1976 Copa Libertadores

Last updated
1976 Copa Libertadores de América
Tournament details
DatesFebruary 25 – July 30
Teams21 (from 10 associations)
Final positions
Champions Flag of Brazil.svg Cruzeiro (1st title)
Runners-up Flag of Argentina.svg River Plate
Tournament statistics
Matches played76
Goals scored208 (2.74 per match)
1975
1977

The Copa Libertadores 1976 was the 17th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's annual international club tournament. The tournament began on February 23 and ended on July 30.

Contents

Cruzeiro won the competition, being the first Brazilian team, after Pelé's Santos, to win the continental competition. During the tournament, Cruzeiro suffered a great setback: the loss of the player Roberto Batata, who died in a car crash.

Independiente, the defending champions who had won four consecutive titles till the 1975 edition of the tournament, were defeated in the semifinals by fellow Argentina club River Plate.

Qualified teams

CountryTeamQualification method
Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
2 + 1 berths
Independiente 1975 Copa Libertadores champion
River Plate 1975 Metropolitano champion
1975 Nacional champion
Estudiantes 1975 Metropolitano runner-up
Flag of Bolivia.svg  Bolivia
2 berths
Guabirá 1975 Copa Simón Bolívar champion
Bolívar 1975 Copa Simón Bolívar runner-up
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
2 berths
Internacional 1975 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A champion
Cruzeiro 1975 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-up
Flag of Chile.svg  Chile
2 berths
Unión Española 1975 Primera División champion
Palestino 1975 Miniliga Pré-Libertadores champion
Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia
2 berths
Santa Fe 1975 Campeonato Profesional champion
Millonarios 1975 Campeonato Profesional runner-up
Flag of Ecuador.svg  Ecuador
2 berths
LDU Quito 1975 Serie A champion
Deportivo Cuenca 1975 Serie A runner-up
Flag of Paraguay.svg  Paraguay
2 berths
Olimpia 1975 Primera División champion
Sportivo Luqueño 1975 Primera División runner-up
Flag of Peru.svg  Peru
2 berths
Alianza Lima 1975 Descentralizado champion
Alfonso Ugarte 1975 Descentralizado runner-up
Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay
2 berths
Peñarol 1975 Primera División champion
Nacional 1975 Primera División runner-up
Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela
2 berths
Portuguesa 1975 Venezuelan champion
Deportivo Galicia 1975 Venezuelan Championship runner-up

Draw

The champions and runners-up of each football association were drawn into the same group along with another football association's participating teams. Three clubs from Argentina competed as Independiente was champion of the 1975 Copa Libertadores. They entered the tournament in the Semifinals.

Group 1Group 2Group 3Group 4Group 5

Group stage

Group 1

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Argentina.svg RIV Flag of Argentina.svg EST Flag of Venezuela.svg POR Flag of Venezuela.svg DGA
1 Flag of Argentina.svg River Plate 6501103+710Qualified to Semi-Finals 1–02–14–1
2 Flag of Argentina.svg Estudiantes 6411113+891–03–04–0
3 Flag of Venezuela.svg Portuguesa 6213811350–22–23–1
4 Flag of Venezuela.svg Deportivo Galicia 60063151200–10–11–2
Source: [ citation needed ]

Group 2

Group 2 standings
PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Ecuador.svg LDQ Flag of Ecuador.svg CDC Flag of Bolivia.svg BOL Flag of Bolivia.svg GUA
1 Flag of Ecuador.svg LDU Quito 6321105+58Qualified to the 1st Place Playoff 1–12–14–0
2 Flag of Ecuador.svg Deportivo Cuenca 632196+380–03–11–0
3 Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolívar 63031611+563–24–27–1
4 Flag of Bolivia.svg Guabirá 61052151320–10–21–0
Source: [ citation needed ]

Group 3

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Brazil.svg CRU Flag of Brazil.svg INT Flag of Paraguay.svg OLI Flag of Paraguay.svg SLU
1 Flag of Brazil.svg Cruzeiro 6510209+1111Qualified to Semi-Finals 5–44–14–1
2 Flag of Brazil.svg Internacional 6312108+270–21–03–0
3 Flag of Paraguay.svg Olimpia 6123711442–21–12–3
4 Flag of Paraguay.svg Sportivo Luqueño 6105514921–30–10–1
Source: [ citation needed ]

Group 4

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Peru.svg ALI Flag of Colombia.svg MIL Flag of Peru.svg AUG Flag of Colombia.svg ISF
1 Flag of Peru.svg Alianza Lima 632184+48Qualified to Semi-Finals 2–10–03–0
2 Flag of Colombia.svg Millonarios 622285+361–04–01–1
3 Flag of Peru.svg Alfonso Ugarte 614158360–01–12–1
4 Flag of Colombia.svg Santa Fe 6123711442–31–02–2
Source: [ citation needed ]

Group 5

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Uruguay.svg PEÑ Flag of Chile.svg UES Flag of Chile.svg PAL Flag of Uruguay.svg NAC
1 Flag of Uruguay.svg Peñarol 632174+38Qualified to Semi-Finals 2–02–11–1
2 Flag of Chile.svg Unión Española 632153+280–01–02–0
3 Flag of Chile.svg Palestino 621356151–00–12–1
4 Flag of Uruguay.svg Nacional 603359431–21–11–1
Source: [ citation needed ]

1st Place Playoff

Playoff standings
PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Flag of Ecuador.svg LDU Quito 110021+12Qualified to the Semi-Finals
2 Flag of Ecuador.svg Deportivo Cuenca 10011210
Source: [ citation needed ]
April 22 First Stage LDU Quito Flag of Ecuador.svg 2–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Ecuador.svg Deportivo Cuenca Guayaquil, Ecuador
Carrera Soccerball shade.svg66'
Rivadeneira Soccerball shade.svg115'
Report Villagra Soccerball shade.svg63'Stadium: Estadio Modelo Alberto Spencer Herrera
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Óscar Veiro (Argentina)

Semi-finals

Group 1

Group 1 standings
PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Brazil.svg CRU Flag of Ecuador.svg LDQ Flag of Peru.svg ALI
1 Flag of Brazil.svg Cruzeiro 4400183+158Qualified to the Final 4–17–1
2 Flag of Ecuador.svg LDU Quito 4103410621–32–1
3 Flag of Peru.svg Alianza Lima 4103413920–42–0
Source: [ citation needed ]

Group 2

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification Flag of Argentina.svg RIV Flag of Argentina.svg IND Flag of Uruguay.svg PEÑ
1 Flag of Argentina.svg River Plate 421141+35Qualified to the Final 0–03–0
2 Flag of Argentina.svg Independiente 421121+150–11–0
3 Flag of Uruguay.svg Peñarol 410315421–00–1
Source: [ citation needed ]

Playoffs

Team 1 Score Team 2
River Plate Flag of Argentina.svg 1–0 Flag of Argentina.svg Independiente

Finals

Cruzeiro Flag of Brazil.svg 4 1 River Plate Flag of Argentina.svg
Nelinho Soccerball shade.svg22'
Palhinha Soccerball shade.svg29', Soccerball shade.svg40'
Valdo Soccerball shade.svg80'
Más Soccerball shade.svg63'
Mineirão, Belo Horizonte
Attendance: 58,720 (65,000)
Referee: Vicente Llobregat, Venezuela

River Plate Flag of Argentina.svg 2 1 Cruzeiro Flag of Brazil.svg
J. J. López Soccerball shade.svg10'
P. González Soccerball shade.svg76'
Palhinha Soccerball shade.svg48'

Cruzeiro Flag of Brazil.svg 3 2 River Plate Flag of Argentina.svg
Nelinho Soccerball shade.svg24'
Eduardo Soccerball shade.svg55'
Joãozinho Soccerball shade.svg88'
Más Soccerball shade.svg59'
Urquiza Soccerball shade.svg64'
Nacional, Santiago
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Alberto Martínez, Chile
 Copa Libertadores
1976 champions 
Flag of Brazil.svg
Cruzeiro
1st title