Copa Libertadores 2025 Quarterfinals Kick Off This Week

MIAMI, FL – The Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier football tournament, resumes this week with the quarterfinals featuring the continent’s top eight teams. Despite Brazilian clubs’ recent dominance, half of the competitors come from Argentina, alongside three from Brazil and one from Ecuador.

The opening matchup pits two Argentine teams against each other: Vélez Sarsfield and Racing Club. Vélez boasts one of the tournament’s best defenses, allowing just four goals in eight matches. They advanced by eliminating Brazil’s Fortaleza with a 2-0 home victory after a scoreless draw away. Racing Club, however, stands as a strong contender, having breezed through the group stage and barely defeating Peñarol in the round of 16.

On Wednesday, River Plate faces Palmeiras in another highly anticipated clash. River has looked shaky lately, almost being eliminated by Libertad of Paraguay but managed to survive via penalties. Their opponent, Palmeiras, the tournament favorite, dominated the group stage and comfortably eliminated Universitario from Peru.

An exciting development has come from Liga Universitaria de Quito, the only team not from Brazil or Argentina in the last eight. They impressively sent home last year’s champion, Botafogo. LDU will host São Paulo, who barely avoided elimination in the previous round after a penalty shootout against Atlético Nacional.

The final quarterfinal matchup features Estudiantes de La Plata against Flamengo. The Brazilian side, currently leading the Brasileirao, appears dominant, defeating Internacional de Porto Alegre in the last round. Estudiantes is also struggling in their local league, raising doubts about their ability to compete against their robust Brazilian rivals.

The quarterfinal schedule starts Tuesday, September 19:

– Vélez Sarsfield vs. Racing Club at 6 p.m. Miami time (7 p.m. Buenos Aires, 5 p.m. Bogotá, 4 p.m. Mexico City, 12 a.m. Madrid). Watch on Disney+ (South America), Fox Sports (Argentina), and ESPN (Chile and Peru).

– River Plate vs. Palmeiras at 8:30 p.m. Miami time (9:30 p.m. Buenos Aires, 7:30 p.m. Bogotá, 6:30 p.m. Mexico City, 2:30 a.m. Madrid). Available on Disney+ Premium, Fox Sports, and Telefe (Argentina) and various channels in Brazil and the U.S.

– LDU de Quito vs. São Paulo at 6 p.m. Miami time (7 p.m. Buenos Aires). Viewers can catch this on Disney+ and ESPN (Ecuador, Mexico), and Paramount+ (Brazil).

– Flamengo vs. Estudiantes at 8:30 p.m. Miami time (9:30 p.m. Buenos Aires). Streaming on Disney+ for South America and Fox Sports (Argentina).