CONMEBOL is considering promoting the return of CONCACAF clubs to the Libertadores in upcoming editions. The idea has not been formalized yet, but a proposal is already under evaluation that would allow teams from Liga MX (Mexico) and Major League Soccer (MLS, United States) to participate.
According to information circulating behind the scenes, the initial plan considers the entry of four clubs from North America into the main club competition in South America. There would be two Mexican teams and two North American teams, once again expanding the presence of CONCACAF representatives in the tournament.
The possibility marks an important change in the Libertadores scenario. For decades, the competition was disputed essentially by clubs affiliated with South American associations, but Mexican teams participated in the tournament for several years and even reached decisive phases.
The proposal under discussion provides that each country would have two teams, but the qualification criteria are not yet fully defined. One possibility is that one spot would be reserved by invitation, while the other would be won by sports merit.
In practice, this would allow a historically prominent or commercially significant club to be chosen directly, while another representative would have to guarantee its classification on the field, according to criteria that still need to be established.
The same model would be considered for MLS clubs. In this way, Mexico and the United States could have representatives in the Libertadores without necessarily depending exclusively on a traditional classification within their respective championships.
However, this is just one possibility under analysis. There is no official confirmation yet that CONMEBOL will adopt this format.
One of the main points of discussion involves the number of participants. If four CONCACAF clubs are incorporated into the tournament, it will be necessary to define how these spots will be created.
One alternative would be to reduce the number of spots allocated to South American associations. In this scenario, some federations could lose representatives in the competition, which would certainly provoke debate among CONMEBOL member countries.
Another possibility would be to increase the total number of participants in the Libertadores. Thus, Mexican and North American clubs could be added without directly removing spots from South American countries.
This second option, however, would also require changes to the competition format, calendar, and game logistics. The Libertadores already has an extensive structure, with preliminary phases, group stages, and knockout phases, and any expansion would need to be carefully planned.
Mexico's presence in the Libertadores would not be a novelty. Liga MX clubs regularly participated in the competition for years and achieved expressive results.
Mexican teams reached finals and semifinals, demonstrating that the country's football had the capacity to compete at a high level against the main South American clubs.
The Mexicans' departure occurred mainly due to changes in the calendar and difficulties in reconciling CONMEBOL-organized competitions with the CONCACAF calendar.
A possible return would therefore represent the resumption of a relationship that was already part of the Libertadores' recent history.