The Copa Sudamericana, one of the most prestigious tournaments in South American soccer, is the scene of intense competition between clubs from the continent who are looking to become the next Copa Sudamericana champions.
Since its creation in 2002, the competition has provided exciting moments and revealed great talent.
And since it’s an annual competition, it’s common to wonder who the greatest Copa Sudamericana champions are.
Has your team ever lifted the trophy? How many times? These are some of the questions we answer below. So read on and get your questions answered…
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Copa Sudamericana’s greatest champions
We’ve put together a list of the greatest Copa Sudamericana champions. In the TOP 5 are:
- LDU Quito
- Boca Juniors
- Independiente
- Atlético-PR
- Independiente del Valle
Each of them has won the competition twice. In fact, LDU were the champions of the 2023 season. Will they win the title three times in 2024?
| Clubs | Winner | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| LDU Quito | 2 | 2009 e 2023 |
| Boca Juniors | 2 | 2004 e 2005 |
| Independiente | 2 | 2010 e 2017 |
| Athletico Paranaense | 2 | 2018 e 2021 |
| Independiente del Valle | 2 | 2019 e 2022 |
| River Plate | 1 | 2014 |
| Lanús | 1 | 2013 |
| São Paulo | 1 | 2012 |
| San Lorenzo | 1 | 2002 |
| Cienciano | 1 | 2003 |
| Pachuca | 1 | 2006 |
| Arsenal | 1 | 2007 |
| International | 1 | 2008 |
| Universidad de Chile | 1 | 2011 |
| Santa Fe | 1 | 2015 |
| Chapecoense | 1 | 2016 |
| Defense and Justice | 1 | 2020 |
Countries with the most Copa Sudamericana titles
When it comes to the biggest Copa Sudamericana champions and the country with the most titles, we Brazilians have to settle for second place.
As with the list of Libertadores champions, Argentina also dominates the overall medals table in the South American Cup.
The Hermanos have won nine titles, compared to five for Brazil (Atlético Paranaense, São Paulo, Chapecoense and Internacional).
| Country | No. of victories | No. of runners-up |
| Argentina | 9 | 6 |
| Brazil | 5 | 7 |
| Ecuador | 4 | 1 |
| Colombia | 1 | 4 |
| Mexico | 1 | 2 |
| Chile | 1 | 1 |
| Turkey | 1 | 0 |
| Bolivia | 0 | 1 |
Players with the most Copa Sudamericana titles
Among the players with the most Copa Sudamericana titles are Argentina’s Cristian Pellerano and Paraguay’s Claudio Morel, each with three titles. Cristian Pellerano won with Independiente del Valle (2022 and 2019) and Independiente (2010), while Claudio Morel won with San Lorenzo (2002) and Boca Juniors (2004 and 2005).
Read also: Copa Libertadores champions: the biggest winners and complete list
List of all Copa Sudamericana champions by year
Now we come to the list of all the Copa Sudamericana champions by year. Note that in the 23 years of the competition, some countries have dominated the titles, including Argentina and Brazil, but we also find teams from countries such as Peru and Mexico.
| YEAR | CHAMPIONSHIP CLUB | COUNTRY |
| 2002 | San Lorenzo | Argentina |
| 2003 | Cienciano | Peru |
| 2004 | Boca Juniors | Argentina |
| 2005 | Boca Juniors | Argentina |
| 2006 | Pachuca | Mexico |
| 2007 | Arsenal | Argentina |
| 2008 | International | Brazil |
| 2009 | LDU | Ecuador |
| 2010 | Independiente | Argentina |
| 2011 | Universidad de Chile | Chile |
| 2012 | São Paulo, Brazil | Brazil |
| 2013 | Lanús | Argentina |
| 2014 | River Plate | Argentina |
| 2015 | Independiente Santa Fe | Colombia |
| 2016 | Chapecoense | Brazil |
| 2017 | Independiente | Argentina |
| 2018 | Athletico-PR | Brazil |
| 2019 | Independiente del Valle | Ecuador |
| 2020 | Defense and Justice | Argentina |
| 2021 | Athletico-PR | Brazil |
| 2022 | Independiente del Valle | Ecuador |
| 2023 | LDU | Ecuador |
What is the prize for the Copa Sudamericana champions?
The prize money for the Copa Sudamericana varies every year, but in 2024, the grand champion could win up to 9.615 million dollars (R$48.4 million) in total if they win all 6 group games.
In addition, the other teams also earn a financial amount, according to their progress through the stages of the competition.
- Group stage – US$ 900,000 (R$ 4.5 million)
- Group stage win – US$ 115,000
- Playoff – US$ 500,000 (R$ 2.5 million)
- Round of 16 – US$ 600,000 (R$ 3 million)
- Quarter-finals – US$ 700,000 (R$ 3.5 million)
- Semi-final – US$ 800,000 (R$ 4 million)
- Runners-up – US$ 2 million (R$ 10 million)
- Champion – US$ 6 million (R$ 30.2 million)
In addition to the financial compensation, the Copa Sudamericana champions earn the right to take part in other competitions at continental level. After all, the winners get a place in the Recopa Sud americana and Copa Libertadores the following year.
Which teams can take part in the Copa Sudamericana?
To have a chance of becoming one of the champions of the Copa Sudamericana, teams must first earn their place in the competition. To do this, it is essential to have good results in the national championships, such as the Brasileirão.
Each country associated with CONMEBOL has a number of places to enter its teams in the Copa Sudamericana, and the teams are chosen according to the results of the national leagues.
In Brazil, teams that finish between 6th and 11th in the Brazilian Championship are usually guaranteed a place in the competition. The top teams go through to the Libertadores.
Here’s a summary of the criteria used by each country to define the participation of their teams:
- Argentina: the teams that finish in mid-table positions in the Argentine Championship and have not qualified for the Copa Libertadores compete in South America.
- Brazil: teams that finish in mid-table positions in the Campeonato Brasileiro (Serie A) and have not qualified for the Copa Libertadores, go on to South America. In addition, champions of national competitions, such as the Copa do Brasil, can qualify if they are not in the Libertadores.
- Bolivia: teams that stand out in the national championship and have not qualified for Libertadores.
- Chile: teams that perform well in the Chilean league and failed to qualify for the Libertadores.
- Colombia: clubs that stand out in the Colombian League and failed to qualify for the Libertadores.
- Ecuador: teams with good campaigns in the Ecuadorian league’s Serie A that didn’t qualify for the Libertadores.
- Paraguay: teams that have performed well in the top flight and failed to qualify for the Libertadores.
- Peru: teams that stand out in League 1 and failed to qualify for Libertadores.
- Uruguay: clubs with a good record in the first division that failed to qualify for Libertadores.
- Venezuela: teams that stand out in the first division and have not qualified for the Libertadores.
In addition, there are specific criteria established by CONMEBOL, such as fair play and position in the confederation’s own rankings, which can also influence the selection of participating clubs.
Each country has a specific number of places, which can vary over the years, depending on CONMEBOL’s rules for the edition in question.
So, what’s your guess as to the next Copa Sudamericana champions? Will there be a new winner? Or will one team take home another cup?
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