali (Col) 3-1 2-1 1-0
1985 Argentinos Juniors (Arg) America de Cali (Col) 1-1 1-0 0-1 1-1 5-4
1984 Independiente (Arg) Gremio (Bra) 1-0 1-0 0-0
1983 Gremio (Bra) Penarol (Uru) 3-2 1-1 2-1
1982 Penarol (Uru) Cobreloa (Chi) 1-0 0-0 1-0
1981 Flamengo (Bra) Cobreloa (Chi) 2-2 2-1 0-1 2-0
1980 Nacional (Uru) Internacional (Bra) 1-0 1-0 0-0
1979 Olimpia (Par) Boca Juniors (Arg) 2-0 2-0 0-0
1978 Boca Juniors (Arg) Deportivo Cali (Col) 4-0 0-0 4-0
1977 Boca Juniors (Arg) Cruzeiro (Bra) 1-1 1-0 0-1 0-0 5-4
1976 Cruzeiro (Bra) River Plate (Arg) 5-3 4-1 1-2 3-2
1975 Independiente (Arg) Union Espanola (Chi) 3-2 0-1 3-1 2-0
1974 Independiente (Arg) Sao Paulo FC (Bra) 3-2 1-2 2-0 1-0
1973 Independiente (Arg) Colo-Colo (Chi) 1-1 1-1 0-0 2-1 aet
1972 Independiente (Arg) Universitario (Per) 2-1 0-0 2-1
1971 Nacional (Uru) Estudiantes L.P. (Arg) 1-1 1-0 0-1 2-0
1970 Estudiantes L.P. (Arg) Penarol (Uru) 1-0 1-0 0-0
1969 Estudiantes L.P. (Arg) Nacional (Uru) 3-0 1-0 2-0
1968 Estudiantes L.P. (Arg) Palmeiras (Bra) 3-4 2-1 1-3 2-0
1967 Racing Club (Arg) Nacional (Uru) 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-1
1966 Penarol (Uru) River Plate (Arg) 4-3 2-0 2-3 4-2 aet
1965 Independiente (Arg) Penarol (Uru) 2-3 1-0 1-3 4-1
1964 Independiente (Arg) Nacional (Uru) 1-0 0-0 1-0
1963 Santos (Bra) Boca Juniors (Arg) 5-3 3-2 2-1
1962 Santos (Bra) Penarol (Uru) 4-4 1-2 3-2 3-0
1961 Penarol (Uru) Palmeiras (Bra) 2-1 1-0 1-1
1960 Penarol (Uru) Olimpia (Par) 2-1 1-0 1-1


Number of Titles

Club Years
7 Independiente 1964, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1984
6 Boca Juniors 1977, 1978, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007
5 Penarol 1960, 1961, 1966, 1982, 1987
4 Estudiantes L.P. 1968, 1969, 1970, 2009
3 Nacional 1971, 1980, 1988
3 Olimpia 1979, 1990, 2002
3 Sao Paulo 1992, 1993, 2005
3 Santos F.C. 1962, 1963, 2011
2 Gremio 1983, 1995
2 Internacional 2006, 2010
2 River Plate 1986, 1996
2 Cruzeiro 1976, 1997
1 Racing Club 1967
1 Flamengo 1981
1 Argentinos Juniors 1985
1 Atletico Nacional 1989
1 Colo-Colo 1991
1 Corinthians 2012
1 Velez Sarsfield 1994
1 Vasco da Gama 1998
1 Palmeiras 1999
1 Once Caldas 2004
1 LDU Quito 2008


Most Successful Nations

Total Number of Titles Nation
22 Argentina
16 Brazil
8 Uruguay
3 Paraguay
2 Colombia
1 Chile
1 Ecuador