CONMEBOL · Club Tier 1
Copa Libertadores
In US-sports termsSouth America's Champions League with the intensity dial snapped off — fans greet team buses with flares, and one final got so heated it had to be moved to another continent.
What it is
The continental club championship of South America, named for the region's independence heroes. Group stage into two-leg knockouts, and since 2019 a single-game neutral-site final.
How you get in
Finish high in your domestic league or win your national cup — Brazil and Argentina take the biggest slice of the 47 entry slots.
What it feeds
Winner → FIFA Club World Cup, plus automatic entry next season. Brazilian clubs have owned the recent era.
The 2018 River Plate–Boca Juniors final was relocated to Madrid after the team bus was attacked — the only continental final ever moved overseas. That's the temperature of this tournament.