The Copa do Atlântico was a football club competition held in 1956, also known as Copa Libertadores 1956. It was played in parallel to the 1956 Taça do Atlântico ("Copa del Atlántico" in Spanish), in which the national teams of Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay participated.

Copa do Atlântico
Organising body
Founded1956
Abolished1956; 68 years ago (1956)
RegionSouth America
Number of teams15
Last champions(None) [note 1]
Most successful club(s)(None)

The competition was organised by three bodies, Argentine, Brazilian and Uruguayan Football Associations, with five teams from each associations taking part of the tournament.[1] The Copa do Atlântico, along with South American Championship of Champions and Copa Aldao, was one of the predecessors of Copa Libertadores, which would be held for the first time in 1960.

Qualified teams

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Association Club Qualification method
  Argentina River Plate 1956 Argentine Primera División champion
Lanús 1956 Primera División 2nd place
Boca Juniors 1956 Primera División 3rd place
Racing 1956 Primera División 4th place
San Lorenzo 1956 Primera División 8th place
  Brazil São Paulo 1956 Torneio Rio – São Paulo champion
Santos 1956 Campeonato Paulista champion
Corinthians 1956 Campeonato Paulista 2nd place
Fluminense 1956 Campeonato Carioca 2nd place
America (RJ) 1956 Campeonato Carioca 5th place
  Uruguay Nacional 1956 Primera División Champion
Peñarol 1956 Primera División 2nd place
Defensor Sporting 1956 Primera División 4th place
Wanderers 1956 Primera División 5th place
Danubio 1956 Primera División 8th place

Tournament

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First stage

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Club #1 Result Club #2 Venue Date
Lanús   5–1   Defensor Sporting Gasómetro, Buenos Aires June 20
Wanderers   2–1   San Lorenzo Centenario, Montevideo June 20
Nacional   0–1   São Paulo Centenario, Montevideo June 23
Corinthians   2–2   Danubio Pacaembu, São Paulo June 23
America (RJ)   2–1   Racing Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro June 23
Santos   4–0   River Plate Vila Belmiro, Santos June 24
Peñarol   0–1   Boca Juniors Centenario, Montevideo June 24

Quarterfinals

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Club #1 Result Club #2 Venue Date
São Paulo   3–1   America (RJ) Pacaembu, São Paulo June 30
Wanderers   0–2   Lanús Centenario, Montevideo June 30
Boca Juniors   3–1   Fluminense Gasómetro, Buenos Aires July 1
Corinthians   4–3   Santos Pacaembu, São Paulo July 4

Semifinals

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Club #1 Result Club #2 Venue Date
Boca Juniors   2–0   Lanús Gasómetro, Buenos Aires July 5
Corinthians   2–0   São Paulo Pacaembu, São Paulo July 7

Finals

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Three matches series, two never played, but one final was played, with Corinthians winning Boca Juniors by 3x2: [note 2]

Leg Club #1 Result Club #2 Venue Date
1 Corinthians   3 x 2   Boca Juniors July 19
2 Corinthians  
  Boca Juniors
3 Corinthians  
  Boca Juniors
Notes
  1. ^ Finals between Boca Juniors (Argentina) and Corinthians (Brazil) suspended and never re-schedulled.
  2. ^ The final between Boca Juniors and Corinthians was to be played as a "best-of-three" series; however, the second and third match were never played, with no champion crowned.[1][2]

Bracket

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Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
                
  Lanús 5
  Defensor Sporting 1
  Lanús 2
  Montevideo Wanderers 0
  Wanderers 2
  San Lorenzo 1
  Lanús 0
  Boca Juniors 2
  Boca Juniors 1
  Peñarol 0
  Boca Juniors 3
  Fluminense 1
???
???
  Boca Juniors 2
  Corinthians 3
  São Paulo 1
  Nacional 0
  São Paulo 3
  América (RJ) 1
  América (RJ) 2
  Racing 1
  São Paulo 0
  Corinthians 2
  Corinthians (p) 2
  Danubio 2
  Corinthians 4
  Santos 3
  Santos 4
  River Plate 0

Top goalscorers

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Rank Name Team Goals
1
  Paulo Pisaneschi   Corinthians
3
  José Borello   Boca Juniors

References

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