The 64th edition of the continent’s premier tournament features four Colombian clubs in the field.
Libertadores 2023 includes four teams from Colombia, three of them with strong tradition — Atletico Nacional, Millonarios, and Medellín — joined by a surprise entry, Pereira, after winning the second half of the season’s league.
Verdolagas and Matecañas secured direct group stage berths, with the group stage kicking off in April and the official draw anticipated in the week of March 22.
Meanwhile, Embajadores and Poderosos will begin their campaigns in the playoff rounds, meaning their competition starts earlier, in February, once the draw from December 21, 2022 at the CONMEBOL headquarters determined their paths.
Colombian clubs are represented in the top tier of South American club football this year.
NATIONAL ATHLETE
Santiago Rivera / Goal
Verdolaga earned direct access to the group stage by winning the BetPlay 2022 I League. For the March draw, the club is placed in pot 2 alongside Libertad, Inter, Fluminense, Barcelona, Racing, Corinthians, and Colo Colo, and could face a top tier rival from pot 1 such as Flamengo, Palmeiras, Boca Juniors, or River Plate.
SPORT PEREIRA
Dimayor
The Matecañas achieved a historic group stage ranking after lifting their first league crown in the BetPlay 2022 II League. They will be in pot 4 for the draw, joined by Uruguay’s Liverpool, Ñublense, Patronato, and the four playoff qualifiers. They cannot be placed in the same group as Atletico Nacional, but a group with Millonarios or Medellín is possible if eligibility allows.
MILLONARIOS
Dimayor
The Ambassadors earned a Libertadores berth by winning the 2022 BetPlay Cup, marking a third league title and securing a Stage II place in the playoffs. In the prior-stage draw, they were in pot 1 along with Atletico Mineiro, Cerro Porteño, Sporting Cristal, Medellín, Huracán, Always Ready, and Fortaleza.
The opponent emerged from pot 2, which included Universidad Católica from Ecuador, who were held to a 0-0 draw in the first leg in Quito and then fell 2-1 in the return at home. The clash featured decisive performances in both directions, with Medellín eventually advancing in the tie.
The club then faced Atletico Mineiro in phase III. The first leg at El Campín ended in a 1-0 result, with the Ambassadors taking the lead on a Macalister Silva header before a late surge from the Brazilian side sealed the outcome.
The decisive match occurred on March 15 at Mineirão in Belo Horizonte, where Mineiro prevailed 3-1, ending the Ambassadors’ run and sending Mineiro forward while Fernando Uribe added a late consolation goal.
Colombia ended the campaign with three clubs in the competition, while Millonarios secured a place in the group stage of the Copa Sudamericana 2023.
INDENDEMIDE MEDELLIN
Medellín
The Poderosos were the top Colombian finisher in the overall 2022 reclassification, ensuring a spot in pot 1 for Stage II of the playoffs, with the second round’s opponent still to be determined.
The red-and-white side from Antioquia faced the winner of the E2 key of Stage I, which was the Ecuadorian national team, in a two-legged affair. They opened as visitors on Wednesday, February 22, drawing 2-2 at Casa Blanca thanks to goals from Valencia and Londoño, and a crucial penalty save by Marmolejo. The second leg at Atanasio Girardot saw a 2-1 victory for the home team, with Monroy and Cambindo supplying goals.
The Mighty then faced Chilean Magellan, who had secured a notable 6-1 aggregate win over Always Ready. The first leg took place on March 8 in Rancagua, where a controversial match left Medellín with a narrow lead. The return on March 15 at Atanasio Girardot ended 2-0 in favor of Medellín, thanks to a standout performance from Luciano Pons that swung the series in their favor and earned a place in pot 4 for the group-stage draw on March 27.
As a playoff qualifier, DIM could share a group with other Colombian clubs, potentially Atletico Nacional or Pereira, since the typical rule prohibiting two teams from the same country in a single group does not apply in this particular case.