The 2016 Copa Libertadores finals was the two-legged final that decided the winner of the 2016 Copa Libertadores de América, the 57th edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, South America's premier international club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.

The finals were contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Ecuadorian team Independiente del Valle and Colombian team Atlético Nacional. As of 2025, this was the last Copa Libertadores finals not to feature a team from either Argentina or Brazil. The first leg was hosted by Independiente del Valle at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito on 20 July 2016, while the second leg was hosted by Atlético Nacional at Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín on 27 July 2016. The winner earned the right to represent CONMEBOL at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the semifinal stage, and also to play against the 2016 Copa Sudamericana winners in the 2017 Recopa Sudamericana. They also automatically qualified for the 2017 Copa Libertadores group stage.

Atlético Nacional defeated Independiente del Valle 2–1 on aggregate to win their second Copa Libertadores title.

Teams

TeamPrevious finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
Ecuador Independiente del ValleNone
Colombia Atlético Nacional2 (1989, 1995)

These finals were the first ones without either an Argentine or a Brazilian team since the 1991 edition between Paraguayan team Olimpia and Chilean team Colo-Colo.

Road to the finals

Note: In all scores below, the score of the home team is given first.

Ecuador Independiente del ValleRoundColombia Atlético Nacional
OpponentVenueScoreOpponentVenueScore
Paraguay Guaraní (tied 2–2 on aggregate, won on away goals)Home1–0First stageBye
Away2–1
Group 5Second stageGroup 4
Chile Colo-ColoHome1–1Argentina HuracánAway0–2
Brazil Atlético MineiroAway1–0Peru Sporting CristalHome3–0
Peru MelgarAway0–1Uruguay PeñarolHome2–0
Peru MelgarHome2–0Uruguay PeñarolAway0–4
Brazil Atlético MineiroHome3–2Peru Sporting CristalAway0–1
Chile Colo-ColoAway0–0Argentina HuracánHome0–0
Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Brazil Atlético Mineiro 6 13 2 Ecuador Independiente del Valle 6 11 3 Chile Colo-Colo 6 9 4 Peru Melgar 6 0Source:Pos Teamvte Pld Pts 1 Colombia Atlético Nacional 6 16 2 Argentina Huracán 6 8 3 Uruguay Peñarol 6 5 4 Peru Sporting Cristal 6 4Source:
PosTeamvtePldPts
1Brazil Atlético Mineiro613
2Ecuador Independiente del Valle611
3Chile Colo-Colo69
4Peru Melgar60
PosTeamvtePldPts
1Colombia Atlético Nacional616
2Argentina Huracán68
3Uruguay Peñarol65
4Peru Sporting Cristal64
Seed 10final stagesSeed 1
Argentina River Plate (won 2–1 on aggregate)Home2–0Round of 16Argentina Huracán (won 4–2 on aggregate)Away0–0
Away1–0Home4–2
Mexico UNAM (tied 3–3 on aggregate, won 5–3 on penalties)Home2–1QuarterfinalsArgentina Rosario Central (won 3–2 on aggregate)Away1–0
Away2–1Home3–1
Argentina Boca Juniors (won 5–3 on aggregate)Home2–1SemifinalsBrazil São Paulo (won 4–1 on aggregate)Away0–2
Away2–3Home2–1

Format

The finals were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, and 30 minutes of extra time would be played. If still tied after extra time, the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the winner.

Matches

First leg

In the 35th minute, Orlando Berrío opened the scoring for Atlético Nacional with a low right foot shot from outside the penalty box to the right corner of the net. Arturo Mina got the equalizer for Independiente del Valle in the 86th minute when his header from a free-kick into the penalty box was saved but not cleared he hit the rebound low to the net.

Independiente del Valle Ecuador1–1Colombia Atlético Nacional
Mina 86'Berrío 35'
Independiente del ValleAtlético Nacional
GK 1 Ecuador Daniel Azcona (c) RB 20 Uruguay Christian Núñez 43' CB 3 Ecuador Arturo Mina CB 4 Ecuador Luís Caicedo 78' LB 23 Uruguay Emiliano Tellechea CM 15 Uruguay Mario Rizotto 57' CM 18 Ecuador Jefferson Orejuela RW 17 Ecuador Julio Angulo 69' AM 10 Ecuador Junior Sornoza LW 11 Ecuador Bryan Cabezas 69' CF 19 Ecuador José Enrique Angulo 86' Substitutes: GK 22 Ecuador Javier Nazareno DF 2 Ecuador Luis Fernando León DF 6 Ecuador Luis Ayala MF 16 Ecuador Jonathan Gonzáles 69' MF 27 Ecuador Dixon Arroyo FW 7 Ecuador Jonny Uchuari 69' FW 25 Ecuador Miller Castillo 86' Manager: Uruguay Pablo RepettoGK 25 Argentina Franco Armani RB 2 Colombia Daniel Bocanegra CB 26 Colombia Davinson Sánchez 79' CB 12 Colombia Alexis Henríquez (c) LB 19 Colombia Farid Díaz CM 8 Colombia Diego Arias CM 24 Colombia Sebastián Pérez 19' 75' RW 28 Colombia Orlando Berrío AM 10 Colombia Macnelly Torres 79' LW 29 Colombia Marlos Moreno 88' CF 23 Colombia Miguel Borja Substitutes: GK 26 Colombia Cristian Bonilla DF 3 Colombia Felipe Aguilar DF 6 Colombia Edwin Velasco MF 11 Colombia Andrés Ibargüen 88' MF 14 Colombia Elkin Blanco 79' MF 18 Venezuela Alejandro Guerra 90+3' 75' FW 4 Argentina Ezequiel Rescaldani Manager: Colombia Reinaldo Rueda
GK1Ecuador Daniel Azcona (c)
RB20Uruguay Christian Núñez43'
CB3Ecuador Arturo Mina
CB4Ecuador Luís Caicedo78'
LB23Uruguay Emiliano Tellechea
CM15Uruguay Mario Rizotto57'
CM18Ecuador Jefferson Orejuela
RW17Ecuador Julio Angulo69'
AM10Ecuador Junior Sornoza
LW11Ecuador Bryan Cabezas69'
CF19Ecuador José Enrique Angulo86'
Substitutes:
GK22Ecuador Javier Nazareno
DF2Ecuador Luis Fernando León
DF6Ecuador Luis Ayala
MF16Ecuador Jonathan Gonzáles69'
MF27Ecuador Dixon Arroyo
FW7Ecuador Jonny Uchuari69'
FW25Ecuador Miller Castillo86'
Manager:
Uruguay Pablo Repetto
GK25Argentina Franco Armani
RB2Colombia Daniel Bocanegra
CB26Colombia Davinson Sánchez79'
CB12Colombia Alexis Henríquez (c)
LB19Colombia Farid Díaz
CM8Colombia Diego Arias
CM24Colombia Sebastián Pérez19'75'
RW28Colombia Orlando Berrío
AM10Colombia Macnelly Torres79'
LW29Colombia Marlos Moreno88'
CF23Colombia Miguel Borja
Substitutes:
GK26Colombia Cristian Bonilla
DF3Colombia Felipe Aguilar
DF6Colombia Edwin Velasco
MF11Colombia Andrés Ibargüen88'
MF14Colombia Elkin Blanco79'
MF18Venezuela Alejandro Guerra90+3'75'
FW4Argentina Ezequiel Rescaldani
Manager:
Colombia Reinaldo Rueda
Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, Ecuador, hosted the first leg.
Assistant referees: Eduardo Cardozo (Paraguay) Milcíades Saldívar (Paraguay) Additional assistant referee: Ulises Mereles (Paraguay) José Méndez (Paraguay) Fourth official: Roberto Cañete (Paraguay)

Second leg

Miguel Borja got the only goal of the game in the 8th minute with a low right foot shot from twelve yards out after Macnelly Torres's chip into the box came back to him off the post.

Atlético Nacional Colombia1–0Ecuador Independiente del Valle
Borja 8'
Atlético NacionalIndependiente del Valle
GK 25 Argentina Franco Armani RB 2 Colombia Daniel Bocanegra CB 26 Colombia Davinson Sánchez CB 12 Colombia Alexis Henríquez (c) LB 19 Colombia Farid Díaz CM 13 Colombia Alexander Mejía CM 18 Venezuela Alejandro Guerra 39' 88' RW 28 Colombia Orlando Berrío AM 10 Colombia Macnelly Torres LW 29 Colombia Marlos Moreno 76' CF 23 Colombia Miguel Borja 73' 80' Substitutes: GK 30 Colombia Luis Enrique Martínez DF 5 Colombia Francisco Nájera DF 6 Colombia Edwin Velasco MF 8 Colombia Diego Arias 88' MF 11 Colombia Andrés Ibargüen 76' MF 22 Colombia Gilberto García FW 4 Argentina Ezequiel Rescaldani 90+2' 80' Manager: Colombia Reinaldo RuedaGK 1 Ecuador Daniel Azcona (c) RB 20 Uruguay Christian Núñez CB 3 Ecuador Arturo Mina CB 4 Ecuador Luís Caicedo LB 23 Uruguay Emiliano Tellechea 87' CM 18 Ecuador Jefferson Orejuela CM 15 Uruguay Mario Rizotto 28' RW 17 Ecuador Julio Angulo 71' AM 10 Ecuador Junior Sornoza 43' 46' LW 11 Ecuador Bryan Cabezas CF 19 Ecuador José Enrique Angulo Substitutes: GK 22 Ecuador Javier Nazareno DF 2 Ecuador Luis Fernando León DF 6 Ecuador Luis Ayala MF 16 Ecuador Jonathan Gonzáles 71' MF 27 Ecuador Dixon Arroyo FW 7 Ecuador Jonny Uchuari 46' FW 25 Ecuador Miller Castillo 87' Manager: Uruguay Pablo Repetto
GK25Argentina Franco Armani
RB2Colombia Daniel Bocanegra
CB26Colombia Davinson Sánchez
CB12Colombia Alexis Henríquez (c)
LB19Colombia Farid Díaz
CM13Colombia Alexander Mejía
CM18Venezuela Alejandro Guerra39'88'
RW28Colombia Orlando Berrío
AM10Colombia Macnelly Torres
LW29Colombia Marlos Moreno76'
CF23Colombia Miguel Borja73'80'
Substitutes:
GK30Colombia Luis Enrique Martínez
DF5Colombia Francisco Nájera
DF6Colombia Edwin Velasco
MF8Colombia Diego Arias88'
MF11Colombia Andrés Ibargüen76'
MF22Colombia Gilberto García
FW4Argentina Ezequiel Rescaldani90+2'80'
Manager:
Colombia Reinaldo Rueda
GK1Ecuador Daniel Azcona (c)
RB20Uruguay Christian Núñez
CB3Ecuador Arturo Mina
CB4Ecuador Luís Caicedo
LB23Uruguay Emiliano Tellechea87'
CM18Ecuador Jefferson Orejuela
CM15Uruguay Mario Rizotto28'
RW17Ecuador Julio Angulo71'
AM10Ecuador Junior Sornoza43'46'
LW11Ecuador Bryan Cabezas
CF19Ecuador José Enrique Angulo
Substitutes:
GK22Ecuador Javier Nazareno
DF2Ecuador Luis Fernando León
DF6Ecuador Luis Ayala
MF16Ecuador Jonathan Gonzáles71'
MF27Ecuador Dixon Arroyo
FW7Ecuador Jonny Uchuari46'
FW25Ecuador Miller Castillo87'
Manager:
Uruguay Pablo Repetto
Estadio Atanasio Girardot in Medellín, Colombia, hosted the second leg.
Assistant referees: Ezequiel Brailovsky (Argentina) Ariel Scime (Argentina) Additional assistant referee: Darío Herrera (Argentina) Germán Delfino (Argentina) Fourth official: Iván Núñez (Argentina)

External links

  • (in Spanish)
  • , CONMEBOL.com (in Spanish)