Conmebol confirmed two new guest teams for the next edition, what are they?

This Tuesday, April 5, the group stage of the Copa Libertadores 2022 began in which the only Colombian representatives will be Deportivo Cali, which started by beating Boca Juniors from Argentina, and Deportes Tolima, which debuted with a defeat in Ibagué against Atlético Mineiro from Brazil.

And with all eyes on the most important cup on the continent, the president of Conmebol, Alejandro Domínguez, made an announcement that surprised everyone and that left more open than ever the possibility of the return of the Mexican clubs to the Libertadores from the next edition of the cup.

Already at the Fifa congress held in Doha, Qatar, in which the first phase of the next world cup was drawn, it had been reported that Domínguez would be looking for a modification for the year 2023 that few expected in the Copa Libertadores.

The modification that the president of Conmebol would like is for the Mexican teams to return to the competition, taking into account that Mexico has not participated in the Copa Libertadores since 2017. And that while it did, it was one of the countries protagonists of the Cup, playing three finals with Cruz Azul, Chivas and Tigres as their representatives.

But the communication that attracted attention in the last few hours was that Domínguez appeared in a video posted on the official account of the Mexican club Pachuca in which he shows his closeness to Jesús Martínez, owner of Grupo Pachuca, and in which he directly invites the team to participate in the next Copa Libertadores de América.

“I reiterate my participation so that you can cheer up and play the Copa Libertadores”assured the president of Conmebol addressing Martínez, letting it be known that it is not the first time that this courtesy has been carried out so that the Tuzos participate in the most important club tournament on the continent.

What’s more, Domínguez made it clear that he would like to see Pachuca put their name among the historic champions of the Libertadores, just as they once did in the Copa Sudamericana, when in 2006 I know that he was crowned champion of the second Conmebol competition, defeating Colo Colo in Santiago de Chile.

But Alejandro Domínguez’s invitation would be for two Mexican teams to be part of the next edition of the cup. For what has begun to be said that the other guest, who would accompany the ‘Tuzos’, would be the León club, which also belongs to the Pachuca Group.

And although Mexican journalists and fans have celebrated the decision and hope that it can be accepted. In South America, opinions have been divided. On the one hand, there are many who want Mexico to return to play the Libertadores, but it is also criticized that Domínguez allows them to return through an invitation and not qualifying for the contest as all South American teams do. What for many is to take away the seriousness of a cup that has been played continuously since 1960.

Now all that remains is for Concacaf, the confederation to which Mexican soccer belongs, to approve the invitation and calendars can be modified so that the long-awaited return of Mexicans to the prestigious Copa Libertadores de América takes place.