U-20 Copa Libertadores
| Organizing body | CONMEBOL |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Region | South America |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Qualifier for | Under-20 Intercontinental Cup |
| Related competitions | Copa Libertadores |
| Current champion(s) | Flamengo (2nd title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Flamengo (2 titles) |
| Website | conmebol.com/libsub20 |
| 2025 U-20 Copa Libertadores | |
The CONMEBOL Under-20 Libertadores (Portuguese and Spanish: CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub 20) is the international association football club competition for teams that play in CONMEBOL leagues. It was created by Manuel Burga Seoane and the Peruvian Football Federation.[1][2] The competition started in the 2011 season in response to the increased interest in youth football.
History
The tournament had only two editions from 2011 to 2012. The first edition of this U-20 club competition was played in Lima, Peru. Players born on or after 1 January 1990 were eligible to compete in the first tournament, technically making it an under-21 competition. The tournament was originally going to be hosted in November 2010, however, because of the postponement, the player age eligibility was changed.[3][4][5]
The tournament was temporarily discontinued after 2012.[2] CONMEBOL was targeting to restart the competition in 2015.[6] In March 2015, the CONMEBOL Executive Committee approved Paraguay as host of the next U-20 Copa Libertadores in January 2016.[7]
Format
The cup is played by twelve teams, one from each CONMEBOL country, divided in three groups of four clubs each. The group winners and the best second-placed team qualify to play the semifinals and the winners then play the final, while the losers play the third-place game.
Winners
| Ed. | Year | Host | Final | Third place match | Num. teams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | Third place | Score | Fourth place | ||||
1 |
2011 | Peru | Universitario | 1–1
(4–2 p) |
Boca Juniors | América | 1–0
|
Alianza Lima | 12 |
2 |
2012 | Peru | River Plate | 1–0
|
Defensor Sporting | Corinthians | 2–1
|
Unión Española | 16 |
3 |
2016 | Paraguay | São Paulo | 1–0
|
Liverpool | Cortuluá | 1–0
|
Lanús | 12 |
4 |
2018 | Uruguay | Nacional | 2–1
|
Independiente del Valle | River Plate | 1–1
(5–4 p) |
São Paulo | 12 |
5 |
2020 | Paraguay | Independiente del Valle | 2–1
|
River Plate | Flamengo | 5–2
|
Libertad | 12 |
6 |
2022 | Ecuador | Peñarol | 1–1
(4–3 p) |
Independiente del Valle | Guaraní | 3–2
|
Caracas | 12 |
7 |
2023 | Chile | Boca Juniors | Independiente del Valle | Cerro Porteño | 2–2
(4–2 p) |
Peñarol | 12 | |
8 |
2024 | Uruguay | Flamengo | Boca Juniors | Rosario Central | 2–1
|
Aucas | 12 | |
9 |
2025 | Paraguay | Flamengo | 1–1 (3–2 p) |
Palmeiras | Belgrano | 5–1 |
Danubio | 12 |
Performances by club
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flamengo | 2 | 0 | 2024, 2025 | — |
| Independiente del Valle | 1 | 3 | 2020 | 2018, 2022, 2023 |
| Boca Juniors | 1 | 2 | 2023 | 2011, 2024 |
| River Plate | 1 | 1 | 2012 | 2020 |
| Universitario | 1 | 0 | 2011 | — |
| São Paulo | 1 | 0 | 2016 | — |
| Nacional | 1 | 0 | 2018 | — |
| Peñarol | 1 | 0 | 2022 | — |
| Defensor Sporting | 0 | 1 | — | 2012 |
| Liverpool | 0 | 1 | — | 2016 |
| Palmeiras | 0 | 1 | — | 2025 |
Performances by nation
| Nation | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Argentina | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Uruguay | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Ecuador | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Peru | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Honors
| Year | Best Player Award | Top Goalscorer | Best Goalkeeper Award | Fair Play Award |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Edison Flores | Sergio Unrein (4) Cristofer Soto (4) |
Ramiro Martínez | Boca Juniors |
| 2012 | Juan Cazares | Rodrigo Gattas (6) | Gaspar Servio | Defensor Sporting River Plate (ex aequo) |
| 2016 | Not awarded | Luiz Araújo (5) | Not awarded | Cortuluá |
Performance by club
- Legend
- 1st — Champions
- 2nd — Runners-up
- 3rd — Third place
- 4th — Fourth place
- QF — Quarterfinals
- GS — Group stage
- • — Did not qualify
| Team | 2011 |
2012 |
2016 |
2018 |
2020 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academia Puerto Cabello | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | GS | • | 2 |
| Águilas Doradas | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | 1 |
| Alianza Lima | 4th | QF | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | 3 |
| Always Ready | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | GS | • | 2 |
| América (MG) | • | QF | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| América | 3rd | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 2 |
| Atletico Madrid | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Atlético Venezuela | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Aucas | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 4th | • | 1 |
| Belgrano | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 3rd | 1 |
| Blooming | • | GS | • | • | • | GS | • | • | GS | 3 |
| Boca Juniors | 2nd | GS | • | • | • | • | 1st | 2nd | • | 4 |
| Bolívar | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Caracas | GS | • | • | • | • | 4th | GS | • | • | 3 |
| Cerro Porteño | • | QF | GS | • | GS | • | 3rd | • | GS | 5 |
| Corinthians | • | 3rd | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Colo-Colo | • | • | • | GS | GS | • | • | GS | • | 3 |
| Cortuluá | • | • | 3rd | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Cruzeiro | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Danubio | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | 4th | 2 |
| Defensor Sporting | • | 2nd | • | • | • | • | GS | GS | • | 3 |
| Deportivo La Guaira[8] | • | GS | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | 2 |
| Envigado | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | 1 |
| Flamengo | QF | • | • | • | 3rd | • | • | 1st | 1st | 4 |
| Fortaleza | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | 1 |
| Guaraní | • | • | • | • | • | 3rd | • | • | • | 1 |
| Huachipato | • | • | GS | • | • | • | GS | • | • | 2 |
| Independiente del Valle | QF | GS | GS | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 2nd | • | GS | 8 |
| Internacional | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | 1 |
| Jorge Wilstermann | GS | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | 2 |
| Junior | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Lanús | • | • | 4th | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| La Equidad | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| LDU Quito | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | 1 |
| Libertad | QF | • | GS | GS | 4th | • | • | • | • | 4 |
| Liverpool | • | • | 2nd | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Melgar | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Metropolitanos | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | 1 |
| Millonarios | GS | • | • | • | GS | GS | • | • | • | 3 |
| Montevideo City Torque | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | 1 |
| Nacional | QF | • | • | 1st | GS | • | • | • | • | 3 |
| Newell's Old Boys | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | 1 |
| O'Higgins | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | GS | 2 |
| Olimpia | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | GS | 2 |
| Orense | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | 1 |
| Palmeiras | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | 2nd | 2 |
| Peñarol | • | • | • | • | • | 1st | 4th | • | • | 2 |
| Quebracho | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| River Plate | • | 1st | GS | • | 2nd | • | • | • | • | 3 |
| River Plate | • | • | • | 3rd | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Rosario Central | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 3rd | • | 1 |
| Sport Huancayo | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Sporting Cristal | • | GS | • | • | GS | GS | • | GS | • | 4 |
| São Paulo | • | • | 1st | 4th | • | • | • | • | • | 2 |
| Talleres | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Universidad Católica | GS | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
| Universidad de Concepción | • | • | • | • | • | GS | • | • | • | 1 |
| Universitario | 1st | QF | • | • | • | • | • | • | GS | 3 |
| Unión Española | • | 4th | • | • | • | • | • | • | • | 1 |
References
- ^ "Llegó para quedarse la Libertadores Sub 20". www.futbolecuador.com (in Spanish). 2012-04-27. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ a b "No habrá Copa Libertadores Sub-20". todosport.pe. Archived from the original on 2014-01-18.
- ^ "Confirman grupos de 'U' y AL en Libertadores Sub 20" [Groups confirmed of U and AL in U-20 Libertadores] (in Spanish). peru.com. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
- ^ "'U' y Alianza van por la Copa Libertadores sub 20" [U and Alianza target U-20 Copa Libertadores] (in Spanish). depor.pe. 20 May 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
- ^ "Se viene la Libertadores Sub-20" [U-20 Libertadores is coming] (in Spanish). Conmebol.com. 23 May 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ "La Copa Libertadores Sub-20 a nivel de clubes es el próximo objetivo de la CONMEBOL". CONMEBOL.com. October 24, 2014.
- ^ "En la sede de la CONMEBOL, se reunió el Comité Ejecutivo". CONMEBOL.com. March 3, 2015.
- ^ Includes Real Esppor.