History of Copa Libertadores in Timeline

The Copa Libertadores, officially known as the Copa Libertadores de América, is South America's premier club football tournament. Organized annually by CONMEBOL since 1960, it represents the highest level of competition for clubs in the region. The tournament's name honors the Libertadores, the leaders of South American independence movements.

1948: South American Championship of Champions

In 1948, the South American Championship of Champions was played in Santiago, Chile, organized by Colo-Colo, and won by Vasco da Gama of Brazil. This tournament served as a direct precursor to the Copa Libertadores.

1948: Exclusion of 1948 Championship Data

The data excludes the 1948 South American Championship of Champions because it is not officially listed by CONMEBOL as a Copa Libertadores edition or an official competition.

1955: Creation of the European Cup

In 1955, the European Cup was created, following the "champions cup" model pioneered by the 1948 South American Championship of Champions.

October 8, 1958: Announcement of Copa de Campeones de America

On October 8, 1958, João Havelange announced the creation of the Copa de Campeones de America (later renamed Copa Libertadores) at a UEFA meeting as a South American equivalent of the European Cup.

March 5, 1959: Competition Ratified

On March 5, 1959, the Copa de Campeones de America was ratified by the International Affairs Committee at the 24th South American Congress in Buenos Aires.

1960: Format Advantage for Previous Winners

Between 1960 and 1987, previous Copa Libertadores winners entered the competition in the semifinal stage, which made it easier to retain the cup.

1960: Initial Tie-Breaking Rules

From 1960 to 1987, Copa Libertadores ties were decided on points; if level, a third match was played. Goal difference was only considered if the third match was drawn, followed by a penalty shootout.

1960: Intercontinental Cup Participation

From 1960 until 2004, the Copa Libertadores winner participated in the Intercontinental Cup (later Toyota Cup), competing against the European Cup winner.

1960: Early Dominance of Atlantic Coast Nations

From its inception in 1960, the Copa Libertadores was predominantly won by clubs from countries with an Atlantic coast, specifically Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

1960: Copa Libertadores First Edition

In 1960, CONMEBOL organized the first Copa Libertadores de América, an annual continental club football competition. It became the highest level of club football competition in South America.

1965: Renamed Copa Libertadores

In 1965, the Copa de Campeones de America was renamed Copa Libertadores in honor of South American independence heroes.

1966: Runners-up join Copa Libertadores

In 1966, the Copa Libertadores expanded to include the runners-up from South American leagues, increasing the competition among clubs.

1972: First Pacific Coast Finalist

In 1972, Universitario of Lima, Peru became the first club from a country with a Pacific coast to reach the Copa Libertadores final, but they lost against Independiente of Argentina.

1974: Liguilla Pre-Libertadores de América

From 1974 to 2009, Uruguay used the "Liguilla Pre-Libertadores de América" to decide qualification for the Copa Libertadores.

1975: Third Pacific Team in Final

In 1975, Unión Española became the third Pacific team to reach the final, although they also lost to Independiente.

1979: Olimpia Breaks the Trend

In 1979, Olimpia of Paraguay became the first team from outside the Atlantic coast nations (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay) to win the Copa Libertadores.

1980: Toyota Cup

Since 1980, the Intercontinental Cup was also known as the Toyota Cup, a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL.

1987: End of Advantage for Previous Winners

In 1987, the Copa Libertadores ended the format where previous winners entered the competition in the semifinal stage.

1987: End of Initial Tie-Breaking Rules

In 1987, the Copa Libertadores ended the tie-breaking rules that started in 1960, where ties were decided on points, and if level, a third match was played. Goal difference was only considered if the third match was drawn, followed by a penalty shootout.

1988: Change in Tie-Breaking Rules

From 1988 onwards, Copa Libertadores ties were decided on points and goal difference, with an immediate penalty shootout if the tie remained level after the second leg.

1989: Atlético Nacional Wins Libertadores

In 1989, Atlético Nacional of Medellín, Colombia, became the first nation with a Pacific coastline to win the Copa Libertadores.

1990: Barcelona Sporting Club Loses Final

In 1990, Barcelona Sporting Club of Ecuador made it to the Copa Libertadores final but lost to Olimpia.

1991: Colo-Colo Wins Copa Libertadores

In 1991, Colo-Colo of Chile won the Copa Libertadores, becoming the first club from Chile to win the competition, leading to a change in the saying to "la copa se mira y se toca".

1992: Liguilla Pre-Libertadores

Between 1992 and 1997, Peru used a second tournament named "Liguilla Pre-Libertadores" to decide qualification for the Libertadores.

1995: "Three points for a win" Adopted

In 1995, CONMEBOL adopted the "Three points for a win" system, aligning with FIFA standards, placing additional value on wins.

1996: Conmebol Equal Status

In 1996/1997, Conmebol gave equal status to both Copa Libertadores and the 1948 tournament allowing the 1948 champion club (CR Vasco da Gama) to participate in Supercopa Libertadores.

1997: Conmebol Equal Status

In 1996/1997, Conmebol gave equal status to both Copa Libertadores and the 1948 tournament allowing the 1948 champion club (CR Vasco da Gama) to participate in Supercopa Libertadores.

1997: End of Liguilla Pre-Libertadores in Peru

In 1997, Peru stopped using the "Liguilla Pre-Libertadores" tournament that started in 1992 to decide qualification for the Libertadores.

1997: Toyota Sponsorship

In 1997, Toyota became the first major sponsor for Copa Libertadores naming rights, signing a ten-year contract with CONMEBOL.

1997: Vasco da Gama Participates in Supercopa Libertadores

In 1997, Vasco da Gama participated in the Supercopa Libertadores due to winning the 1948 South American Championship of Champions, which Conmebol recognized as a precursor to the Copa Libertadores.

1998: Barcelona Sporting Club Loses Final Again

In 1998, Barcelona Sporting Club of Ecuador reached the Copa Libertadores final again but lost to CR Vasco da Gama.

1998: Mexican teams invited

In 1998, Mexican teams were invited to compete in Copa Libertadores, and they participated regularly from 2000 to 2016.

1998: Mexico's Copa Libertadores invitation

In 1998, Mexico began participating in Copa Libertadores as an invited country.

1998: Vasco da Gama Spends to Win

In 1998, Vasco da Gama spent $10 million to win the Copa Libertadores, highlighting the significant financial investment clubs make to compete.

1999: Palmeiras wins Copa Libertadores

In 1999, Palmeiras, managed by Luiz Felipe Scolari, won the Copa Libertadores after investing in players like Júnior Baiano.

2000: Tournament Expanded

In 2000, the Copa Libertadores expanded its tournament from 20 to 32 teams, increasing the number of participating clubs.

2004: InterLiga

From 2004 to 2010, Mexico used the InterLiga to decide qualification for the Copa Libertadores.

2004: Once Caldas Wins Copa Libertadores

In 2004, Once Caldas of Colombia won the Copa Libertadores, marking another victory for a team with a Pacific coastline.

2004: Club World Cup Participation

Since 2004, the Copa Libertadores winner has participated in the FIFA Club World Cup, competing against champion clubs from all six continental confederations.

2005: Away Goals Rule Introduced

Starting with the 2005 season, CONMEBOL implemented the away goals rule in the Copa Libertadores.

2008: Banco Santander Sponsorship

In 2008, Banco Santander became the second major sponsor for Copa Libertadores, signing a five-year contract with CONMEBOL.

2008: Extra Time in Finals

In 2008, Copa Libertadores finals became an exception to the away goals rule and began employing extra time.

2008: LDU Quito Wins Copa Libertadores

In 2008, LDU Quito of Ecuador won the Copa Libertadores, contributing to the successes of clubs from nations with Pacific coastlines.

2009: End of Liguilla Pre-Libertadores de América

In 2009, Uruguay stopped using the "Liguilla Pre-Libertadores de América" tournament that started in 1974 to decide qualification for the Libertadores.

2010: Copa Libertadores in Pro Evolution Soccer

From 2010 to 2016, the Copa Libertadores was featured in Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer video game series.

2010: End of InterLiga

In 2010, Mexico stopped using the InterLiga tournament that started in 2004 to decide qualification for the Copa Libertadores.

2010: Guadalajara Players Prefer Libertadores Final

In 2010, players from Guadalajara expressed that they would rather play in the Copa Libertadores final than play against Spain in a friendly match, showing the tournament's importance.

2011: Santos Players Prioritize Copa Libertadores

After winning the 2010 Copa do Brasil, several Santos players prioritized staying at the club to participate in the 2011 Copa Libertadores, despite lucrative offers from European clubs like Chelsea and Lyon.

2011: Copa Sudamericana Winner Qualifies

Since 2011, the winner of the Copa Sudamericana automatically qualifies for the following Copa Libertadores tournament.

2013: Bridgestone Sponsorship

From the 2013 edition to 2017, Bridgestone became the third and final title sponsor, signing a five-year sponsorship deal for naming rights.

2015: Confirmation of European Cup Influence

In 2015, Jacques Ferran, a founding father of the European Cup, confirmed that the 1948 South American Championship of Champions influenced the creation of the European Cup.

2016: Atletico Nacional wins Second Title

In 2016, Atletico Nacional of Colombia earned their second Copa Libertadores title.

2016: End of Mexican Teams Participation

In 2016, Mexican teams stopped competing regularly in the Copa Libertadores after being invited in 1998.

2016: End of Mexico's Copa Libertadores participation

In 2016, Mexico's participation in Copa Libertadores concluded; during their participation that started in 1998, they achieved 3 runners-up positions but no titles.

2016: End of Copa Libertadores in Pro Evolution Soccer

In 2016, the Copa Libertadores was no longer featured in Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer video game series, after being featured since 2010.

2017: End of Bridgestone Sponsorship

In 2017, Bridgestone's sponsorship deal for naming rights ended after a period of five years since the 2013 edition.

2019: Brazilian Clubs Winning Streak

Starting in 2019, Brazilian clubs began a record-breaking winning streak of seven consecutive Copa Libertadores titles.

2019: 2019 Edition Teams

The 2019 edition of the Copa Libertadores featured various teams across different stages of the competition.

2020: Copa Libertadores in FIFA series

From 2020 to 2023, the Copa Libertadores appeared in EA Sports' FIFA series of video games.

2023: Prize Money Distribution

As of 2023, Copa Libertadores clubs receive various sums of money for advancing stages, including US$500,000 for the second stage, US$1,000,000 per home match in the group phase, and up to US$18,000,000 for the winner.

2023: EA Sports FC Series

Since 2023, EA Sports holds the license for the Copa Libertadores in its EA Sports FC series of video games, succeeding its appearance in the FIFA series.

2024: Copa Libertadores Sponsors

As of 2024, various sponsors are associated with the Copa Libertadores, supporting the competition.

2024: Puma Cumbre Official Match Ball

In 2024, the Puma Cumbre was announced as the official match ball for both the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana editions.

November 2025: Players in the 2025 Copa Libertadores

As of November 2025, the stats include players who participated in the 2025 Copa Libertadores, with their names highlighted in bold.

2025: Brazil and Argentina lead Copa Libertadores titles

As of 2025, Brazil and Argentina are tied for the most Copa Libertadores titles with 25 each, followed by Uruguay with 8. Other nations with titles include Colombia and Paraguay (3 each), and Chile and Ecuador (1 each).