2018 Copa Sudamericana
The 2018 Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana was the 17th edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana (also referred to as the Copa Sudamericana, or Portuguese: Copa Sul-Americana), South America's secondary club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.
| Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Dates | 13 February – 12 December 2018 |
| Teams | 44+10 (from 10 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Atlético Paranaense (1st title) |
| Runners-up | Junior |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 106 |
| Goals scored | 226 (2.13 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Nicolás Benedetti Pablo (5 goals each) |
Brazilian club Atlético Paranaense defeated Colombian club Junior by 4–3 on penalties in the finals after a 2–2 draw on aggregate score to win their first tournament title. As champions, Atlético Paranaense earned the right to play against the winners of the 2018 Copa Libertadores in the 2019 Recopa Sudamericana, and the winners of the 2018 J.League Cup in the 2019 J.League Cup / Copa Sudamericana Championship. They also automatically qualified for the 2019 Copa Libertadores group stage. Independiente were the defending champions, but did not play in this edition as they qualified for the 2018 Copa Libertadores group stage as Copa Sudamericana champions and later advanced to the knockout stage.