The 2002 Copa Libertadores de América was the 43rd edition of CONMEBOL's premier club football tournament. It was won by the Paraguayan club Olimpia; their third title.
First round
The first round of the Copa Libertadores drew 32 teams into eight groups of four; two of these teams came from the preliminary round. In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away. The top two in each group advanced to the second round.
The first leg match between Olimpia and Cobreloa played in Calama was suspended at the end of the first half due to crowd interference; a coin was thrown at the referee Ángel Sánchez and sustained an injury. At half-time the result was 1–1, but CONMEBOL awarded Olimpia a 2–0 victory and closed Cobreloa's stadium for a period of time.