Flamengo became champion of South America on Saturday as two goals in three minutes snatched victory for the Brazilian team. Gabriel Barbosa scored both the goals for the Brazilian team. River Plate was minutes away from defending the prestigious tournament but the force was with Flamengo who stunned the Argentinian side with two late goals.
Former Bayern Munich full-back Rafinha was also part of the Flamengo team that beat River Plate to win the Copa Libertadores. In doing so, Rafinha became just the 10th player to win both the Copa Libertadores and the UEFA Champions League. Let’s take a look at the other nine players who have achieved this monumental feat.
DIDA (Brazil)
UCL – AC Milan (2003, 2007)
Copa Libertadores - Cruzeiro (1997)
Nelson de Jesus Silva, better known as Dida is hailed as one of the best Brazilian goalkeepers ever. He is remembered for his crucial role in AC Milan’s side that was at it’s prime in the early 2000s. Before winning the Champions League with Milan, he won the Copa Libertadores with Cruzeiro in 1997.
CAFU (Brazil)
UCL – AC Milan (2007)
Copa Libertadores – Sao Paolo (1992, 1993)
Most capped Brazilian player of all time, Cafu is the only player to have appeared in three consecutive World Cup finals, winning the 1992 & 2002 editions. He was a part of the Sao Polo squad that won Copa Libertadores consecutively in 1992 & 1993. He also won the Champions League with AC Milan in 2007.
UCL – Juventus (1996)
Copa Libertadores – River Plate (1996)
The 1995-96 season was a season to remember for him as he won the Champions League and the Copa Libertadores in the same season. Juventus signed him in 1995 after he captained the Argentina NT to the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship. He wasn’t able to fit in at Juventus and returned to Argentina and won the Copa Libertadores with River Plate in the same year.
JOSE VITOR ROQUE JR. (Brazil)
UCL – AC Milan (2003)
Copa Libertadores – Palmeiras (1999)
Roque Jr. was a part of AC Milan’s UCL winning squad in 2003. Previously he spent five seasons at Palmeiras and was a part of their Copa winning squad in 1999.
CARLOS TEVEZ (Argentina)
UCL – Manchester United (2008)
Copa Libertadores – Boca Juniors (2003)
The Boca Juniors forward, Tevez had a successful career in Europe as well as South America. He won the Copa Libertadores with Boca Juniors in 2003. Five years later, he won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008. This is his third spell at Boca.
UCL – Inter Milan (2010)
Copa Libertadores – Boca Juniors (2000)
Walter Samuel played a key role in Inter’s treble success in 2010. He formed a formidable partnership with Lucio in defense under Mourinho. He won the Copa Libertadores with Boca Juniors in his last season in Argentina.
UCL – Barcelona (2006)
Copa Libertadores – Atletico Mineiro (2013)
Regarded as one of the best footballers to grace the pitch, Ronaldinho earned numerous awards and trophies throughout his career. He was at his prime in Barcelona where he won the Champions League in 2006. He went back to Brazil in 2011 and signed for Flamengo. Next season he joined Atletico Mineiro and won the Copa Libertadores with them.
UCL – Barcelona (2015)
Copa Libertadores – Santos (2011)
The PSG forward scored an impressive 54 goals in over 100 appearances for Santos. He won the Copa Libertadores with them in 2011. He signed for Barcelona and won the Champions League with them in the 2014-15 season. He formed a formidable trio famously known as “MSN” at Barcelona and won several trophies in Spain before joining PSG.
UCL – Real Madrid (2016, 2017)
Copa Libertadores – Santos (2011)
The 28-year old right-back, Danilo was a part of the Santos squad that won Copa Libertadores in 2011. He signed for Real Madrid and won the Champions League twice in 2016 & 2017 with the Spanish giants. He signed for Manchester City in 2017 and after two seasons, he is now plying his trade with Juventus in Italy.
UCL – Bayern Munich (2013)
Copa Libertadores – (2019)
The former Bayern Munich right-back won the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo yesterday and is the latest player to join the exclusive list of players to win both Copa Libertadores and the Champions League. He spent eight seasons at Bayern and won the Champions League with them in 2013.
