The ten-player Botafogo team secures its inaugural Copa Libertadores championship.
The ten-player Botafogo team secures its inaugural Copa Libertadores championship.
Botafogo triumphed despite being reduced to ten players, securing its inaugural Copa Libertadores title with a 3-1 victory over fellow Brazilian team Atletico Mineiro in the final held at Monumental de Nunez Stadium on Saturday.
In a surprising turn of events, midfielder Gregore, one of Botafogo’s standout performers, received a straight red card just 30 seconds into the match for a foul on Fausto Vera.
“It was incredibly challenging to play with one less player so early in a final. It was an unfortunate incident,” remarked Botafogo defender Alexander Barboza. “However, Gregore deserves this title just as much as the rest of us. We have made history, and that will never be forgotten.”
Winger Luiz Henrique opened the scoring in the 35th minute with a close-range effort, and shortly thereafter, he was fouled, leading to a penalty that Alex Telles successfully converted in the 44th minute.
Eduardo Vargas netted Mineiro’s sole goal in the 46th minute, but Junior Santos, the tournament's leading scorer with ten goals, sealed Botafogo’s remarkable achievement with a third goal during injury time.
With this victory, Brazil secured its sixth consecutive Copa Libertadores title and its 24th overall, bringing it just one title shy of Argentina.
Additionally, this marked the third consecutive title for clubs from Rio de Janeiro, following victories by Fluminense in 2023 and Flamengo in 2022.
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