Copa Libertadores – All-Time Winners
8 min
The Copa Libertadores is the biggest and most prestigious continental competition in South America. Launched in 1960, it is still going strong 63 years later.
The 2023 Copa Libertadores is the 64th edition of the tournament, with the final set to be held in Rio de Janeiro on November 4. Boca Juniors are seeking to lift the trophy for a record-equalling seventh time, while their opponents Fluminense are striving to triumph for the first time in their history.
In this article we have taken a look back through the history books to analyse the most successful players, coaches and clubs in the Copa Libertadores.
Full List of Copa Libertadores Winners
| Team | Country | Number of Titles | Years |
| Independiente | Argentina | 7 | 1964, 1965, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1984 |
| Boca Juniors | Argentina | 6 | 1977, 1978, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007 |
| Penarol | Uruguay | 5 | 1960, 1961, 1966, 1982, 1987 |
| River Plate | Argentina | 4 | 1986, 1996, 2015, 2018 |
| Estudiantes | Argentina | 4 | 1968, 1969, 1970, 2009 |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 3 | 1992, 1993, 2005 |
| Santos | Brazil | 3 | 1962, 1963, 2011 |
| Nacional | Uruguay | 3 | 1971, 1980, 1988 |
| Palmeiras | Brazil | 3 | 1999, 2020, 2021 |
| Gremio | Brazil | 3 | 1983, 1995, 2017 |
| Olimpia | Paraguay | 3 | 1979, 1990, 2002 |
| Flamengo | Brazil | 3 | 1981, 2019, 2022 |
| Atletico Nacional | Colombia | 2 | 1989, 2016 |
| Internacional | Brazil | 2 | 2006, 2010 |
| Cruzeiro | Brazil | 2 | 1976, 1997 |
| Colo-Colo | Chile | 1 | 1991 |
| Racing Club | Argentina | 1 | 1967 |
| Argentinos Juniors | Argentina | 1 | 1985 |
| Velez Sarsfield | Argentina | 1 | 1994 |
| Vasco da Gama | Brazil | 1 | 1998 |
| Once Caldas | Colombia | 1 | 2004 |
| LDU Quito | Ecuador | 1 | 2008 |
| Corinthians | Brazil | 1 | 2012 |
| Atletico Mineiro | Brazil | 1 | 2013 |
| San Lorenzo | Argentina | 1 | 2014 |
Copa Libertadores Legendary Clubs
Independiente (7 wins)
Independiente are the most successful club in the history of the Copa Libertadores. The Argentinian outfit won back-to-back editions in 1964 and 1965, beating two Uruguayan sides in Nacional and Penarol in the respective finals.
Independiente were then crowned kings of the continent on four occasions in the first half of the 1970s. The club from Avellaneda were untouchable during that period, lifting the trophy in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975.
Independiente then defeated Gremio in the 1984 showpiece, but they have not won the tournament – or even reached another final – since then.
Boca Juniors (6 wins)
If Boca Juniors beat Fluminense in the 2023 Copa Libertadores final, they will move level with Independiente to become the joint-most successful side in the history of South America’s foremost competition.
Boca were victorious for the first time in 1977 and they defended their crown the following season, beating Deportivo Cali of Colombia in the final. They came close to winning three in a row in 1979 but were denied by Olimpia in the last match of the tournament.
The Argentinian giants won three out of four editions between 2000 and 2003, and they again came out on top in 2007. Boca have reached 12 finals in total, more than any other team in South America.
Penarol (5 wins)
Much as Real Madrid were quickest out of the blocks in the CL over in Europe, Penarol were the early pace-setters on the other side of the Atlantic.
The Uruguayan heavyweights reached each of the first three finals, beating Olimpia in 1960 and Palmeiras in 1961, but losing to Santos in 1962.
They were kings of the continent again in 1966 after overcoming River Plate in the final. Further glory came in 1982 and 1987.
River Plate (4 wins)
River Plate are one of the biggest and most famous clubs in South America, but it took them until 1986 to lift the Copa Libertadores trophy. River beat America de Cali in both legs of the final to claim the prize in style.
River were successful again a decade later, defeating America de Cali again in the final. Under the leadership of Marcelo Gallardo, the Buenos Aires-based side triumphed again in 2015 and 2018.
Estudiantes (4 wins)
Estudiantes proved unbeatable in the Copa Libertadores for a three-year stretch between 1968 and 1970. The Argentinian team beat Palmeiras, Nacional and Penarol in successive finals to establish themselves as the best club side South America had to offer.
Estudiantes reached a fourth final on the bounce in 1971, but their dominance in the tournament was ended by Nacional. They had to wait until 2009 to win the tournament for a fourth time, doing so courtesy of a 2-1 aggregate victory over Cruzeiro.
Olimpia (3 wins)
The biggest club in Paraguay, Olimpia, are the only side from that country to have won the Copa Libertadores. They have done so on three occasions, in 1979, 1990 and 2002.
However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for teams outside Brazil and Argentina to go all the way in the Libertadores. The financial disparity between South American nations is getting wider and wider, with each of the last 14 finalists hailing from one of the two major powers.
Nacional (3 wins)
Nacional have suffered their fair share of Copa Libertadores heartache. In each of their first three appearances in the final of the competition, the Uruguayan team were defeated.
They finally got their hands on the trophy in 1971, edging out Estudiantes in the showpiece contest. Nacional then defeated Internacional of Brazil in 1980, before scooping the prize for a third time in 1988.
Sao Paulo (3 wins)
Sao Paulo were the strongest side in South America during the early 1990s. They beat Newell’s Old Boys on penalties in the 1992 final, after which they defeated Universidad Catolica 12 months later.
Sao Paulo lost the 1994 final to Velez Sarsfield and they then had to wait another 11 years for their third title.
Palmeiras (3 wins)
Palmeiras won their first Copa Libertadores in dramatic fashion. The score was tied at 3-3 after two legs of the final against Deportivo Cali in 1999, but Palmeiras held their nerve to emerge victorious in the penalty shoot-out.
In 2020 the Brazilian side won their second title, before becoming three-time champions the following season.
Santos (3 wins)
Santos did not always take part in the Copa Libertadores in the 1960s, preferring instead to take their dream team on a lucrative tour of foreign countries to play glamour friendlies.
Pele and co. did win the tournament in 1962 and 1963, though, and Santos joined the club of three-time winners when they beat Penarol in the 2011 final.
Flamengo (3 wins)
In a close final in 1981, Flamengo finally got the better of Chilean side Cobreloa thanks to a 2-0 victory in a play-off.
The club from Rio de Janeiro have been among the leading South American football powers in recent years, winning the Copa Libertadores in 2019 and 2022. They also reached the final in 2021 but came unstuck against fellow Brazilians Palmeiras.
Gremio (3 wins)
Gremio became the fourth Brazilian team to win the Copa Libertadores in 1983, when they beat Penarol in the final. The following year they were on the wrong end of a 1-0 loss to Independiente over two legs.
Gremio were back on top of South America in 1995, while their third title came courtesy of a victory over Lanus of Argentina in the 2017 final.
Copa Libertadores Rivalries
Boca Juniors vs River Plate
Football fans around the world were filled with excitement when Boca Juniors and River Plate both advanced to the final of the Copa Libertadores in 2018. There is no love lost between these arch-rivals from Buenos Aires, who met in the biggest game in South American football five years ago.
The first leg of the final ended 2-2 at Boca’s stadium. Ahead of the return fixture, the Boca team bus was attacked by River fans, leading to the game being called off.
For safety reasons the second leg was moved out of Argentina and all the way to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, where River triumphed 3-1 after extra time to be crowned the Copa de Libertadores champions.
Santos vs Penarol
Santos and Penarol have met in two Copa Libertadores finals – and the Brazilian club were victorious on both occasions.
Back in 1962 aggregate scorelines were not used in the tournament, so a win for each side in effect earned them one point. Santos triumphed in the first leg thanks to a Coutinho double, but Penarol won the next encounter 3-2 in Brazil.
The play-off was held at a neutral venue in Buenos Aires, and the returning Pele proved to be the match-winner. The legendary forward scored twice to help Santos beat Penarol 3-0.
The two teams met again in the final of 2011. Santos were the Copa Libertadores winners again: the first leg finished 0-0, before the Brazilian team triumphed 2-1 a week later.
Estudiantes vs Nacional
Estudiantes were the dominant team in this competition in the late 1960s and early 1970s, as the Argentinian outfit reached four finals on the bounce. In two of those matches, their opponents were Nacional of Uruguay.
The first was 1969. A tight first leg in Montevideo ended 1-0 in Estudiantes’ favour, giving them the upper hand. A week later they completed the job by winning 2-0 in La Plata.
Two years later Nacional got their revenge. Estudiantes won 1-0 at home and the Uruguayan team triumphed by the same scoreline in the second leg. The play-off was held in Peru and Nacional came out on top thanks to a 2-0 victory.
Copa Libertadores Individual Records
Appearances
| Player | Team(s) | Number of Games |
| Ever Almeida | Olimpia | 113 |
| Antony de Avila | America de Cali, Barcelona | 94 |
| Vladimir Soria | Bolivar | 93 |
| Willington Ortiz | Millonarios, America de Cali, Deportivo Cali | 92 |
| Rogerio Ceni | Sao Paulo | 90 |
| Pedro Rocha | Penarol, Sao Paulo, Palmeiras | 88 |
| Alberto Spencer | Penarol, Barcelona | 87 |
| Carlos Borja | Bolivar | 87 |
| Juan Battaglia | Cerro Porteno, America de Cali | 85 |
| Alex Escobar | America de Cali, LDU Quito | 83 |
| Clemente Rodriguez | Boca Juniors, Estudiantes | 82 |
Player Wins
| Player | Team(s) | Number of Titles |
| Francisco Sa | Independiente, Boca Juniors | 6 |
| Ricardo Pavoni | Independiente | 5 |
| Miguel Angel Santoro | Independiente | 4 |
| Eduardo Commisso | Independiente | 4 |
| Alejandro Semenewicz | Independiente | 4 |
| Agustin Balbuena | Independiente | 4 |
| Ruben Galvan | Independiente | 4 |
| Ricardo Bochini | Independiente | 4 |
| Guillermo Barros Schelotto | Boca Juniors | 4 |
| Hugo Ibarra | Boca Juniors | 4 |
| Sebastian Battaglia | Boca Juniors | 4 |
| Roberto Abbondanzieri | Boca Juniors, Internacional | 4 |
Coach Wins
| Coach | Team(s) | Number of Titles |
| Carlos Bianchi | Velez Sarsfield, Boca Juniors | 4 |
| Osvaldo Zubeldia | Estudiantes | 3 |
| Luis Cubilla | Olimpia | 2 |
| Roberto Scarone | Penarol | 2 |
| Juan Carlos Lorenzo | Boca Juniors | 2 |
| Tele Santana | Sao Paulo | 2 |
| Luiz Felipe Scolari | Gremio, Palmeiras | 2 |
| Marcelo Gallardo | River Plate | 2 |
| Lula | Santos | 2 |
| Manuel Giudice | Independiente | 2 |
| Pedro Dellacha | Independiente | 2 |
| Paulo Autuori | Cruzeiro, Sao Paulo | 2 |
| Edgardo Bauza | LDU Quito, San Lorenzo | 2 |
| Abel Ferreira | Palmeiras | 2 |
Goals
| Player | Team(s) | Number of Goals |
| Alberto Spencer | Penarol, Barcelona | 54 |
| Fernando Morena | Penarol | 37 |
| Pedro Virgilio Rocha | Penarol, Sao Paulo, Palmeiras | 36 |
| Daniel Onega | River Plate | 31 |
| Julio Morales | Nacional | 30 |
| Luizao | Vasco da Gama, Corinthians, Gremio, Sao Paulo | 29 |
| Gabriel Barbosa | Santos, Flamengo | 29 |
| Juan Carlos Sarnari | River Plate, Universidad Catolica, Universidad de Chile, Santa Fe | 29 |
| Antony de Avila | America de Cali, Barcelona | 29 |
| Luis Artime | Independiente, Nacional | 26 |
| Juan Carlos Sanchez | Jorge Wilstermann, Blooming, San Jose | 26 |
