Fernando Romero Nuñez It wasn’t the ending Argentine football fans had in mind when the Monumental stadium was chosen as the venue for the final match of the 2024 Copa Libertadores. Despite high hopes for some local representatives, two Brazilian teams ended up in the final game of South America’s most important tournament. Nonetheless, Buenos Aires woke up dressed in black and white on Saturday, the traditional colors of Botafogo and Atlético Minerio as the two teams faced off to see who would emerge victorious.
The crowning event of South American football was played in a stadium packed with Brazilian fans who saw Botafogo reach the pinnacle of its history by beating Atlético Mineiro 3-1 to claim its first ever Copa Libertadores.
The day Buenos Aires dressed in black and white
Many of the over 40,000 Brazilians who arrived in the city spent several days experiencing the Argentine capital before the match. In their saying, Buenos Aires gets high marks for its culture and sights.
“It’s a city with a great architecture, very beautiful, and with a lot of personality,” Mineiro fan Mario S. told the Herald, adding that the people were very kind. He travelled from his native Belo Horizonte to Buenos Aires to witness his first ever Copa Libertadores final, having previously missed his team’s first appearance in 2013.
The trip, however, was not all good news. Several of the Brazilian tourists complained about Buenos Aires’ prices in restaurants and cafés. On Thursday, a Botafogo fan shared his amazement over paying 114 reais (around US$20) for a quick snack of a coffee and a piece of cheesecake.
Organizers Conmebol had the challenge of creating a Buenos Aires final with no Argentine representatives, making the host city stand out amid the colorful Brazilian footballing culture. Despite being held at one of the Argentine capital’s premiere footballing venues, the match failed to captivate the interest of local fans, with few neutrals in the stands.
The opening ceremony paid tribute to Buenos Aires’ tango culture, with an accordion version of the Copa Libertadores anthem. The rest, however, focused on the regional and cultural differences between both sets of fans. Brazilian rapper Djonga fired up Mineiro fans, while host and humorist Marcelo Adnet did the same for the Botafogo crowd.
Botafogo fans, who completed their section of the Monumental and even filled up their own Nilton Santos stadium back home with fans attending to watch the broadcast, showed up with an impressive tifo, a huge mosaic of the club’s flag done holding colored paper pieces. But it was the Mineiro fans who proved the noisier crowd early on, with deafening cheers when their team was introduced.
A game of two halves
Much of the game was marked by the minute-one sending off of Botafogo midfielder Gregore da Silva, who just 29 seconds in put his studs into Mineiro’s Fausto Vera.
At a disadvantage so early on, Botafogo looked to defend deep and use the speed of its attackers to counter. Mineiro kept possession of the ball, but was unable to break down the defence.
Despite being one man down, Botafogo managed to hit first. In the 35th minute, striker Luiz Henrique da Silva took advantage of a poor rejection from a shot to slot it in from inside the six yard box.
The goal seemed to shock Mineiro’s players, who allowed their rivals to take control of the game. Nine minutes after the first goal, goalkeeper Everson Pires went out to pick up a loose ball and ended up clipping attacker Luiz Henrique while defender Guilherme Arana was trying to fend him off. After a VAR review, referee Facundo Tello gave a penalty and defender Alex Telles secured the 2-0.
Atlético Mineiro came out of half time determined to make its numbers advantage count, and quickly got one back. In the 46th minute, substitute striker Eduardo Vargas scored a header from a Hulk da Souza corner for 2-1.
The goal fired up Mineiro, and its players started creating big chances. In the 63rd minute, Hulk received the ball on the right and darted left past his defender for a shot, forcing a great save by goalkeeper John Victor.
Vargas went from hero to villain late in the second half. After scoring Mineiro’s first goal, he went on to miss two clear chances to tie the game. He sent a point blank chance over the bar in the 85th minute, then tried to chip John Victor two minutes later.
In the final minute of added time, Botafogo landed the winning blow.
With Mineiro all in to tie the game, striker Júnior Santos dribbled past two defenders and then picked up the rebound from his cross to make it 3-1 and seal the deal.
“Today was one of the biggest games in my life,” Qatar 2022-winner with the Argentina national team and Botafogo striker Thiago Almada said after the game. “We’ll celebrate with our family, our friends and our fans.”
“I think we were the best team of the Libertadores. No rival bested us in the whole tournament, and I think we’re deserving winners. Today we were one man short and we played an intelligent game, showing our character.”
Botafogo’s first Copa Libertadores is only the second international title the team has one after the 1993 Copa Conmebol. It became the last of Brazil’s big 12 teams to win the competition, and sealed its ticket to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.