The 63rd edition of the Copa Libertadores began almost two months ago, on February 8, with contention in the previous three stages in which 19 teams participated and only 4 entered the group stage. But this Tuesday the competition will begin for the other 28 participants, including 5 Argentine teams who, in addition to Estudiantes, they will try to break the hegemony of teams in Brazil of recent years. For many, this was the real beginning of the main competition in South America.

This Tuesday they will make their debut Colón, who receives Peñarol from 7:15 pm, and Boca, who visit Deportivo Cali from 9:30 pm On Wednesday it will be Talleres, who will play at the Universidad Católica de Chile in Mario Alberto Kempes stadium from 7:00 pm, while River will visit Alianza Lima from Peru from 9:00 pm Finally, on Thursday, the two Argentine teams They share a group: Students and Vélez , from 9:00 pm in La Plata.

Palmeiras is the current two -time champion. In the final edition there were three Brazilians in the semifinalists, in addition to Barcelona from Ecuador. The Argentines did not show up. In 2020, only Boca and River reached that stage and were eliminated by Palmeiras and Santos. In the last five years, there has only been one champion in Argentina: River, who won the final against Boca, in 2018. Gremio celebrated before and after Flamengo.

Despite this difference in definition, only three countries have reached the semifinals in the past five years: 10 teams from Brazil, 8 from Argentina and 2 from Ecuador.

Considering the last decade, there are 6 champions in Brazil (Palmeiras 2, Corinthians, Atlético Mineiro, Gremio and Flamengo), 3 Argentines (River 2 and San Lorenzo) and one Colombian (Atlético Nacional). it will be the big challenge of River, Boca, Students, Vélez, Colón and Talleres.

One of the main reasons for the power of the five -time world champions in recent years has to do with the re -evaluation of their League, which has only 20 teams, compared to Argentina, which has 28. There is a bigger injection of money to remain. young figures, bring back the talented figures who made a difference in South American football and buy talented foreigners. Revenue matches television, partners and subscribers, prizes for reaching the last chance and sales marketing. Thus, Flamengo’s budget for this year is 167 million dollars.

To make a difference, River’s budget to cover squad and coaching staff costs for the 2021/22 season is estimated at approximately $ 39 million. Although with the update for the rest of 2022, the projection is rising between 45 and 50 million dollars. The total is similar to Boca, which also represents 53% of the costs of the overall budget 2021/22.

Conversely, for Argentine clubs to play Libertadores involves balancing most finances of the club thanks to a real dollar income. Students who pass both stages have already won $ 1,100,000. And for access to the group stage he will add another three million. Thus, the La Plata entity has already raised $ 4,100,000.

The win in the group stage, which will earn Boca, River, Vélez, Colón and Talleres 3 million dollars for participation, indicates a profit of 1,050,000 dollars for playing in round 16. Prizes expected for following stages are one and a half million dollars for the quarterfinals and two million for the semifinals. The runner-up will add 6 million dollars and the champion will take 16 millionin addition to 25% of the proceeds from the single game to be played on October 29 at the Monumental stadium in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

If Olimpia from Paraguay, who started playing in the first round, is crowned champion, she will add 25,050,000 dollars in prize money. If the winner starts at this stage of the group, they will accumulate $ 23,550,000.

For this new edition, clubs can submit a list of up to 50 players. However, Marcelo Gallardo was surprised with a list of only 30 players. “I didn’t complete the list because I work with 30 soccer players,” Doll said. The decision is still strange, since last year he had to start the game with Independiente de Santa Fe with 10 players and with Enzo Pérez on goal, due to the number of casualties due to Covid-19 suffered by the team. Boca, for its part, announced their squad with 45 players. Instead, Vélez completes the fifty names with oddities: 37 of the 50 are players from their lower divisions. The students played a list of 40, Talleres showed 39 and Colón, 37.

In this scenario, Argentine teams will try to maintain the historical difference with the Brazilians, which has decreased significantly in the last decade. In 62 editions, local clubs have won 25 tournaments, while Brazilians have won 21. And in the number of finalists, Brazil leads after the last edition: 38 to 37.

Seven teams share 25 titles. Independiente went on to win the most Libertadores, with 7. Boca followed with 6; Student and River, 4; and Racing, Argentinos and Vélez, 1. Will history change in 2022?