| Tourney Name: | Pre-Libertadores tournament |
| Year: | 1998-I |
| Dates: | 4-26 February |
| Num Teams: | 4 |
| Associations: | 2 |
| Champion Other: | Guadalajara |
| Second Other: | América |
| Third Other: | Caracas |
| Fourth Other: | Atlético Zulia |
| Matches: | 8 |
| Goals: | 24 |
| Top Scorer: | Gustavo Nápoles (4 goals) |
| Prevseason: | — |
The 1998-I Pre-Libertadores tournament was the first edition of the Pre-Libertadores tournament, the annual qualifying tournament between clubs from Venezuela and Mexico, that defined two clubs qualified to the Copa Libertadores. It was held from 4 to 26 February 2022.[1]
The tournament was contested by two clubs from Venezuela, Caracas and Atlético Zulia, and two clubs from Mexico, América and Guadalajara. The best two clubs qualified to the 1998 Copa Libertadores where they joined Brazilian clubs Grêmio and Vasco da Gama in the group 2.
Originally, the two Mexican clubs were to be determined in a preliminary round organized by the FMF between América, Guadalajara, Cruz Azul and Atlante. However, Cruz Azul and Atlante declined to participate, leaving America and Guadalajara to advance directly to the Pre-Libertadores.[2]
The two Venezuelan clubs were the champions and runners-up of the 1996–97 Venezuelan Primera División season.
| Federation | Club | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| FMF | América (MEX-1)1 | Designated by the FMF |
| Guadalajara (MEX-2)1 | Designated by the FMF | |
| FVF | Caracas (VEN-1) | 1996-97 Venezuelan champions |
| Atlético Zulia (VEN-2) | 1996-97 Venezuelan runners-up |
The match schedule had to be reduced because the start date of the 1998 Copa Libertadores was near (25 February), so matches between teams from the same country were omitted.[1] Each team played a total of 4 matches.
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