| 2024 Copa Libertadores final | |
| Event: | 2024 Copa Libertadores |
| Team1: | Atlético Mineiro |
| Team1score: | 1 |
| Team2: | Botafogo |
| Team2score: | 3 |
| Date: | 30 November 2024 |
| Stadium: | Estadio Monumental |
| City: | Buenos Aires |
| Man Of The Match1a: | Luiz Henrique |
| Referee: | Facundo Tello (Argentina) |
| Attendance: | 69,803 |
| Previous: | 2023 |
| Next: | 2025 |
The 2024 Copa Libertadores final was the final match which decided the winner of the 2024 Copa Libertadores. This was the 65th edition of the Copa Libertadores, the top-tier South American continental club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.
The match was played by Brazilian sides Atlético Mineiro and Botafogo on 30 November 2024 at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[1]
Botafogo defeated Atlético Mineiro in the match by a 3–1 score to win their first Copa Libertadores title.[2] Luiz Henrique was elected MVP of the final and of the tournament.[3] [4] As winners of the competition, Botafogo qualified for the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and earned the right to play against the winners of the 2024 Copa Sudamericana in the 2025 Recopa Sudamericana. They also automatically qualifed for the 2025 Copa Libertadores group stage.
On 13 February 2024, the Argentine Football Association announced through its social media accounts that CONMEBOL had selected Buenos Aires as the host city for the final match of the 2024 Copa Libertadores, at a stadium to be confirmed.[5] From 26 to 30 May 2024, a delegation from CONMEBOL visited three stadiums that were shortlisted to host the event, which were Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, Estadio Libertadores de América in Avellaneda, and Estadio Único Diego Armando Maradona in La Plata to evaluate technical aspects of the stadiums and visit potential training centers and accommodation sites for the finalist teams.[6]
On 4 October 2024, CONMEBOL confirmed Estadio Monumental as the venue for the final match.[1] This was the first Copa Libertadores final hosted in Argentina since the finals have been played as single matches, as well as the eighth time that a Copa Libertadores final was played at the stadium.[7]
| Team | Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners) | |
|---|---|---|
| Atlético Mineiro | 1 (2013) | |
| Botafogo | None |
Note: In all scores below, the score of the home team is given first.
 Atlético Mineiro | Round | Botafogo | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| width=25% | Opponent | width=10% | Venue | width=10% | Score | width=10% | width=25% | Opponent | width=10% | Venue | width=10% | Score | |
| bgcolor=#cle0ff colspan=7 | Qualifying stages | ||||||||||||
| Bye | Second stage |  Aurora(won 7–1 on aggregate) | Away | 1–1 | |||||||||
| Home | 6–0 | ||||||||||||
| Third stage | Red Bull Bragantino (won 3–2 on aggregate) | Home | 2–1 | ||||||||||
| Away | 1–1 | ||||||||||||
| Group G | Group stage | Group D | |||||||||||
| Caracas | Away | 1–4 | Junior | Home | 1–3 | ||||||||
| Rosario Central | Home | 2–1 | LDU Quito | Away | 1–0 | ||||||||
| Peñarol | Home | 3–2 | Universitario | Home | 3–1 | ||||||||
| Rosario Central | Away | 0–1 | LDU Quito | Home | 2–1 | ||||||||
| Peñarol | Away | 2–0 | Universitario | Away | 0–1 | ||||||||
| Caracas | Home | 4–0 | Junior | Away | 0–0 | ||||||||
| Seed 2 | Final stages | Seed 14 | |||||||||||
| San Lorenzo (won 2–1 on aggregate) | Away | 1–1 | Round of 16 | Palmeiras (won 4–3 on aggregate) | Home | 2–1 | |||||||
| Home | 1–0 | Away | 2–2 | ||||||||||
| Fluminense (won 2–1 on aggregate) | Away | 1–0 | Quarter-finals | São Paulo (tied 1–1 on aggregate, won on penalties) | Home | 0–0 | |||||||
| Home | 2–0 | Away | 1–1 (5–4 p) | ||||||||||
| River Plate (won 3–0 on aggregate) | Home | 3–0 | Semi-finals | Peñarol (won 6–3 on aggregate) | Home | 5–0 | |||||||
| Away | 0–0 | Away | 3–1 | ||||||||||
The final was played as a single match at a pre-selected venue, with the higher-seeded team designated as the "home" team for administrative purposes. If scores were level after full time, 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, a penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner.[8]
On the opening ceremony before the kick-off, after a live music and dance performance, Djonga sang chants of Atlético Mineiro's fans and the club's anthem, and Marcelo Adnet did the same for Botafogo.[9] The trophy of Copa Libertadores was brought to the pitch by Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic.[10]
Matías Zaracho (Atlético Mineiro) and Bastos (Botafogo) missed the final due to injuries, as well as Mateo Ponte (Botafogo), ruled out due to suspension.[11]
29 seconds into the match, Botafogo midfielder Gregore hit Fausto Vera on the head with the sole of his boot during a dispute for the ball in midfield, and received a straight red card.[12] [13] In the following minutes, Botafogo reorganized itself with ten men without its manager Artur Jorge making any substitutions, and handed the ball over to Atlético Mineiro, who only managed to pose any danger with two shots from afar by Hulk, defended by John. Afterwards, the Rio de Janeiro club loosened up, went on the attack, and in the 35th minute, a play by Thiago Almada resulted in a shot by Marlon Freitas that hit Junior Alonso in the penalty area, and its rebound reached Luiz Henrique, who finished with force and scored the first goal of the final. Less than ten minutes later, after a back pass to Atlético goalkeeper Éverson, Luiz Henrique pressed, overcame Guilherme Arana's marking and protected the ball until he reached the penalty area, when he was fouled by the goalkeeper and suffered a penalty, which was given after the referee's review using VAR. Alex Telles took a powerful cross shot with his left foot, displacing Éverson and making it 2-0 for Botafogo at the end of the first half.
Atlético manager Gabriel Milito made substitutions at half-time and returned to the pitch with Bernard, Mariano and Eduardo Vargas, reorganizing his team's offensive structure. The changes soon took effect, when two minutes into the second half, a corner kick taken by Hulk found Vargas unmarked, and the Chilean striker headed the ball out of John's reach, scoring for the team from Minas Gerais. After the goal, Atlético insistently pressed Botafogo to seek an equalizer, but with little repertoire or effective alternatives even with an extra player. In the meanwhile, Artur Jorge reinforced the Rio de Janeiro side's marking with the entries of Danilo Barbosa and Marçal. The most dangerous plays of the Minas Gerais club came with Hulk on the right wing, and with Mariano passing to Vargas and Alan Kardec, who wasted chances in front of John. Vargas also missed another opportunity in the 88th minute, when he tried to lob the goalkeeper after a mistake by Adryelson. In the final minutes, Botafogo sought counterattacks with Júnior Santos amidst Atlético's pressure, and the strategy paid off when, in the 97th minute, he received a long kick on the right, dribbled past two Atlético players, tried to cross to Matheus Martins and got the rebound, pushing it into the empty goal and sealing both the victory of the team from Rio de Janeiro and his position as top scorer of the competition, with ten goals.
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Assistant referees
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