All the Copa Libertadores Winners: A Complete List

The Copa Libertadores is the most important club competition in Latin America. It brings together the best teams from the region in a fierce competition to see who can win the trophy. This can be considered one of the hardest football club competitions, so not all teams manage to lift the precious trophy.

It started in 1960 and has been played 63 times. Although many top-caliber teams have been part of this competition, few of these Latin-American giants have managed to taste its glory. In short, the Copa Libertadores is an amazing event that brings together the continent’s best teams in thrilling encounters.

Winning the Copa Libertadores is a long-cherished dream for many teams, although some have already achieved this feat on more than one occasion. If you want to learn more about the Libertadores champions, keep reading to discover all about the most exciting club competition of the year.

How many teams have won the Cup?

In the 63 editions of the Copa Libertadores, only 26 teams have been crowned champions. It’s a fiercely contested competition, with titles sometimes remaining in the same hands for years. The small number of champions underscores the true difficulty of winning in a competition of this magnitude.

In previous editions, some Mexican teams were invited to participate in the Copa Libertadores, further complicating the winning of a title in a tournament that stands out for bringing together the best teams in South America in a single competition.

The cup is currently played in a three-stage format. In the first stage, the pre-qualified teams compete in qualifying rounds to earn a place in the group stage of the tournament. In the group stage, the top two teams from each group advance to the third stage, where the tournament is transformed into a knockout stage that culminates with the title and the eternal glory.

Who holds the record for most wins in the Libertadores? 

As could be seen above, the road to conquering America requires great consistency. The competition is truly challenging, as it involves a short group stage followed by knockout rounds in which an easy loss can eliminate a favorite team from competition.

Being a champion for the cup demands that the team maintains consistency from the beginning to the end of the tournament. This is a considerably long tournament compared to other national competitions. Despite the difficulty of winning the Copa Libertadores just once, there are teams that have achieved this milestone on more than one occasion.

Independiente of Argentina is the club with the most wins in the Copa Libertadores, making it the competition’s top isolated champion, but in addition to it, there are 14 other teams that have been champions on more than one occasion. An intriguing aspect of the Cup is that the titles usually alternate between the strongest teams in each country.

The list of all winners year by year

Here is the complete list of all the Copa Libertadores winners year by year.

Copa Libertadores 1960: Peñarol, Uruguay
Copa Libertadores 1961: Peñarol, Uruguay
Copa Libertadores 1962: Santos, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1963: Santos, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1964: Independiente, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1965: Independiente, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1966: Peñarol, Uruguay
Copa Libertadores 1967: Racing Club, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1968: Estudiantes, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1969: Estudiantes, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1970: Estudiantes, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1971: Nacional, Uruguay
Copa Libertadores 1972: Independiente, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1973: Independiente, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1974: Independiente, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1975: Independiente, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1976: Cruzeiro, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1977: Boca Juniors, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1978: Boca Juniors, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1979: Olimpia, Paraguay
Copa Libertadores 1980: Nacional, Uruguay
Copa Libertadores 1981: Flamengo, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1982: Peñarol, Uruguay
Copa Libertadores 1983: Grêmio, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1984: Independiente, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1985: Argentinos Juniors, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1986: River Plate, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1987: Peñarol, Uruguay
Copa Libertadores 1988: Nacional, Uruguay
Copa Libertadores 1989: Atlético Nacional, Colombia
Copa Libertadores 1990: Olimpia, Paraguay
Copa Libertadores 1991: Colo-Colo, Chile
Copa Libertadores 1992: São Paulo, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1993: São Paulo, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1994: Vélez Sarsfield, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1995: Grêmio, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1996: River Plate, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 1997: Cruzeiro, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1998: Vasco da Gama, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 1999: Palmeiras, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2000: Boca Juniors, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 2001: Boca Juniors, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 2002: Olimpia, Paraguay
Copa Libertadores 2003: Boca Juniors, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 2004: Once Caldas, Colombia
Copa Libertadores 2005: São Paulo, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2006: Internacional, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2007: Boca Juniors, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 2008: Liga de Quito, Ecuador
Copa Libertadores 2009: Estudiantes, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 2010: Internacional, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2011: Santos, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2012: Corinthians, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2013: Atlético Mineiro, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2014: San Lorenzo, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 2015: River Plate, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 2016: Atlético Nacional, Colombia
Copa Libertadores 2017: Grêmio, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2018: River Plate, Argentina
Copa Libertadores 2019: Flamengo, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2020: Palmeiras, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2021: Palmeiras, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2022: Flamengo, Brasil
Copa Libertadores 2023: Fluminense, Brasil

List of the top 10 Libertadores Winners

As you can see, being a Libertadores champion is quite a challenge, but many teams have already achieved this feat. Some teams have left their mark on the history of the competition by winning on several occasions, as is the case of Argentina’s Independiente, while others have achieved astounding statistics that have undoubtedly marked the trajectory of the competition.

If you are curious to know who won the Copa Libertadores in the past, you can follow the complete list of trophies below. Take a look at the table below and find out which teams have lifted the Libertadores trophy at least once in the history of this exciting sport.

Stats and records of the winners

With so many games already played, it’s a fact that the Copa Libertadores has some curious records. For example, throughout the history of the competition, only one club has won four years in a row: Independiente holds this record, which is unlikely to be broken in the coming years.

In addition to this curious record, there’s another very interesting one: the longest unbeaten streak. Palmeiras holds this record with 23 unbeaten matches in the competition, a feat that will certainly not be surpassed in the coming years.

Another curious statistic is that there are only two players who’ve scored goals in all phases of the Cup: Riquelme and Gabigol. As you can see, there are many different statistics revolving around the much-anticipated Copa Libertadores.

Copa Libertadores trophy

The Copa Libertadores trophy has a unique feature: it keeps plaques with the names of the champion teams on the body of the cup. This trophy is truly unique and is only used during the ceremony of lifting the cup at the final of the competition. Although the plaques are a feature that distinguishes this trophy from others, complications have arisen. In 2023, Fluminense occupied the last cup space, making it impossible to add new plaques to the trophy. This year could see the arrival of a new trophy for the tournament – excitement is at an all-time high!

Frequently asked questions

Who is the current Copa Libertadores winner?

The current Copa Libertadores winner is Fluminense.

Who has won the most Copa Libertadores trophies?

The team with most victories is Independiente, who’ve lifted the trophy seven times.