The 2018 Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores was the 59th edition of the CONMEBOL Libertadores (also referred to as the Copa Libertadores), South America's premier club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.
River Plate defeated Boca Juniors in the finals by an aggregate score of 5–3 to win their fourth tournament title. As champions, they qualified as the CONMEBOL representative at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and also earned the right to play against the winners of the 2018 Copa Sudamericana in the 2019 Recopa Sudamericana. They also automatically qualified for the 2019 Copa Libertadores group stage. Grêmio were the defending champions, but were defeated by River Plate in the semifinals.
The first leg of the final was played at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 11 November 2018, while the second leg took place outside South America at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, Spain (a neutral venue) on 9 December 2018, after it was postponed and moved by CONMEBOL due to violence against the Boca Juniors team. The New York Times reported that the second leg was referred to as the "Final to End All Finals" and the biggest game in Argentine sport history.In a Transplanted Final, Even the Copa Libertadores Is Sanitized, New York Times, December 9, 2018
Teams The following 47 teams from the 10 CONMEBOL member associations qualified for the tournament: Copa Libertadores champions Copa Sudamericana champions Brazil: 7 berths Argentina: 6 berths All other associations: 4 berths each
Teams from Mexico, as they did in 2017, withdrew from the 2018 Copa Libertadores, citing schedule conflicts.
The entry stage was determined as follows: Group stage: 28 teams Copa Libertadores champions Copa Sudamericana champions Teams which qualified for berths 1–5 from Argentina and Brazil Teams which qualified for berths 1–2 from all other associations Second stage: 13 teams Teams which qualified for berths 6–7 from Brazil Team which qualified for berth 6 from Argentina Teams which qualified for berths 3–4 from Chile and Colombia Teams which qualified for berths 3 from all other associations First stage: 6 teams Teams which qualified for berths 4 from Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela
AssociationTeam Entry stageQualification method ArgentinaIndependiente Group stage2017 Copa Sudamericana championsBoca Juniors 2016–17 Primera División championsRiver Plate 2016–17 Primera División runners-upAtlético Tucumán 2016–17 Copa Argentina runners-upEstudiantes 2016–17 Primera División 3rd placeRacing 2016–17 Primera División 4th placeBanfield Second stage2016–17 Primera División 5th place BoliviaThe Strongest Group stage2016 Apertura championsBolívar 2017 Apertura championsJorge Wilstermann Second stage2017 Clausura best team not yet qualifiedOriente Petrolero First stage2016–17 Primera División aggregate table best team not yet qualified BrazilGrêmio Group stage2017 Copa Libertadores championsCorinthians 2017 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A championsCruzeiro 2017 Copa do Brasil championsPalmeiras 2017 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runners-upSantos 2017 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 3rd placeFlamengo 2017 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 6th placeVasco da Gama Second stage2017 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 7th placeChapecoense 2017 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 8th place ChileUniversidad de Chile Group stage2017 Clausura championsColo-Colo 2017 Transición championsSantiago Wanderers Second stage2017 Copa Chile championsUniversidad de Concepción 2017 Primera División runners-up playoff winners ColombiaAtlético Nacional Group stage2017 Apertura championsMillonarios 2017 Finalización championsSanta Fe Second stage2017 Primera A aggregate table best team not yet qualifiedJunior 2017 Copa Colombia champions EcuadorEmelec Group stage2017 Serie A championsDelfín 2017 Serie A runners-upIndependiente del Valle Second stage2017 Serie A aggregate table best team not yet qualifiedMacará First stage2017 Serie A aggregate table 2nd best team not yet qualified ParaguayCerro Porteño Group stage2017 Primera División tournament champions with better record in aggregate tableLibertad 2017 Primera División tournament champions with worse record in aggregate tableGuaraní Second stage2017 Primera División aggregate table best team not yet qualifiedOlimpia First stage2017 Primera División aggregate table 2nd best team not yet qualified PeruAlianza Lima Group stage2017 Torneo Descentralizado championsReal Garcilaso 2017 Torneo Descentralizado runners-upMelgar Second stage2017 Torneo de Verano winnersUniversitario First stage2017 Torneo Descentralizado aggregate table best team not yet qualified UruguayPeñarol Group stage2017 Primera División championsDefensor Sporting 2017 Primera División runners-upNacional Second stage2017 Primera División aggregate table best team not yet qualifiedMontevideo Wanderers First stage2017 Primera División aggregate table 2nd best team not yet qualified Venezuela Monagas Group stage2017 Primera División championsDeportivo Lara 2017 Primera División runners-upCarabobo Second stage2017 Primera División aggregate table best team not yet qualifiedDeportivo Táchira First stage2017 Primera División aggregate table 2nd best team not yet qualified
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows. The first stage matches were played on Monday and Friday, instead of the usual midweek of Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. The finals were initially scheduled for 7 and 28 November, but were moved to 10 and 24 November after the finalists were confirmed.
StageDraw dateFirst legSecond legFirst stage20 December 2017(Luque, Paraguay)22 January 201826 January 2018Second stage30 January – 1 February 20186–8 February 2018Third stage13–15 February 201820–22 February 2018Group stageRound of 164 June 2018(Luque, Paraguay)7–9 & 21 August 201828–30 August 2018Quarterfinals18–20 September 20182–4 October 2018Semifinals23–25 October 201830 October – 1 November 2018Finals10 November 2018(postponed to 11 November)24 November 2018(postponed to 9 December)
Draws
Qualifying stages
First stage
Second stage
Third stage
Copa Sudamericana qualification
Group stage
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Group E
Group F
Group G
Group H
Final stages
Seeding
Bracket
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Finals
Statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerTeamTotal1 Miguel Borja Palmeiras 11 132 1 9 Wilson Morelo Santa Fe 2 221 1 13 Jádson Corinthians x113 164 Ramón Ábila Boca Juniors x 21xx 11 5 Darío Benedetto Boca Juniors xxxxxxx x2111 Óscar Cardozo Libertad xx1 2 2 Éverton Grêmio 1 2xxx11 x Lautaro Martínez Racing 3 11 Lucas Pratto River Plate 11 1 11 Sassá Cruzeiro x 22 xxx1 Thiago Neves Cruzeiro 2111
Top assists RankPlayerTeamAssists1 Egídio Cruzeiro62 Cristian Pavón Boca Juniors5 Serginho Jorge Wilstermann4 Anderson Plata Santa Fe4 Moisés Palmeiras6 Alisson Grêmio3 Antonio Bareiro Libertad Ricardo Centurión Racing Yimmi Chará Junior Luan Grêmio Gonzalo Martínez River Plate Pablo Pérez Boca Juniors Sebastián Villa Boca Juniors Matías Zunino Nacional
Team of the tournament Opta selected the following 11 players as the team of the tournament. PositionPlayerTeamGoalkeeper Franco Armani River PlateDefenders Gonzalo Montiel River Plate Pedro Geromel Grêmio Walter Kannemann Grêmio Egídio CruzeiroMidfielders Wilmar Barrios Boca Juniors Leonardo Ponzio River Plate Juan Fernando Quintero River Plate Dudu PalmeirasForwards Lucas Pratto River Plate Darío Benedetto Boca Juniors
Notes
References
External links CONMEBOL Libertadores 2018, CONMEBOL.com