sport club corinthians paulista in international football

      Sport Club Corinthians Paulista in international football GudangMovies21 Rebahinxxi LK21

      Corinthians, an association football team based in São Paulo, is one of the successful Brazilian clubs in international competitions. They have won two FIFA Club World Cup titles (in 2000 and 2012), one Copa Libertadores (in 2012) and one Recopa Sudamericana (in 2013), for a total of four international trophies.
      Their first participation in international competitions came in 1977, when they qualified for the 18th edition of the Copa Libertadores as the domestic league runner-up. Corinthians then debuted in the Copa Conmebol in 1994, followed by the inaugural editions of the Copa Mercosur and the FIFA Club World Cup in 1998 and 2000, respectively. In 2003, they also competed in the Copa Sudamericana, the successor to the Copa Conmebol.
      With their victory in the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship, Corinthians became the first team to win this FIFA competition. As South American champions in 2012, they contested their second FIFA Club World Cup and their first Recopa Sudamericana, winning both trophies in these appearances. Until 2012, Corinthians were the only club among São Paulo's "Big Four" yet to win South America's premier club competition—Santos, São Paulo, and Palmeiras had won the Copa Libertadores in 1962, 1992, and 1999, respectively.


      History




      = Early decades (1977–99)

      =

      Corinthians first participated in international club competitions in 1977, when they took part in the group stage of the 18th edition of the Copa Libertadores – the highest level of competition in South American club football – as the runners-up in the previous year's Brazilian championship. Their debut was against Internacional, a club that had beaten Corinthians four months earlier in the 1976 national championship finals, at Morumbi Stadium. Right-back Zé Maria scored the first international goal in the club’s history. After a 1–1 draw against Internacional, the team, led by coach Osvaldo Brandão, was defeated 2–1 in both of their away matches against El Nacional and Cuenca, respectively, and suffered a 1–0 defeat to the then Brazilian champions. With no possibility of advancing to the next stage, Corinthians secured their first two victories against Cuenca and El Nacional and finished their debut South American campaign in third place in their group.
      After a 14-year hiatus, Corinthians participated in their second Libertadores in 1991, this time as the Brazilian national football champions. Coached by Nelsinho Baptista and led by midfielder Neto, Corinthians were placed in a group with Flamengo, Nacional de Montevideo and Bella Vista, where they finished as the runner-up. Paired with Boca Juniors in the round of 16, they were beaten 3–1 in the first leg at La Bombonera and were eliminated after a 1–1 draw in the second leg at Morumbi Stadium, with 65,791 spectators in attendance. Two seasons later, Corinthians participated in their first Copa Conmebol in 1994. Coached by Jair Pereira, they made it to the semifinals, where they were defeated by São Paulo, the eventual competition winners, in a penalty shootout after each team won a game. Corinthians returned to the tournament the following season, but they were eliminated by América de Cali in the quarter-finals.
      Corinthians entered the 1996 Libertadores after winning their first Brazilian Cup final win in mid-1995. Coached by Eduardo Amorim and featuring players like Marcelinho Carioca and Edmundo, they finished as group winners over Universidad de Chile, Botafogo and Universidad Católica. In the round of 16, they eliminated Espol and reached the quarter-finals of the Libertadores for the first time in their history. Facing Grêmio, the holders of the 1995 Libertadores, the match felt like a final for Corinthians. In the first leg at Pacaembu Stadium, they were shocked with a 3–0 home defeat. Despite a 1–0 victory away, Corinthians were eliminated on aggregate. Two years later, the club participated in the first edition of the Copa Mercosur, but their campaign ended outside the top two spots in their group.
      After winning their second Brazilian Championship under Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Corinthians reached the 1999 Libertadores. In February, Evaristo de Macedo was hired to lead the club in South America's premier competition. In the group stage, Corinthians faced Cerro Porteño, Olimpia, and their bitter rivals Palmeiras. With players like Carlos Gamarra, Vampeta, Freddy Rincón, Ricardinho, Marcelinho Carioca, Edílson and Fernando Baiano, Corinthians finished as group winners. One of the highlights of that campaign was the 8–2 victory against Cerro Porteño, with Fernando Baiano scoring five goals. After eliminating Jorge Wilstermann in the round of 16, Macedo resigned three days before the quarter-final matches against Palmeiras. Interim coach Oswaldo de Oliveira took charge for both legs at Morumbi. Despite more than 30 shots on target against Palmeiras, Corinthians lost 2–0 in the first leg. In the second leg, Corinthians won 2–0 but were eliminated 4–2 on penalties. That season, the club also participated in their second Copa Mercosur but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by San Lorenzo de Almagro.


      = World Champion Clubs and frustrations in South America (2000–2010)

      =

      One of eight teams participating in the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup in 2000, Corinthians were nominated by the Brazilian Football Confederation as the host country's representative in the new competition. The 1999 Brazilian Championship holders had just claimed their third national league title, with key players such as Dida, Freddy Rincón, Vampeta, Ricardinho, Marcelinho Carioca, Edílson and Luizão. Corinthians began their campaign with a 2–0 victory over African champions Raja by 2–0. In the second round, they secured a 2–2 draw with Real Madrid, with standout performances from Edílson, who scored twice, and goalkeeper Dida, who saved a late penalty from Nicolas Anelka A hard-fought 2–0 victory over Al-Nassr confirmed Corinthians as group winners and sealed their spot in the final in Rio de Janeiro. The opponent was Vasco da Gama, winner of the other group.
      In front of more than 73,000 supporters, most of whom were in favor of the Carioca team, at Maracanã Stadium, the two sides played a match marked by few offensive moves. With the score tied 0–0 after regulation and extra time, the game was decided by a penalty shootout. Rincón, Fernando Baiano, Luizão, and Edu converted the first four penalties for Corinthians, while Dida saved a penalty from Gilberto. Although Marcelinho Carioca missed his penalty and was denied by Vasco goalkeeper Helton, Edmundo also missed for Vasco. Corinthians won 4–3 and were crowned the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup champions. The title also marked their first international trophy in the club's history.
      Four weeks later, Corinthians began their 2000 Copa Libertadores journey with high expectations, hoping to finally claim South America's most prestigious club trophy, a long-time obsession for their supporters, players, and staff alike. However, the club struggled to top their group, which included América, Olimpia and LDU Quito. They eliminated Racing Avellaneda in the round of 16 and Atlético Mineiro in the quarter-finals to reach their first Copa Libertadores semi-final. Their opponent was rival Palmeiras, who had been a tormentor in previous Libertadores edition. In the first leg, Corinthians triumphed 4–3 with a late goal from Vampeta. However, after a 3–2 loss in the second leg, they were eliminated by penalties, with Corinthians idol Marcelinho Carioca missing the decisive spot-kick.
      Following this painful exit from the Libertadores, Corinthians also had a disappointing campaign in the Copa Mercosur that season. After starting the competition under coach Oswaldo Alvarez and finishing with Candinho at the helm, Corinthians failed to win any of their six matches, finishing last in their group. Under coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Corinthians reached the semi-finals of the Copa Mercosur the following year, where they were eliminated by San Lorenzo de Almagro after a 2–1 win at home and a heavy 4–1 defeat away.
      In 2002, Corinthians won their second Brazilian Cup and qualified for the 2003 Copa Libertadores. In a group with Cruz Azul, Fénix and The Strongest, the Corinthians squad, coached by Geninho, finished the group stage with the best record, winning five of their six matches. In the round of 16, they faced River Plate. After taking the lead at Monumental de Nuñez, Corinthians were provoked by River's tactics, which led to a red card and two late goals from the hosts. The return leg at Morumbi followed a similar script. Corinthians scored first but again lost their composure, suffering a 2–1 defeat and being eliminated. Corinthians also participated in the Copa Sudamericana that year, a competition that replaced the Copa Mercosur, but were eliminated in the preliminary phase. They returned to the tournament two years later, but were eliminated by Pumas UNAM in the quarter-finals.
      Corinthians secured their fourth Brazilian league title in 2005, earning a spot i the 2006 Copa Libertadores. With a squad assembled by Media Sports Investment, which included players like Carlos Tevez, Javier Mascherano and Carlos Alberto, the team, initially coached by Daniel Passarella, later hired Antonio Lopes after Passarella's departure. Corinthians finished first in their group, which included Tigres UANL, Universidad Católica and Deportivo Cali. In the round of 16, they faced River Plate, the club that had eliminated them three years earlier. A 3–2 loss away in the first leg was marred by two controversial decisions by referee Carlos Amarilla, who disallowed a legitimate goal by Tévez and sent off Mascherano for a non-existent foul. In the return leg at Pacaembu, Corinthians took the lead but lost 3–1, suffering three goals in 25 minutes. The match ended in chaos, with irate Corinthians fans invading the pitch, prompting the police to intervene and the game to be called off before the 90th minute. Months later, under coach Emerson Leão, the club was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Copa Sudamericana that season by Lanús.
      Corinthians’ disastrous 2007 season, which saw them relegated to the Brazilian second division the following year, was preceded by a poor campaign in the Copa Sudamericana.
      After earning promotion back to the top flight in 2009, Corinthians, coached by Mano Menezes and featuring striker Ronaldo, won their third Brazilian Cup and qualified for the 2010 Copa Libertadores. Also featuring Roberto Carlos in their ranks, the club aimed to win South America's premier competition to celebrate their centenary. Corinthians progressed through the group stage, defeating Racing Montevideo, Independiente Medellín and Cerro Porteño, finishing as group winners with five wins and one draw in six matches, thus guaranteeing the best campaign among the 16 classified for the knockout stage. In the round of 16, they faced Flamengo. Despite a 1–0 loss at Maracanã, Corinthians’ 2–1 win at home was not enough to prevent elimination on the away goals rule. After Menezes was appointed as the Brazil national football team manager, Corinthians hired Tite as their new coach. Sitting third in the Brazilian league, the club qualified for the 2011 Copa Libertadores preliminary stage. Paired with Tolima, Corinthians drew 0–0 in the first leg at home but were eliminated after a 2–0 loss in Ibagué.


      = The first Libertadores and world champion again (2012–2016)

      =

      Despite suffering the most embarrassing Libertadores defeat in their history, Corinthians retained Tite as their coach. They clinched their fifth Brazilian national championship on a day when Socrates, one of their former stars, died, and secured a spot in the 2012 Copa Libertadores group stage. Their campaign began in a group that included Deportivo Táchira, Nacional Asunción, and Cruz Azul. They qualified for the knockout phase as group winners, achieving four wins and two draws in six matches. Having the second-best campaign among the 16 qualified teams, Corinthians faced Emelec, who had the second-worst record among the runners-up, in the round of 16. With Cássio making his debut in the starting lineup, a goalless first leg in Guayaquil postponed the decision to the Pacaembu Stadium, where Fábio Santos, Paulinho and Alex ensured a 3–0 victory to advance Corinthians to the next round. The quarter-final matchup against Vasco da Gama was set as part of the fixed bracket produced by the round of 16 pairings. In Rio de Janeiro, a goalless draw in the first leg left the Paulistas needing to win to qualify; any draw with goals would favor the Cariocas under the away goals rule. At Pacaembu, the game featured more crunching tackles than clear-cut chances. Vasco had two good opportunities in the second half when Diego Souza broke clear of the Corinthians defense but had his effort saved by Cássio; then Nilton headed against the post. Instead, Paulinho rose to head in a corner in the 87th minute, giving Corinthians a 1–0 victory and advancing them to the semi-finals for the first time since 2000.
      Corinthians faced the holders, Santos, and won the first leg 1–0 at Vila Belmiro Stadium, where Emerson scored a brilliant goal in a match marred by a 20-minute delay due to a power outage in the 82nd minute. At home, Corinthians found themselves at a disadvantage when Neymar opened the scoring for Santos in the 35th minute, but they equalized just two minutes into the second half when Alex swung over a free kick that fell to Danilo, who sidefooted it into the goal. This 1–1 draw edged out compatriots Santos on aggregate and put Corinthians in the Libertadores finals for the first time in their history. The other finalists were six-time winners Boca Juniors, who had eliminated Universidad de Chile in the other semi-final. At La Bombonera in Buenos Aires, Facundo Roncaglia put Boca ahead in the 72nd minute, but substitute Romarinho gathered a pass and lobbed a perfectly weighted shot over fallen Boca goalkeeper Agustín Orión six minutes from time, resulting in a 1–1 away draw in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores finals. At a packed Pacaembu Stadium, Corinthians took the lead in the 54th minute when Emerson capitalized on playmaker Danilo's back-heel after Boca's defense failed to clear the ball from a free kick. In the 72nd minute, Boca came close with a header that was saved by Cássio, but just seconds later, Rolando Schiavi lost the ball, allowing Emerson to sprint 45 yards and slot it home. Corinthians secured a 2–0 win in the second leg (3–1 on aggregate), claiming their first Copa Libertadores title. The result also meant Corinthians went through the competition unbeaten, finishing with eight wins and six draws, and became the sixth club to win the Libertadores after an uninterrupted sequence of success, following Peñarol (7-streak games in 1960), Santos (4-streak games in 1963), Independiente (7-streak games in 1964), Estudiantes (4-streak games both in 1969 and 1970) and Boca Juniors (6-streak games in 1978). The club conceded only four goals in 14 games.

      Twelve years after winning the inaugural event in Brazil, Corinthians traveled to Japan for the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup. São Paulo's main airport was invaded by 15,000 supporters, who gave a loud send-off to the Corinthians squad before their departure. A similar number of fans made the trip to Japan to support their team. Corinthians entered as semi-finalists and played against Al-Ahly, who had eliminated Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the quarter-finals. At Toyota Stadium, the Brazilian club secured their spot in the Club World Cup final after defeating the African champions 1–0, with Douglas sending a superb cross into the box that Paolo Guerrero headed into the net of Al-Ahly goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy in the 29th minute. The other finalist was Chelsea, who beat Monterrey in the other semi-final. About 30,000 Corinthians fans cheered and supported the team in the final at Yokohama International Stadium, which hosted 68,275 spectators. In the first 45 minutes, the Corinthians-Chelsea match featured chances at both ends. However, Chelsea looked more dangerous when Gary Cahill and Victor Moses missed good opportunities, both denied by brilliant saves from goalkeeper Cassio. In the 69th minute, Corinthians took the lead when Paulinho collected a pass and entered the penalty area. The ball fell to Danilo, who cut inside and saw his shot loop off Cahill before Guerrero headed in the loose ball from five yards off the underside of the bar, despite two Chelsea players on the line. Four minutes from time, Fernando Torres had a glorious chance to level when he was one-on-one with Cássio but shot right at the keeper. The 1–0 win crowned Corinthians FIFA World Club Champions for the second time in their history and made them one of only two teams (at that time), along with FC Barcelona, to have won the title twice. Cássio’s outstanding performance earned him the tournament MVP award.
      No longer carrying the burden of winning the Libertadores, Corinthians began their next international season with a guaranteed spot as holders in the group stage of the 22013 South American tournament. The 1–1 draw away in their opening game against San José in Oruro was overshadowed by the death of Kevin Beltrán Spada, a victim of a flare shot at the Jesús Bermúdez Stadium. Since the incident was provoked by Corinthians fans, the Brazilian club was punished by CONMEBOL and forced to play behind closed doors against Millonarios at Pacaembu. The defending champions advanced to the round of 16 as group winners. Facing Boca Juniors away in the first leg, Corinthians were defeated 1–0. At Pacaembu, Román Riquelme opened the scoring in the 25th minute, and Paulinho equalized early in the second half. Corinthians needed to score two more times to advance but failed to do so, and the 1–1 draw at home eliminated the holders. However, Carlos Amarilla's refereeing was loudly criticized by the Brazilian side, who complained especially about two disallowed goals and two alleged penalties ignored by the Paraguayan referee. According to recordings of phone conversations between Argentine officials revealed two years after the match by Argentina’s America TV channel, Amarilla had been selected to help Boca. In one of the recordings, Argentine football godfather Julio Grondona, then president of the Argentine Football Association, hinted that “the guy who gave Boca the best support it had last year was [referee Carlos] Amarilla". Despite the frustration of being eliminated from the Libertadores, Corinthians ended their continental season by contesting the 2013 Recopa Sudamericana against São Paulo, the holders of the 2012 Copa Sudamericana, in July. Corinthians won the first leg 2–1 away and the second leg 2–0 at home, becoming champions of this competition for the first time.
      After a season without qualifying for South American competitions, Corinthians earned a spot in the qualifying round of the 2015 Copa Libertadores. They won 4–0 against Once Caldas in the first international club competition match at Arena Corinthians and drew 0–0 away, reaching the group stage, where they faced São Paulo, Danubio and defending champions San Lorenzo de Almagro. A strong campaign in this stage guaranteed first place for Corinthians, but they were subsequently knocked out in the round of 16 after a surprising 3–0 defeat on aggregate against Guaraní. Around six months later, Corinthians were crowned Brazilian champions for the sixth time, securing their place in the Libertadores in the following season. The club won their group, which included Cerro Porteño, Independiente Santa Fe and Cobresal. However, in the round of 16, they were knocked out on the away goals rule after two draws against Nacional de Montevideo. Soon after this matchup, Tite left Corinthians to coach the Brazil national football team.


      = Recent years (2017–present)

      =
      After the departure of their most successful coach, Corinthians initially hired outside candidates until giving a chance to Tite's former assistant, Fabio Carille. His first international competition was the 2017 Copa Sudamericana, in which Corinthians were eliminated in the round of 16 after two draws on aggregate against Racing Avellaneda. The club secured a place in the 2018 Copa Libertadores group stage by winning their seventh Brazilian championship title. Despite finishing first in the group stage, Corinthians only managed to defeat Deportivo Lara at home, losing two matches against Independiente and Millonarios—this last one under new coach Osmar Loss, who took over after Carille's departure. Corinthians then faced Colo-Colo in the round of 16; after a 1–0 loss in Santiago, a 3–1 victory at home was insufficient to avoid elimination under the away goals rule.
      With Carille back in charge the following season, Corinthians reached the semi-finals of the 2019 Copa Sudamericana, where they were defeated by Independiente del Valle. They qualified for the preliminary round of the 2020 Copa Libertadores but were eliminated by Guaraní after a 2–2 aggregate score, with the Paraguayan side advancing on the away goals rule. Their participation in the 2021 Copa Sudamericana was short-lived, as Corinthians finished outside the top place in their group, which included a 4–0 away defeat against Peñarol—the club's heaviest loss in South America at that time.
      Qualified for the Copa Libertadores in the following season, Corinthians hired Portuguese coach Vítor Pereira to replace Sylvinho, who was fired at the beginning of February due to poor results. Although they reached their first quarter-finals spot since 2012 after a heroic triumph on penalties against Boca Juniors at La Bombonera, Corinthians faced many difficulties throughout the competition, particularly with injured starting players and a lack of a clear game planplan. They were beaten by Flamengo 0–3 on aggregate, winning only two of ten matches and scoring five goals during their campaign.
      Returning to the Libertadores in 2023, the club from Parque São Jorge had a disappointing campaign in the group stage and failed to advance to the knockout rounds. Fernando Lázaro started as coach but was fired after the second match and replaced by Vanderlei Luxemburgo. Despite their early elimination from the Libertadores, they secured a spot in the Copa Sudamericana playoffs, where they reached the semifinals but were eliminated by Fortaleza with a 1–3 aggregate score – their final match being coached by Mano Menezes. In the following season, Corinthians returned to the Copa Sudamericana, but once again, the team – coached by António Oliveira during the group stage and by Ramon Diaz in the knockout rounds – was stopped in the semifinals, eliminated by Racing Avellaneda with a 3–4 aggregate score over two legs.


      Records


      As of 5 December 2024

      Key


      = Team, coaches and players

      =

      First match: 1–1 vs Internacional, 1977 Copa Libertadores group stage, at Morumbi Stadium (3 April 1977).
      First goal: Zé Maria, against Internacional, 1977 Copa Libertadores group stage, at Morumbi Stadium (3 April 1977).
      Biggest home win: 8–2 vs Cerro Porteño, 1999 Copa Libertadores group stage, at Pacaembu Stadium (10 March 1999).
      Biggest away win: 2–7 vs Deportivo Lara, 2018 Copa Libertadores group stage, at Metropolitano de Lara (17 May 2018).
      Biggest home loss: 0–4 vs Cruzeiro, 2001 Copa Mercorsur group stage, at Pacaembu Stadium (17 October 2001).
      Biggest away loss: 0–4 vs Peñarol, 2021 Copa Sudamericana group stage, at (13 May 2021).
      Record home attendance: 94,239 fans vs Internacional, in the 1977 Libertadores group stage, at Morumbi Stadium (3 April 1977).
      Player with most total appearances: Cássio, 90.
      Player with most goals scored: Luizão, 22.
      Coach with most matches: Tite, 48.
      Coach with most titles: Tite, 3.


      = By season

      =


      = By competition

      =


      = Finals

      =
      Matches won after regular time (90 minutes of play), extra-time (aet) or a penalty shootout (p) are highlighted in green, while losses are highlighted in red.


      Honours




      See also



      Football in Brazil


      References




      Bibliography

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