Eight Brazilian clubs will compete in a tournament that spans nine months
Com a divulgação do calendário completo de 2024 pela Conmebol, o futebol sul-americano ganha seu eixo temporal: da Recopa em fevereiro à final da Libertadores em 30 de novembro, o continente organiza seus meses em torno da busca pela glória continental. Oito clubes brasileiros participarão da Libertadores, reflexo de uma hegemonia que já não surpreende, mas que ainda exige ser confirmada em campo ao longo de quase dez meses de competição.
- A Conmebol oficializou o calendário completo de suas três principais competições de clubes para 2024, encerrando incertezas sobre datas e formatos.
- Cinco clubes brasileiros já estão garantidos na Libertadores — Fluminense, São Paulo, Botafogo, Palmeiras e Flamengo — enquanto Atlético Mineiro, Grêmio e Bragantino disputam as três vagas restantes.
- A Copa Sudamericana corre em paralelo, começando em abril e encerrando em 23 de novembro, um dia antes da final da Libertadores, criando uma semana de clímax continental.
- A Recopa Sudamericana entre Fluminense e LDU, marcada para fevereiro, abre a temporada internacional antes mesmo que os grandes torneios ganhem forma.
- O sorteio preliminar de ambas as competições está agendado para 19 de dezembro, dando início ao planejamento estratégico dos clubes para o ano que se aproxima.
O calendário do futebol sul-americano para 2024 está definido. A Conmebol anunciou nesta quarta-feira as datas completas da Copa Libertadores, da Copa Sudamericana e da Recopa Sudamericana, estruturando um ciclo de quase dez meses que terá seu ponto culminante na final da Libertadores, marcada para 30 de novembro.
A Libertadores começa em 7 de fevereiro, com rodadas preliminares antes da fase de grupos, que se inicia em abril. Cinco clubes brasileiros já estão classificados — Fluminense, São Paulo, Botafogo, Palmeiras e Flamengo —, e outros três devem se juntar a eles: Atlético Mineiro, Grêmio e Bragantino são os candidatos mais prováveis. O sorteio preliminar acontece em 19 de dezembro, com a definição dos grupos em março. A partir daí, o torneio avança pelas oitavas em agosto, quartas em setembro, semifinais em outubro, até a grande decisão no último dia de novembro.
A Copa Sudamericana segue trajetória semelhante, começando em 3 de abril e encerrando em 23 de novembro. Competição de peso para os clubes que não alcançam a Libertadores, ela também terá seu sorteio preliminar em 19 de dezembro.
Antes que qualquer um desses torneios tome forma, a Recopa Sudamericana entre Fluminense e Liga de Quito abre a temporada continental: primeiro jogo no Equador em 21 de fevereiro, volta no Rio em 28 do mesmo mês. Para os oito clubes brasileiros que disputarão a Libertadores, o desafio será equilibrar o calendário doméstico com a maratona continental — uma exigência física e tática que se estenderá por quase todo o ano.
South America's football calendar for 2024 is now set in stone. The Conmebol announced the full schedule for its three major club competitions on Wednesday, laying out a nine-month arc that will culminate in the Libertadores final on November 30th—a date that will anchor the continent's football year.
The Copa Libertadores, the region's premier club tournament, opens on February 7th and runs through a series of preliminary rounds before the group stage begins in April. Five Brazilian clubs have already secured their spots: Fluminense, São Paulo, Botafogo, Palmeiras, and Flamengo. Three more Brazilian teams will join them—Atlético Mineiro, Grêmio, and Bragantino are the leading candidates—meaning eight of the tournament's participants will come from Brazil, a reflection of the country's dominance in continental club football. The preliminary draw happens December 19th, with the group assignments to follow in March.
The path to the final is long and deliberate. Group play runs from April through May, with matches spread across eight matchdays. The knockout rounds begin in August with the round of 16, then proceed through quarterfinals in September, semifinals in October, and finally the championship match on the last day of November. This structure gives teams nearly a full calendar year to prove themselves.
Running parallel is the Copa Sudamericana, a secondary but still significant competition that serves as a pathway for clubs that don't make the Libertadores. It begins slightly later, on April 3rd, and concludes on November 23rd—just one day before the Libertadores final. The Sudamericana follows a similar progression through group play and knockout rounds, with its own preliminary draw also scheduled for December 19th.
Before either of those tournaments truly gets underway, there is the matter of the Recopa Sudamericana, a two-legged affair between Fluminense and Ecuador's Liga de Quito. The first leg takes place in Ecuador on February 21st, with the return match in Rio de Janeiro on February 28th. This competition, while smaller in scope, serves as an early-season test for the teams involved.
The calendar reflects the Conmebol's effort to spread competitions across the year while accommodating international breaks and domestic league schedules. From February through November, South American football will be dominated by these continental tournaments, with clubs juggling multiple competitions and the physical and mental toll that comes with that demand. For the eight Brazilian clubs that will compete in the Libertadores, the challenge will be managing their domestic league commitments alongside the continental grind. The final on November 30th will represent the culmination of nearly ten months of football, and by that point, only one team will remain standing.
Citas Notables
The Conmebol announced the complete 2024 schedule for Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and Recopa Sudamericana— Conmebol
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that eight Brazilian clubs are in the Libertadores? Isn't that just how it usually goes?
Brazil has the most clubs in the tournament, yes, but eight out of the field is significant—it's roughly a third of the participants. It means the competition's outcome is heavily weighted toward one country, which shapes how the tournament unfolds tactically and commercially.
And the preliminary rounds in February and March—why so many of them?
The Conmebol has to accommodate clubs from across the continent with different league calendars and resources. The preliminary rounds filter out smaller clubs before the group stage, so by April when the real competition begins, you have a more balanced field.
What's the pressure like for a team that has to play both the Libertadores and the domestic league simultaneously?
It's brutal. A club like Flamengo or Palmeiras will be playing league matches every weekend while also competing in continental matches midweek. Injuries pile up, fatigue sets in, and by October when the semifinals arrive, the teams that managed their squads best have the advantage.
So November 30th is the finish line for everyone?
For the Libertadores, yes. But the Sudamericana final is November 23rd, so there's actually a week of continental finals happening back-to-back. It's the climax of the entire year.
Why announce all this so far in advance?
Clubs need to plan. They need to know when they'll play, how to structure their seasons, when to buy players, when to rest. The Conmebol gives them the roadmap in November so they can prepare for February.