This week, the most prestigious club tournaments of the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) enter their most thrilling phase, with the start of the Round of 16 in both the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. A total of 32 teams will compete for a spot in the quarterfinals, with Brazilian clubs dominating in both representation and expectations.

In the Copa Libertadores, seven Brazilian teams will be in the spotlight: Gremio, Fluminense, Atlético Mineiro, Botafogo, Palmeiras, Sao Paulo, and Flamengo. These clubs will seek to maintain the dominance Brazil has established in the last seven editions of the tournament, winning six titles, five of them consecutively. Defending champions Fluminense, alongside Gremio, will kick off the Round of 16, promising an intense and emotion-packed phase.

Meanwhile, Argentina has three teams in the Libertadores Round of 16: San Lorenzo, Talleres de Córdoba, and River Plate. The latter will face Talleres in an all-Argentine clash. San Lorenzo, on the other hand, will take on Atlético Mineiro. These teams will aim to break the recent Brazilian stronghold on the trophy and bring the title back to Argentina.

In the Copa Sudamericana, Brazil and Argentina also lead in the number of teams with five each. Boca Juniors, who had to go through a playoff to reach this stage, will face Cruzeiro in what promises to be an electrifying matchup. Racing, the best team in the group stage, will visit Huachipato in Chile, while Lanús will square off against reigning champions Liga de Quito.

Besides the Brazilian and Argentine squads, other South American nations will also be represented in both competitions. Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador will be looking to surprise and advance in these prestigious tournaments, which will conclude on November 30 in Buenos Aires for the Libertadores and December 4 in Montevideo for the Sudamericana.