1963 Copa Libertadores

1963 Copa Libertadores de América
Tournament details
Dates April 7 – September 11
Teams 9 (from 8 confederations)
Final positions
Champions Brazil Santos (2nd title)
Runners-up Argentina Boca Juniors
Tournament statistics
Matches played 19
Goals scored 63 (3.32 per match)
Top scorer(s) Argentina José Sanfilippo (7 goals)

The 1963 Copa Libertadores de América was the fourth season of South America's premier club football tournament. Nine teams entered with Bolivia and Venezuela not sending a representative.

This competition was notable for the participation of many world class stars such as José Sanfilippo, Pelé, Garrincha, Antonio Rattín, Alberto Spencer, Jairzinho, among others. The Alvinegro da Vila, usually regarded as the greatest football club team ever, crushed their semifinal and final opponents in stylish fashion which included a 0–4 victory over Botafogo in the fable Estádio do Maracanã, and a 1–2 win in La Bombonera, home of Boca Juniors. In a classic South American match-up, defending champions Santos defeated the Xeneixes on both legs of the final to retain the title.

Qualified teams

Country Team Qualification method
CONMEBOL
1 berth
Santos 1962 Copa de Campeones winners
 Argentina
1 berth
Boca Juniors 1962 Primera División champion
 Brazil
1 berth
Botafogo 1962 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runner-up
 Chile
1 berth
Universidad de Chile 1962 Primera División champion
 Colombia
1 berth
Millonarios 1962 DIMAYOR champion
 Ecuador
1 berth
Everest 1962 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol champion
 Paraguay
1 berth
Olimpia 1962 Primera División champion
 Peru
1 berth
Alianza Lima 1962 Primera División champion
 Uruguay
1 berth
Peñarol 1962 Primera División champion

Format and tie-breaking criteria

Due to the uneven number of teams, the first round became a group stage with two groups of three and one group of four. The format for the semifinals and the finals remained the same as the previous season.

At each stage of the tournament teams receive 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and no points for a loss. If two or more teams are equal on points, the following criteria will be applied to determine the ranking in the group stage:

  1. a one-game playoff;
  2. superior goal difference;
  3. draw of lots.

First round

Eight teams were drawn into two groups of three and one group of two. In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away. The top team in each group advanced to the Semifinals. Santos, the title holders, had a bye to the next round.

Group 1

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Brazil Botafogo 440051+48
Peru Alianza Lima 411223−13
Colombia Millonarios 401303−31

April 24, 1963
Alianza Lima Peru 0–0 Colombia Millonarios

May 26, 1963
Millonarios Colombia 0–1 Peru Alianza Lima
Zegarra

June 30, 1963
Alianza Lima Peru 0–1 Brazil Botafogo
Élton

July 7, 1963
Millonarios Colombia 0–2 Brazil Botafogo
Antoninho
Rildo

July 24, 1963
Botafogo Brazil [A] Colombia Millonarios

July 31, 1963
Botafogo Brazil 2–1 Peru Alianza Lima
Jairzinho
Santos
Tenemás

Group 2

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Uruguay Peñarol 2200141+134
Ecuador Everest 2002114−130

June 9, 1963
Everest Ecuador 0–5 Uruguay Peñarol
Sasía
Rocha

July 7, 1963
Peñarol Uruguay 9–1 Ecuador Everest
Spencer
Matosas
Rocha
Abbadie
Gandó

Group 3

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Argentina Boca Juniors 430196+36
Paraguay Olimpia 4202710−34
Chile Universidad de Chile 41037702

April 7, 1963
Olimpia Paraguay 1–0 Argentina Boca Juniors
Ferreira


June 26, 1963
Boca Juniors Argentina 1–0 Chile Universidad de Chile
González

July 17, 1963
Universidad de Chile Chile 4–1 Paraguay Olimpia
Alvarez
Marcos
Musso
Arámbulo
Santiago

July 24, 1963
Olimpia Paraguay 2–1 Chile Universidad de Chile
Núñez Sepúlveda

July 31, 1963
Universidad de Chile Chile 2–3 Argentina Boca Juniors
Campos Sanfilippo
Santiago

Semifinals

Four teams were drawn into two groups. In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away. The top team in each group advanced to the Finals.

Group A

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Argentina Boca Juniors220031+24
Uruguay Peñarol200213−20

August 7, 1963
Peñarol Uruguay 1–2 Argentina Boca Juniors
Magdalena  80' Valentim  26', 88'

August 17, 1963
Boca Juniors Argentina 1–0 Uruguay Peñarol
Sanfilippo  47'

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Brazil Santos211051+43
Brazil Botafogo201115−41

August 22, 1963
Santos Brazil 1–1 Brazil Botafogo
Pelé  90' Jairzinho  60'

August 28, 1963
Botafogo Brazil 0–4 Brazil Santos
Pelé  11', 15', 33'
Lima

Finals

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Brazil Santos220053+24
Argentina Boca Juniors200235−20

September 3, 1963
Santos Brazil 3–2 Argentina Boca Juniors
Coutinho  2', 21'
Lima  28'
Sanfilippo  43', 89'
Estádio do Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
Attendance: 100,000
Referee: Marcel Albert Bois (France)

September 11, 1963
Boca Juniors Argentina 1–2 Brazil Santos
Sanfilippo  46' Coutinho  50'
Pelé  82'
Estadio Camilo Cichero, Buenos Aires
Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Marcel Albert Bois (France)

Champion

Copa Libertadores de América
1963 Champion
Brazil
Santos
Second Title

Top goalscorers

Pos Player Team Goals
1 Argentina José Sanfilippo Argentina Boca Juniors 7
2 Brazil Pelé Brazil Santos 5
Ecuador Alberto Spencer Uruguay Peñarol 5
4 Brazil Paulo Valentim Argentina Boca Juniors 4
5 Brazil Coutinho Brazil Santos 3
Uruguay José Francisco Sasía Uruguay Peñarol 3

Footnotes

A. ^ Not played after Millonarios (already eliminated) preferred paying a fine of USD 4,500 rather than traveling to Rio for the match; points awarded to Botafogo but no goals.

External links