page_title: Club Nacional de Football
section_title: International achievements
hierarchical_section_title: Club Nacional de Football / History / International achievements
caption_attribution_description: Español: Club Nacional de Football del año 1980
context_page_description: Club Nacional de Football is a sports institution from Uruguay, founded on 14 May 1899 in Montevideo, as a result of the fusion between Uruguay Athletic Club and Montevideo Fútbol Club. Although its main focus is football, the club hosts many other activities including basketball, futsal, tennis, cycling, volleyball, and chess.
  In domestic tournaments, Nacional has won the Primera División title 47 times, most recently in the 2019 season. Domestic cups honours include Copa de Competencia and Copa de Honor, among others.
  At international level, Nacional has won 22 titles, nine of them recognised by FIFA and CONMEBOL, including three Copa Libertadores. In this tournament, Nacional is the all-time leader with 553 points. Nacional has also won all three Copa Intercontinental it has competed in, becoming the second three time world champion in 1988. In addition, Nacional is the only Uruguayan team to have won the Copa Interamericana and the Recopa Sudamericana. In the latter competition Nacional won the inaugural edition in 1989.
context_section_description: Nacional's international reputation relied on the tournaments played during the first half of the 20th century in the Río de la Plata region, where the most important international tournaments in America were played before the Copa Libertadores was created. Historical rivalries with longtime enemy Peñarol and famous Argentinian teams like Boca, River Plate, Racing, Independiente, San Lorenzo, Rosario Central and Newell's Old Boys, among others, were established in those championships.
  Nacional participated in the Libertadores for the first time in 1962, when they were defeated in the semi-finals by Peñarol. They got to the Finals in 1964, but lost to Independiente, and in 1967 to Racing.
  With President Miguel Restuccia, Nacional formed the basis of a team that would eventually achieve its goal, with players such as Ubiña, Mujica, Montero Castillo, Espárrago, Cascarilla Morales, Brazilian goalkeeper Manga, Cubilla and the great Argentinean striker Artime. In the 1969 Libertadores, after defeating Peñarol in semi-finals, Nacional lost its third Finals, this time against Estudiantes de La Plata.
  In 1971, coached by Washington Etchamendi, Nacional finally won its first Copa Libertadores, beating Estudiantes de La Plata in Lima, Peru. That year, Nacional won its first World Club title, the 1971 Intercontinental Cup, in memorable matches against Panathinaikos from Greece, with goals from striker Luis Artime. Panathinaikos played because the reigning European champion, AFC Ajax, refused to play due to the violent conduct common among top South American teams during this period. The following year, Nacional won its first Copa Interamericana, defeating Cruz Azul from Mexico.
  During this period, Nacional also regained supremacy in the domestic field, obtaining four Uruguayan Championships in a row (1969, 70, 71 and 72), keeping an unbeaten match record against classic rivals Peñarol: between March 2, 1971 and January 31, 1974, Nacional remained undefeated in 16 games.
  Nacional repeated its achievement in the Copa Libertadores in 1980, beating Internacional from Brazil in the finals. After becoming South American champions, Nacional won the Intercontinental Cup for the second time, defeating European champions Nottingham Forest from England 1–0, with goal by forward Waldemar Victorino. That year Nacional also won the Uruguayan championship.
  Nacional won its third copa Libertadores in 1988, beating Argentine side Newell's Old Boys 3–0 in the Estadio Centenario, with goals from Ernesto Vargas, Santiago Ostolaza and Hugo De León. That same year, Nacional would contest its third Intercontinental Cup. In a breath-taking final against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven coached by Guus Hiddink, Nacional would win in the penalty shootout after the game ended 2–2 with two goals by Ostolaza (the second one scored at the last minute of overtime). The next year, Nacional won its second Copa Interamericana, this time beating C.D. Olimpia from Honduras, and the Recopa Sudamericana, defeating Racing from Argentina.
caption: The 1980 team that won both, Copa Libertadores and the first edition of Copa Intercontinental played in Tokio.
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