The Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana are entering their crucial last stages for their 2024 tournaments. The semifinals for South America’s biggest football competitions are set for the end of October, but which teams are bidding for the trophies? Who are the favorites? Here’s everything you need to know.

Copa Libertadores

River Plate v. Atlético Mineiro

Marcelo Gallardo’s return to River Plate proved a big enough spark as the Millonario became the last Argentine team surviving in the competition. El Muñeco saw River progress into the semis for the first time since he did it himself in 2020, a silver lining for a team that has struggled to contend in the Primera División, sitting sixth with 24 points and 9 off the top.

Its rival will be perennial Libertadores contender Atlético Mineiro. The Brazilian side has also struggled locally  — currently ninth in the Brazilian Serie A, 20 points off leaders Botafogo, albeit with two games less — but it’s in a much tighter spot than River, facing Vasco da Gama in the Brazilian Cup semis.

The Galo (the rooster) is led by another Argentine coach, Gabriel Milito. “River has a great coach who returned to his club, who has an impressive history behind him, and who has a very competitive winning mentality,” he said about Gallardo, a coach who has beaten him in five of nine matches against each other.

The first leg of the series will be played on October 22 in Brazil while the return game will kick off on October 29 at River’s Monumental

Peñarol v. Botafogo

The historic Uruguayan side — its win at the inaugural Libertadores in 1960 was the first of five — was nowhere near the favorites for the tournament. However, it defeated a much more fancied Flamengo to reach a Libertadores semi-final for the first time in 13 years. With the team comfortably leading the Uruguayan league with 65 points, seven ahead of historic rivals Nacional, the Manya fans are living a dream and looking to repeat their historic 2011 season, when they went all the way to the final before losing to the Neymar-led Santos.

It’s quite a different tale for rivals Botafogo. A club best remembered for its glory days in the 1950s and ’60s, Fogao is experiencing a renaissance under the ownership of American businessman John Textor. 

A title collapse in 2023 — it wasted a 13-point lead built over 31 out of 38 tournament fixtures — was a stumble, but ending the 51-year wait for Copa Libertadores semis shows its progress. Leading the Brazilian league with 56 points, fans will hope they can pull a league and cup double for a first major title since 1995.

The series will open in Rio de Janeiro on October 23 and the second leg will be played in Uruguay on October 30.

Copa Sudamericana

Racing Club v. Corinthians

Argentina’s Academia is another team making a historic return to international heights. The side coached by club legend Gustavo Costas has been on patchy form in the Primera División — eight on 24 points — but a first international semi-final since 1997 should make up for it. 

It’s been 36 years since Racing’s last international title, but Costas isn’t shying away. “We have to dream about the Cup,” he said after the game. “I don’t know if we are candidates, but if we are united we have a better chance.”

Another Argentine coach doing wonders internationally is Ramón Díaz for Corinthians. The Brazilian team was fighting against relegation when he arrived and sitting last, but the former River boss has taken the Timao into the Brazilian Cup semis, clawed its way out of the relegation zone, and is now in the running for an international title.

Corinthians will host the first game on October 24, with the return leg at Racing’s El Cilindro Stadium on October 31.

Lanús v. Cruzeiro

It took Lanús blood, sweat, and tears but will play its third Sudamericana semifinal in 11 years after beating Colombia’s DIM in a penalty shootout. It’s a boon for coach Ricardo Zielinski, whose team sits 15th amid a five-match losing streak and looking set to miss out on next year’s international competitions. It will face Brazil’s Cruzeiro, who eliminated Boca Juniors in the round of 16.

Fernando Diniz was announced as Cruzeiro’s head coach days ahead of the quarter-finals second leg against Paraguay’s Libertad — the 2-0 away win in the first leg proved enough to carry over Diniz’s debut, which ended with a 1-1 tie on September 26. 

With Cruzeiso in seventh place in the Brazilian league and out of the national cup, Sudamericana glory may be Diniz’s only shot at first-season success. The former Brazil boss made history by winning Fluminense its first-ever Copa Libertadores in 2023 but was sacked just six months later, with the Tricolor embroiled in a relegation scrap.Lanús will visit Cruzeiro’s Mineirao on October 23 and host the second leg on October 30.