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Copa Sudamericana

Copa Sudamericana Soccer is a secondary international competition organized annually by CONMEBOL (the South American governing body of football), a specialized agency of FIFA since 1916. It is among the most prestigious tournaments in the world, along with the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The Copa Sudamericana soccer competition’s overall format consists of a group stage followed by a knockout stage, with three teams per group. The winner of each group advances to the knockout stage, while the runner-up teams compete in a secondary tournament, the Copa Conmebol. The Copa Sudamericana is played on a home and away basis with the two teams in each group playing each other on a home and away basis. The group stage is followed by a knock-out stage, with two teams from each group progressing to the quarter-finals. From the quarter-finals onwards, the tournament is entirely knock-out based and the winner advances to the Copa Libertadores, the main competition in South America. The popular teams in Copa Sudamericana are Boca Juniors, River Plate, Palmeiras, Independiente, and Flamengo. Popular players include Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Phillipe Coutinho, Neymar Jr., and Gabriel Jesus. The tournament has been running since 1935 when it was known as the 'South American Championship'. It was renamed to the current Copa Sudamericana in 2002. Since its inception, it has been won by some of the biggest and most popular clubs in South America, such as Independiente, Boca Juniors, and Cruzeiro. The Copa Sudamericana Soccer carries a major prestige among South American teams and offers clubs the chance to qualify for the prestigious Copa Libertadores, as well as to win a substantial financial reward. The tournament has been notably won by Brazilian sides Palmeiras (2016) and Gremio (2017). It is widely considered one of the most exciting tournaments in world football and is a major source of passion and enthusiasm for South American football fans.