Cruzeiro return to Libertadores after six years | OneFootball

Cruzeiro mathematically secured, on Saturday night (8), a spot in the G-7 of the Brazilian Championship, guaranteeing their presence in the preliminary rounds of the 2026 Copa Libertadores da América.

The qualification was confirmed before the team even took the field for the 33rd round, due to the results of the round, including São Paulo's defeat to Red Bull Bragantino, which consolidated the Minas Gerais team's position among the top seven in the table.

With their initial goal achieved, Cruzeiro now aims to remain among the top three, which would grant them a direct spot in the group stage of the continental competition.

The club returns to the Libertadores after a six-year absence—their last participation was in 2019, a season that also marked the team's relegation to Série B. Since then, Cruzeiro has undergone a rebuilding process, returning to the national elite in 2023. That year, with a campaign focused on staying in the top division, the club managed to qualify for the Sudamericana, one of the goals set by Ronaldo's management in their first year back in Série A.

Last season, already with Pedro Lourenço in control of the SAF, the goal was to qualify for the Libertadores. The team spent much of the Brazilian Championship in the qualifying zone, but ended up having an inconsistent second half and finished in ninth place, just one point away from the qualification zone for international tournaments, narrowly missing a return to the continent's main competition. The team was also a finalist in the Sudamericana, but ended up as runners-up to Racing, from Argentina.

In 2025, they managed to turn the consistency of their campaign into concrete results, ensuring their return to South America's main club competition. The Raposa are two-time continental champions, having won in 1976 and 1997.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.