The Copa Libertadores was drawn and the beginning of the largest competition on the continent is already palpable. The eight groups, made up of the 32 qualified teams, were defined at the CONMEBOL headquarters, in Luque, Paraguay.
Cafu, the legendary right back, champion of the 2002 World Cup with Brazil and legend of AS Roma, AC Milan and São Paulo, was one of those in charge of taking out the balls. The others were former Argentine forwards Lucas Pratto, champion of the Copa Libertadores with River, Martín Palermo, who won this title with Boca Juniors, and Oscar Ruggeri, winner of the 1986 World Cup and the Libertadores that same year.
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The current champion Fluminense opens Group A, which is completed by Cerro Porteño from Paraguay, Alianza Lima from Peru and Colo Colo from Chile. While São Paulo, in its return to this competition that it won three times, had a tough match with Barcelona from Ecuador, Talleres from Argentina and Cobresal from Chile.
Not as complicated as, in principle, Grêmio has it: Estudiantes de La Plata, the Argentine club that has lifted this trophy four times in its history, The Strongest from Bolivia, which holds a match at the height, and Huachipato from Chile .
Botafogo, which, having entered from phase 3, was the only one that could have crossed paths with a Brazilian rival, was saved from that situation. They were in Group D that heads the Quito University Sports League, current champion of the Copa Sudamericana, Junior of Colombia and Universitario of Peru.
🔝⭐ ¡Los grupos están definidos!
🏆 Así se jugará la CONMEBOL #Libertadores 2024.#GloriaEterna pic.twitter.com/FCj7UIGRkT
— CONMEBOL Libertadores (@Libertadores) March 19, 2024
Flamengo had a good draw when they came out in the draw with Bolívar from Bolivia, Millonarios from Colombia and Palestino from Chile, another of the clubs that comes from phase 3.
When it comes to designating “groups of death”, one of them is F with Palmeiras, Independiente del Valle of Ecuador (twice winner of the Copa Sudamericana), San Lorenzo of Argentina (2014 Libertadores Champion) and Liverpool , which last year became the winner of the Uruguayan championship for the first time in its history.
Another “group of death” is G, with Peñarol from Uruguay (five-time winner of the Libertadores), Atlético Mineiro (winner of the largest continental tournament in 2013), Rosario Central from Argentina and Caracas from Venezuela.
Group H does not have Brazilian teams, but it does have a duel between multiple champions such as Argentine River Plate and Nacional from Uruguay.
The table is the following:
Group A
Fluminense (BRA)
Cerro Porteño (PAR)
Alianza Lima (PER)
Colo Colo (CHI)
B Group
São Paulo (BRA)
Barcelona (ECU)
Talleres (ARG)
Cobresal (CHI)
Group C
Grêmio (BRA)
Estudiantes de La Plata (ARG)
The Strongest (BOL)
Huachipato (CHI)
Group D
University Sports League (ECU)
Junior (COL)
University (PER)
Botafogo (BRA)
Group E
Flamengo (BRA)
Bolívar (BOL)
Millionaires (COL)
Palestine (CHI)
Group F
Palmeiras (BRA)
Independiente del Valle (ECU)
San Lorenzo (ARG)
Liverpool (URU)
Group G
Peñarol (URU)
Atlético Mineiro (BRA)
Rosario Central (ARG)
Caracas (VEN)
Group H
River Plate (ARG)
Libertad (PAR)
Deportivo Táchira (VEN)
Nacional (URU)
