Sudamericana

Copa Sudamericana: Champions, top scorers and stories of the competition

Interesting Facts about the CONMEBOL Sudamericana

Young but Prestigious
The Copa Sudamericana was created in 2002, making it relatively young compared to other continental tournaments. Despite its short history, it has become the second-most important club competition in South America, right after the Copa Libertadores.
Gateway to the Libertadores
Winning the Sudamericana is more than just lifting a trophy — the champion automatically qualifies for the Copa Libertadores, the Recopa Sudamericana, and even the FIFA Club World Cup playoff, depending on the format.
First Champion
The first club to ever win the Sudamericana was San Lorenzo from Argentina in 2002, defeating Atlético Nacional of Colombia.
Brazilian Teams Join Late
Interestingly, Brazilian clubs only started participating in 2004, two years after the tournament’s creation. Since then, clubs like São Paulo, Internacional, and Athletico Paranaense have all lifted the trophy.
Most Successful Club
As of now, Boca Juniors and Independiente (both from Argentina) are among the clubs with the most international titles, but Independiente del Valle from Ecuador has gained major attention after winning both the Sudamericana and the Recopa in a short period.
Underdogs Shine
The Sudamericana is famous for giving smaller or less traditional clubs a shot at continental glory. Teams from Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela have had some of their most historic moments in this tournament.
Final Played in Neutral Ground
Since 2019, the final is played as a single match in a neutral stadium, similar to the UEFA Champions League final. This change added more global attention and broadcast value to the competition.
Talents on Display
The Sudamericana is a great scouting ground for European clubs. Players like Eduardo Vargas, Moisés Caicedo, and Yeferson Soteldo gained international recognition thanks to their performances in this tournament.

The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, often referred to as the "Sudamericana," is one of South America's most prestigious football tournaments, organized by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). It was first held in 2002 as a secondary continental competition, similar in structure and purpose to Europe’s UEFA Europa League. The Sudamericana provides clubs from across South America – and occasionally invited teams from other regions – the opportunity to compete on an international stage. While it started as a modest tournament, it has grown significantly in prestige, offering the winner not only a trophy and financial rewards, but also a spot in the following year’s Copa Libertadores, South America's premier club competition.

Biggest Winners

Among the biggest winners of the Copa Sudamericana, the following stand out:

Boca Juniors (Argentina) – 2 titles (2004, 2005)
Independiente (Argentina) – 2 titles (2010, 2017)
Atlético Paranaense (Brazil) – 2 titles (2018, 2021)
LDU Quito (Ecuador) – 2 titles (2009, 2023)
Independiente del Valle (Ecuador) – 2 titles (2019, 2022)

In addition to these, several other clubs have won the cup at least once, including São Paulo, Internacional, Chapecoense, River Plate, Universidad de Chile and Racing.

Argentine football is the biggest winner of the competition, with 10 titles, followed by Brazil with 5 wins.

Top scorers

The South american Cup has consistently showcased great goal scorers over the years. Some of the tournament’s all-time leading scorers include:

Hernán Barcos (LDU-EQU, Palmeiras-BRA, Atlético Nacional-COL) – 19 goals
Gonzalo Mastriani (América MG-BRA) – 19 goals
Rodrigo López (Libertad-PAR, América-MEX, Vélez Sarsfield-ARG) – 16 goals
Miller Bolaños (Colombia) – 16 goals

Among Brazilian forwards, Rafael Moura stands out with 14 goals in 20 matches in the competition. The record for most goals scored in a single edition belongs to Chilean striker Eduardo Vargas, who netted 11 times for Universidad de Chile in 2011.

See more...

BRASILERÃO: The brazilian national football league

Winners by Coutry

As in the Libertadores, the Argentines have the advantage in the total number of Sudamericana titles, of the 23 editions, 10 were won by Argentine teams.