With matches in Valencia, Cochabamba and Quito, the Copa Libertadores 2024 will search among 47 participating clubs for a new champion starting this Tuesday, February 6, giving way to 155 games until the successor of Fluminense of Brazil is crowned at the end of November.
The Libertadores, which will have no variations in relation to last year’s competition scheme, will begin with a first phase in which six teams will fight for three places to access Phase 2, where 13 clubs are previously seeded.
The first phase will open on Tuesday night in the Venezuelan city of Valencia, between Academia Puerto Cabello and Defensor Sporting.
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A day later, Aurora from Bolivia will host Peru’s Melgar in Cochabamba, while Aucas will receive a visit from Nacional of Paraguay in Quito Thursday.
Return matches are scheduled for the next week of this month.
Phase 2, with 16 teams distributed in eight keyswill be played between February 20 and 29, while phase 3, in which the 8 winning teams from the previous round will meet, fighting for four passes to the group stage, will go from March 6 to 13.
The four losing teams from Phase 3 will qualify directly to the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana 2022the second most important club tournament of Conmebol that starts on March 5.
The group stage of the Libertadores will be drawn in Luque, on a date in March to be announced by Conmebol. According to the calendar of the South American football matrix, this It will start on April 2 and end on May 30.
Historical hegemony
Brazil, with eight teams (seven assigned places and the current champion of the Libertadores) and Argentina, with six, are the countries with the most representatives.
Argentines and Brazilians maintain an absolute supremacy in the competitioninaugurated in 1960. Between groups from both countries, they have won 48 of the 64 editions of the contest.
Besides, The last 30 champions were distributed among clubs from those countrieswith the exception of Atlético Nacional in 2016, Liga de Quito in 2008, Once Caldas in 2004 and Olimpia in 2002.
Before the absence of Boca JuniorsWith six titles in their cabinets, River Plate and Estudiantes de La Plata are the main Argentine teams in the competition and aspire to win the long-awaited fifth Cup in this edition.
While the absolute debutants in the Libertadores are Colombia’s Golden Eagles, Paraguay’s Sportivo Trinidad and Venezuela’s Puerto Cabello Academy.