Two weeks have passed since Independiente del Valle beat Flamengo on penalties and became the Recopa champion. And there is already a total expectation to know the complete picture of the groups that both the Libertadores and the South American will have. In this framework, Conmebol communicated at the close of this Wednesday the venues that will host the respective unique finals of said tournaments.
As of 2019, the decisive instances are played in a single match and the South American Football Confederation confirmed which will be the stadiums, with a lot of football history, in which the 2023 edition will take place. Those chosen are of weight in the continent, World Cup finals were played at both venues and will give added value to the massive event that the appointment means: the Maracana and the Centennial.
The person in charge of communicating it was Alejandro Domínguez, president of the governing entity in South America, who in his official Twitter account indicated that “by decision of the Conmebol Council”, the final of the Libertadores will be in Rio de Janeiro at the Maracana stadium and the final of the South American in Montevideo. “Two unique matches that inspire us to Believe in Greatness in this 2023!” added the Paraguayan manager.
The Maracana will have the champion of the Libertadores
The Cup that everyone on the continent (and beyond, too) wants. The Rio de Janeiro venue will once again host a final for the main competition in the region, as happened with the 2020 edition, played in January 2021 as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. That time, it was a 1-0 victory for Palmeiras over Santos. On this occasion, the trophy will be delivered on Saturday, November 11, at the legendary Maracana.
It is the one with the greatest history and dimension. One of the most symbolic stadiums on the planet, where La Celeste shouted World Champion in 1950 and Germany in 2014; It has a capacity for 78,838 people. Facing Brazil 2014, a reconstruction project was carried out that included the expansion of the stadium roof, which covered all the seats, and the return to its natural colour, grey.
The Centennial, South American style
Both contests are underway, but with their preliminary keys. The groups will start in April and in the Sudamericana the final will take place in Montevideo, on Saturday, October 28. The house of the Charrúa team hosted the final of the Libertadores in 2021, which Palmeiras also won, but 2-1 against Flamengo.
The Centenario Stadium (60,235), which was built especially for the World Cup in Uruguay in 1930, was handed over again for the enjoyment of the Uruguayan people ahead of the 2021 Libertadores and Sudamericana finals, in what were the first definitions with the public after the COVID-19 pandemic. After its remodeling, it ranks among the top ten largest on the continent and is one of the main venues for the 2030 World Cup bid.
When are the group draws?
Once all the teams are confirmed, the draw will be held to assemble the groups and the event will take place. on Monday, March 27 at the Conmebol headquarters in Asunción, Paraguay. That for the liberatorswhich this time will have its distribution of zones on a different day than its peer South American: Wednesday 22 of the current month.