matador
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The 2018 Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores is the 59th edition of the CONMEBOL Libertadores (also referred to as the Copa Libertadores), South America's premier club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.
The winners of the 2018 Copa Libertadores will qualify as the CONMEBOL representative at the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, and also earn the right to play against the winners of the 2018 Copa Sudamericana in the 2019 Recopa Sudamericana.
Teams
The following 47 teams from the 10 CONMEBOL member associations qualified for the tournament:
- Copa Libertadores champions
- Copa Sudamericana champions
- Brazil: 7 berths
- Argentina: 6 berths
- All other associations: 4 berths each
The entry stage is determined as follows:
- Group stage: 28 teams
- Copa Libertadores champions
- Copa Sudamericana champions
- Teams which qualified for berths 1–5 from Argentina and Brazil
- Teams which qualified for berths 1–2 from all other associations
- Second stage: 13 teams
- Teams which qualified for berths 6–7 from Brazil
- Team which qualified for berth 6 from Argentina
- Teams which qualified for berths 3–4 from Chile and Colombia
- Teams which qualified for berths 3 from all other associations
- First stage: 6 teams
- Teams which qualified for berths 4 from Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela
Qualifying stages
In the qualifying stages, each tie is played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule is used. If still tied, extra time is not played, and the penalty shoot-out is used to determine the winner (Regulations Article 29).
The qualifying stages are structured as follows:
- First stage (6 teams): The three winners of the first stage advance to the second stage to join the 13 teams which are given byes to the second stage.
- Second stage (16 teams): The eight winners of the second stage advance to the third stage.
SECOND LEG (to be played next week)
- Third stage (8 teams): The four winners of the third stage advance to the group stage to join the 28 direct entrants. The two best teams eliminated in the third stage enter the Copa Sudamericana second stage.