Libertadores sponsor will plant three trees for every goal scored in the competition

In addition to qualifying for the quarterfinals, the goals scored by Flamengo , Palmeiras and São Paulo in the Libertadores served a greater good: in an initiative by Mapfre, a global insurance company and sponsor of the competition, each ball in the net will generate the planting of three seedlings of native species of the Atlantic Forest.

The initiative will retroactively count all goals scored from the preliminary round in February through the final, which will be played in Lima, Peru. The goal is to have enough trees to restore one hectare of the Atlantic Forest, an area equivalent to a soccer field.

Planting will begin in the third quarter and be completed by the end of the year, with results being publicly announced throughout the phases. The selected species include yellow ipê, brazilwood, pink jequitibá, quaresmeira, and guava, among others.

So far, 324 goals have been scored in this edition of the Libertadores—an average of 2.41 per match. If these numbers continue until the end of the competition, the company will plant 1,120 seedlings, the result of 373 goals. The goal, however, is to plant 1,600 trees to cover this hectare planned by the company.

"Linking goals to the number of goals brings fans closer to environmental causes. It's a simple metric to track that connects the excitement of football to a concrete environmental impact. Even if the final score is lower than expected, we will plant 1,600 seedlings. The goal is to restore the area, not just count goals," explains Fátima Lima, Mapfre's director of sustainability.

"We want to leverage our brand's visibility at the CONMEBOL Libertadores to create a positive legacy and connect the passion for football with causes that matter to society as a whole," he adds. The company will also be at COP30 in Belém, Pará, in a joint effort with the National Insurance Confederation (CNseg).