Author: Vishwajit Sawant
The Copa Libertadores de Futsal Femenino is an annual tournament held by women’s futsal teams in South America. The competition, organized by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), brings together the best clubs from different countries in the region to compete for the coveted title of continental champion.
The Copa Libertadores de Futsal Femenino was first introduced in 2013 with the aim of promoting and developing women’s futsal in South America. Since its inception, the tournament has gained significant popularity and provided a platform for female futsal players to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level.
The teams taking part in the Women’s Futsal Copa Libertadores are determined by their respective national leagues or qualifying tournaments organized by each country’s soccer association. The number of teams representing each country can vary according to that nation’s overall strength and participation in women’s futsal.
The Women’s Futsal Libertadores Cup 2023 is ready to kick off its eighth edition, featuring the best women’s futsal teams from all over South America. The prestigious tournament, organized by the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), will be held from June 4 to 11, 2023, at the Sports Center of the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, located in Luque, Paraguay.
Format:
The tournament follows a similar format to the men’s Copa Libertadores, with the teams divided into groups for the initial phase, followed by knockout rounds, including the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finally the grand final to determine the champions. The matches will give local fans the chance to watch some top-level futsal action.
The Copa Libertadores Futsal Femenino 2023 features two groups, each made up of five teams. The competition follows a round-robin format, with each team playing against all the others in their respective group. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals, and the winners of the semi-finals will play in the final for the championship title.
Teams:
According to the Rules and Regulations of the Copa Libertadores de Futsal Femenino, there are a total of 10 teams from the 10 Football Associations that can take part in the competition. The eligible associations are: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.
The list of teams from each of the 10 participating Associations is as follows:
| Association | Team | Qualification method |
| Argentina | San Lorenzo | Women’s Futsal Champions (First Division) 2022 |
| Bolivia | Always ready | National Futsal League champions 2022 |
| Brazil | Stein Cascavel | Women’s Futsal League Champions 2022 |
| Chile | Sports Valdivia | Women’s Futsal Champions 2022 |
| Colombia | Capital soccer | Colombia Women’s Tournament Champions 2022 |
| Ecuador | Santa Domingo | Champions of the Ecuadorian Women’s Tournament 2022 |
| Paraguay | Exa Ysaty | Women’s Futsal Super League 2022 champions |
| Peru | Mars Club | Winners of the Women’s Futsal First Division 2022 |
| Uruguay | Peñarol Athletic Club | Champions of the 2022 Senior Women’s Championship |
| Venezuela | Pumas Sports | FUTVE Women’s Futsal League champions |
Groups:
The 10 teams are divided into 2 groups of 5 teams each. They are as follows:
| Group A | Group B |
| Exa Ysaty | Stein Cascavel |
| San Lorenzo | Always ready |
| Santa Domingo | Peñarol Athletic Club |
| Pumas Sports | Sports Valdivia |
| Mars Club | Capital soccer |
Team Brazil:
Stein Cascavel will represent Brazil in the 2023 Copa Libertadores de Futsal Femenino. Stein Cascavel are in Group B of the 2023 edition.
The Brazilian team will start their tournament against Uruguayan club Penarol Athletic Club on June 4. In addition, Stein Cascavel will face Sports Valdivia on June 6 and Always Ready on June 7. Their group stage journey will come to an end when they face Capital Soccer on June 8.
Stein Cascavel secured their place in the tournament after being crowned champions of the Women’s Futsal League 2022. The team will also be one of the favorites for this competition, as they will have the rich history of Brazilian clubs in this tournament.
Brazilian clubs have been the most successful country in the history of the tournament; they have also been champions in all previous editions of the Copa Libertadores de Futsal Femenino. Unochapecó won the first edition of the tournament.
Brazilian club Cheap were champions for two consecutive years, in 2015 and 2016. Unochapecó once again became champions in 2017. Leones Da Serra and Cyanorte were the next Brazilian clubs to have their names engraved on the prestigious trophy in 2018 and 2019. Taboão Magnus are the reigning champions of the Copa Libertadores de Futsal Femenino, having won the tournament in 2022 after a two-year break due to COVID-19.