- The left-back won the title in 2002 with Olimpia (PAR)
- Eight players and two coaches could repeat the feat 24 years later
The number of Brazilian clubs winning the CONMEBOL Libertadores has steadily grown in recent years. As a result, the number of Brazilian players lifting the trophy has naturally increased as well. Yet one phenomenon remains rare: Brazilians who have won South America’s most prestigious club title with teams from other countries. A clear example is Henrique da Silva, the left-back for Olimpia (PAR) in the campaign that led El Decano to its third Eternal Glory.
Henrique was born in Arraial do Cabo and began his career with Cabofriense in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Still in Rio de Janeiro state football, he won the third division with Apollo. Despite that success, he stepped away from professional football for a period before moving to Paraguay in 1995—first joining Cerro Corá and, in 1997, the traditional Cerro Porteño. The following year, he made his CONMEBOL Libertadores debut, reaching the semi-finals, where his side was eliminated by Barcelona (ECU) in a tie decided on penalties.
After his spell with El Ciclón, he played in Argentina with Platense and Ferro Carril Oeste, and later returned to Brazil to feature for Atlético Mineiro. But it was in Paraguay where Henrique was destined to make his mark once again.
He joined Olimpia in 2000, but his defining moment came two years later. In 2002—the club’s centenary year—Henrique da Silva started every match in a remarkable campaign that saw El Decano eliminate sides such as Boca Juniors and Grêmio en route to the final against São Caetano, one of the tournament’s surprise packages. In the decisive tie, the Brazilian side took a 1–0 lead from the first leg in Paraguay, but Olimpia responded with a 2–1 victory at the Pacaembu, forcing a penalty shootout. Henrique did not need to step up, as the Paraguayans converted all their attempts to win 4–2 and secure their third Libertadores title.
Although Brazilian players are among the country’s leading “export products,” moving to clubs elsewhere in South America is far from common. Brazil leads the world in expatriate players, according to the CIES Football Observatory report from May 2025. However, in terms of intra-continental transfers, the country ranks only fifth. Among the top 10 destinations for Brazilian players, none are in South America.
Beyond Henrique, only a handful of Brazilians have won the CONMEBOL Libertadores with foreign clubs. Mílton Alves da Silva, known as Salvador—an idol of Internacional in the 1950s—played for Peñarol during the same decade, where he notably replaced Obdulio Varela, Uruguay’s 1950 World Cup-winning captain. In 1960, he lifted the CONMEBOL Libertadores, featuring in both legs of the final—ironically against Olimpia.
Another Brazilian champion with Peñarol is Jair Gonçalves Prates. In 1982, “Príncipe Jajá,” another player from Rio Grande do Sul with ties to Internacional, found Eternal Glory with the Carbonero.
In the 2026 edition, eight Brazilian players will attempt to add their names to that short list, along with two coaches. Tiago Nunes, head coach of LDU (ECU), will have forward Deyverson—Libertadores champion in 2021—among his squad. Meanwhile, Paulo Autuori of Sporting Cristal (PER) will lead Cristiano, Gustavo Cazonatti, and Gabriel. Additionally, Lucas Monzón (Junior, COL), Miguel Silveira (Universitario, PER), and Neto Volpi (Tolima, COL) will also be aiming to match the rare feat of a Brazilian winning the continental title with a foreign club.
