The red-black triumph obtained this Sunday (27), against Santos, marked two special events for the nation. Flamengo secured its first victory at Maracanã since returning to the stadium after the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to this important victory, the "Mais Querido" secured a direct spot in next year's Copa Libertadores with a 2-0 victory over Santos, thanks to goals from Guerrero and Diego, key players in the red-and-black team's campaign in this edition of the Brazilian Championship.

The continental competition has undergone some changes to its structure. The qualifying zone through the national championship has increased by two positions, moving from G-4 to G-6, with only the top three teams advancing directly to the group stage. The remaining competitors will proceed to the Libertadores preliminary round.

There could be eight Brazilian participants in the tournament. Grêmio and Atlético-MG, currently fourth in the Brasileirão, will play the second leg of the Copa do Brasil final on Wednesday (30), which also guarantees a direct spot for the champion. If this is the Minas Gerais team, the seventh-place team in the Brazilian Championship will inherit one of the spots for the preliminary stage of the competition for the continent. If the Rio Grande do Sul team confirms the positive result obtained in Mineirão, they will advance directly to the group stage, leaving Atlético in the preliminary round of the Libertadores.

Another Brazilian club that could advance to the biggest tournament in the Americas is Chapecoense. On the same day as the Copa do Brasil final, the Santa Catarina club will play the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional of Colombia. The winning team will also advance directly to the group stage, but without taking away the spots of those qualified through their respective national championships.

An important detail in this edition will be the absence of Mexican teams, who opted out of the competition due to the major changes made by CONMEBOL to its calendar. Starting in 2017, the tournament will be played throughout the year, beginning on February 1st and ending on November 29th. Another change may also occur in the final match, with the possibility of it being played as a single game in a neutral stadium.

Brazil's representatives in the Libertadores will be Flamengo; Palmeiras, who won the national title; and Santos, all already guaranteed their places in the groups. Through the Brazilian Championship, Atlético-MG secured a spot in the preliminary round, with the possibility of advancing directly to the next round if they win the Copa do Brasil title. There are still two more spots up for grabs: 5th and 6th place in the Brasileirão, in addition to the possibility of the continental title for Chapecoense, who will face Alético Nacional of Colombia in the Copa Sudamericana final.

In Argentina, champion Lanús, along with San Lorenzo, Estudiantes, and Godoy Cruz, have already secured their spots in the group stage. Atlético Tucumán advances to the first round, along with the Copa Argentina winner, who is currently in the semifinals.

Three Bolivian clubs will compete for the continent. Sport Boys, winners of this season's Apertura Tournament, and Jorge Wilstermann, champions of the Clausura Tournament, will advance directly to the groups. Meanwhile, The Strongest, the team with the highest score in 2016, will advance to the preliminary round.

Chile's Universidad Católica is also in the groups, holding this season's Clausura Tournament. Another direct spot is up for grabs in the Apertura Tournament, which will conclude only next year. The Copa do Chile champion and the top scorer in both tournaments will also qualify for the Libertadores preliminary round.

In Colombia, Atlético Nacional will also participate in the 2017 edition as the defending champion of the title they won this season. The Apertura Tournament champion, Independiente Medellín, has also qualified for the group stage. Three more spots are up for grabs for the Finalización Tournament winner, as well as the season's top scorers and first- and second-highest scorers.

Ecuador's Barcelona de Guayaquil, champions of the first half of their national championship, are already in the group stage. Second-place Emelec will also be present in the competition. The last spot will go to the country's top scorer in 2016.

The Paraguayan clubs that will move on to the groups are Libertad, champions of the first half of the national championship; Guaraní, who lead the second half of the same; and Olímpia, who qualified for the pre-Libertadores as the highest scorer of the year.

There will be three spots for Peruvian teams, which are still in contention. The top two teams in this season's Decentralized Championship will advance directly to the group stage, while the third-place team will advance to the first stage of the competition.

In Uruguay, the traditional Peñarol, winner of the national championship, and Nacional, runner-up, are already in the group stage. Cerro will advance to the preliminary round with the best points of the season.

Finally, Venezuela's Zamora, champion of the Apertura Tournament, has already guaranteed its place in the 2017 Libertadores groups. Carabobo, the highest scorer in the points race in the country, will go to the preliminary phase. There is still a direct place open for the champion of the Clausura Tournament, whose final will be played between Deportivo Táchira and Zulia this Wednesday (30).

*Collaborated under the supervision of Ricardo Taves