Three Portuguese players are part of the squad in the Libertadores' quarterfinals.
The 2025 Copa Libertadores group stage concludes, marking the entry into the round of 16 for several teams. As of late May, 15 out of 16 teams have secured their spots. Among these are Vélez Sarsfield, Racing Club, River Plate, and Estudiantes from Argentina; Palmeiras, São Paulo, Botafogo, and Flamengo from Brazil; LDU Quito and Independiente del Valle from Ecuador; Olimpia and Libertad from Paraguay; and Peñarol from Uruguay. The final team will complete the lineup following the conclusion of the group stage.
Remarkably, only three Portuguese individuals have a role in these qualified teams: Renato Paiva serving as Botafogo's coach, Abel Ferreira as Palmeiras' coach, and Cédric Soares playing for São Paulo.
Several teams have already been eliminated from the tournament. Universidad de Chile, Independiente del Valle, Central Córdoba S. Estero, Alianza Lima, Atlético Bucaramanga, Bahia, Bolívar, and San Antonio Bulo Bulo fall into the Copa Sudamericana as they finished third in their respective groups. Additionally, Carabobo, Barcelona SC, Deportivo Táchira, Talleres, Colo-Colo, Nacional, Sporting Cristal, and Olimpia have been ousted from continental competitions, as they did not advance beyond fourth place.
A draw for the round of 16 will be held on Monday, June 2, at 4:00 PM in Luque, Paraguay, at the CONMEBOL headquarters. This event will define the entire path to the final, scheduled to take place on November 29 in Lima, Peru.
This year's edition of the Copa Libertadores promises intense competition, further compelling fans to closely follow the tournament's development.
Football enthusiasts across Europe might be disheartened to learn that not a single team from European-leagues has qualified for this year's Copa Libertadores, as all participating spots have been claimed by South American clubs. Despite the absence of sports representatives from Europe, the tournament still offers excitement with its unique South American flavor, particularly with teams like Laliga's absence still to be filled in the round of 16.
