Brazilians Palmeiras make it two in a row
In many ways, the 2021 final between established powerhouses of the Brazilian game symbolised a new dawn in South American football: here were two emerging super-clubs, with mammoth revenue streams, vast fan bases and astute financial management, contesting the continental crown, further cementing Brazil’s domination, playing at the refurbished Estadio Centenario in front of well-heeled fans and a global TV audience.
The Copa Libertadores and its final carry the romance of a spectacle in its purest form. They epitomise the madness and mayhem of the continent’s game, one of the last bastions of unchecked football passion, but times are changing. In 2018, the final was shifted to Madrid because every single cliché about Argentinian football turned out to be true – chaos ruled. “We live it as a scam,” wrote former Boca Juniors player Diego Latorre.
In 2019, organisers moved the final from Santiago to Lima because of
