The governing body of South American football, CONMEBOL, confirmed the news on Monday after 19 of Chapecoense's players were killed in the crash just outside Medellin, Colombia last week which claimed the lives of 71 people in total. In a statement Monday, CONMEBOL said it awarded the title “as a posthumous homage to the victims of the fatal crash that leaves our sport in mourning.”

Nineteen of Chapecoense’s players were killed in the crash just outside Medellin, Colombia, as the team headed to the first of two matches against Colombian club Atletico Nacional to determine the champion of the Copa Sudamericana — Latin America’s No. As the winner of this year's tournament, Chapecoense will automatically qualify for next season's Copa Libertadores, the continent's top tournament. It also means that Chapecoense will face Atletico Nacional -- the defending Copa Libertadores champions -- in an emotion-charged two-game Supercopa Sul-Americana next year between the continent's two club champions. "For CONMEBOL there is no greater example of the 'spirit of peace, understanding and fair play' set forth as an objective of our institution than the solidarity, consideration and respect shown by Atletico National towards its brothers from Chapecoense," a CONMEBOL statement said. Brazil's leading clubs have pledged to loan players to Chapecoense for free and asked for them to be safeguarded from relegation from the top flight for the next three seasons.
In association football, CONMEBOL officially awards Chapecoense the 2016 Copa Sudamericana title in the wake of the plane crash that killed almost the entire team. Atlético Nacional, which would have faced Chapecoense in the final and had campaigned for the Brazilians to be awarded the title, receives a fair play award from CONMEBOL.