2026 Copa Sudamericana

2026 Copa Sudamericana

The 2026 Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana is the 25th edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana (also referred to as the Copa Sudamericana), South America's secondary club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. The competition began on 3 March and is scheduled to end on 21 November 2026, with the final to be played at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia.

The winners of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana will earn the right to play against the winners of the 2026 Copa Libertadores in the 2027 Recopa Sudamericana. They will also automatically qualify for the 2027 Copa Libertadores group stage.

Argentine club Lanús are the titleholders, but since they qualified for the 2026 Copa Libertadores group stage as Copa Sudamericana champions, they will only be able to defend their title if they place third in their Copa Libertadores group.

Teams

2026 Copa Sudamericana

The following 44 teams from the 10 CONMEBOL associations qualified for the tournament:

• Argentina and Brazil: 6 berths each • All other associations: 4 berths each

• Group stage: 12 teams (teams from Argentina and Brazil) • First stage: 32 teams (teams from all other associations)

Association	Team (Berth)	Entry stage	Qualification method
Argentina (6 berths)	River Plate (Argentina 1)	Group stage	2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Racing (Argentina 2)	2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Deportivo Riestra (Argentina 3)	2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
San Lorenzo (Argentina 4)	2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Tigre (Argentina 5)	2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 5th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Barracas Central (Argentina 6)	2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 6th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Bolivia (4 berths)	San Antonio Bulo Bulo (Bolivia 1)	First stage	2025 División Profesional best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Blooming (Bolivia 2)	2025 División Profesional 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Independiente Petrolero (Bolivia 3)	2025 División Profesional 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Guabirá (Bolivia 4)	2025 División Profesional 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Brazil (6 berths)	São Paulo (Brazil 1)	Group stage	2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Grêmio (Brazil 2)	2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Red Bull Bragantino (Brazil 3)	2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Atlético Mineiro (Brazil 4)	2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Santos (Brazil 5)	2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 5th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Vasco da Gama (Brazil 6)	2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 6th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Chile (4 berths)	Universidad de Chile (Chile 1)	First stage	2025 Liga de Primera best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Audax Italiano (Chile 2)	2025 Liga de Primera 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Palestino (Chile 3)	2025 Liga de Primera 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Cobresal (Chile 4)	2025 Liga de Primera 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Colombia (4 berths)	Atlético Nacional (Colombia 1)	First stage	2025 Copa Colombia champions
América de Cali (Colombia 2)	2025 Primera A aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Atlético Bucaramanga (Colombia 3)	2025 Primera A aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Millonarios (Colombia 4)	2025 Primera A aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Ecuador (4 berths)	Orense (Ecuador 1)	First stage	2025 Serie A best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Libertad (Ecuador 2)	2025 Serie A 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Macará (Ecuador 3)	2025 Serie A second hexagonal winners
Deportivo Cuenca (Ecuador 4)	2025 Serie A second hexagonal runners-up
Paraguay (4 berths)	Sportivo Trinidense (Paraguay 1)	First stage	2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Nacional (Paraguay 2)	2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Recoleta (Paraguay 3)	2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Olimpia (Paraguay 4)	2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Peru (4 berths)	Alianza Atlético (Peru 1)	First stage	2025 Liga 1 aggregate table best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Melgar (Peru 2)	2025 Liga 1 aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Deportivo Garcilaso (Peru 3)	2025 Liga 1 aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Cienciano (Peru 4)	2025 Liga 1 aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Uruguay (4 berths)	Defensor Sporting (Uruguay 1)	First stage	2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Boston River (Uruguay 2)	2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Racing (Uruguay 3)	2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Montevideo City Torque (Uruguay 4)	2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Venezuela (4 berths)	Academia Puerto Cabello (Venezuela 1)	First stage	2025 Clausura runners-up
Monagas (Venezuela 2)	2025 Liga FUTVE aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Caracas (Venezuela 3)	2025 Liga FUTVE aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores
Metropolitanos (Venezuela 4)	2025 Liga FUTVE aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores

A further 12 teams eliminated from the 2026 Copa Libertadores will be transferred to the Copa Sudamericana, entering the group stage and the knockout round play-offs.

<table><thead><tr><th>Teams eliminated in third stage</th><th>Entry stage</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Juventud</td><td>Group stage</td></tr><tr><td>O'Higgins</td></tr><tr><td>Carabobo</td></tr><tr><td>Botafogo</td></tr><tr><td>Third-placed teams in group stage</td><td>Entry stage</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>Knockout round play-offs</td></tr></tbody></table>

Schedule

2026 Copa Sudamericana

Stage	Draw date	First leg	Second leg
First stage	18 December 2025	3–5 March 2026
Group stage	19 March 2026
Knockout round play-offs	No draw	21–23 July 2026	28–30 July 2026
Round of 16	3 June 2026	11–13 August 2026	18–20 August 2026
Quarter-finals	8–10 September 2026	15–17 September 2026
Semi-finals	13–15 October 2026	20–22 October 2026
Final	21 November 2026 at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla

Draws

2026 Copa Sudamericana

The draw for the first stage was held on 18 December 2025, 12:00 PYT (UTC−3), at the CONMEBOL Convention Centre in Luque, Paraguay.

For the first stage, the 32 teams involved were divided into eight pots according to their national association. The 32 teams were drawn into 16 ties, with the four teams from each national association being drawn against a rival from the same association in two ties per association. The first team drawn in each tie hosted the match. The draw for the group stage was held on 19 March 2026, 20:00 PYT (UTC−3), at the CONMEBOL Convention Centre in Luque, Paraguay.

Teams were seeded by their CONMEBOL Clubs ranking as of 15 December 2025 (shown in parentheses), taking into account the following three factors:

• Performance in the last 10 years, taking into account Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana results in the period 2016–2025. • Historical coefficient, taking into account Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana results in the period 1960–2015 and 2002–2015 respectively. • Local tournament champion, with bonus points awarded to domestic league champions of the last 10 years.

For the group stage, the 32 teams were drawn into eight groups (Groups A–H) of four containing a team from each of the four pots. The four losers of the Copa Libertadores third stage were seeded into Pot 4. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group.

First stage

2026 Copa Sudamericana

In the first stage, each tie was played on a single-leg basis, with the winner being decided in a penalty shoot-out in case of a draw after 90 minutes.

The 16 winners of the first stage advanced to the group stage to join the 12 teams directly qualified for that stage (six from Argentina and six from Brazil), and four teams transferred from the Copa Libertadores (the four teams eliminated in the third stage of qualifying).

Team 1	Score	Team 2
Independiente Petrolero	0–0 (3–2 p)	Guabirá
Blooming	3–0	San Antonio Bulo Bulo
Universidad de Chile	1–2	Palestino
Cobresal	1–1 (2–3 p)	Audax Italiano
Atlético Nacional	1–3	Millonarios
América de Cali	2–1	Atlético Bucaramanga
Deportivo Cuenca	3–0	Libertad
Orense	0–1	Macará
Nacional	1–1 (4–5 p)	Recoleta
Sportivo Trinidense	0–1	Olimpia
Alianza Atlético	2–0	Deportivo Garcilaso
Cienciano	1–1 (5–4 p)	Melgar
Montevideo City Torque	1–0	Defensor Sporting
Boston River	1–0	Racing
Academia Puerto Cabello	0–0 (5–3 p)	Monagas
Caracas	0–0 (4–3 p)	Metropolitanos

Group stage

2026 Copa Sudamericana

In the group stage, each group is played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The teams are ranked according to the following criteria: 1. Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss); 2. Head-to-head points; 3. Head-to-head goal difference; 4. Head-to-head goals scored; 5. Goal difference; 6. Goals scored; 7. Red cards; 8. Yellow cards; 9. Drawing of lots (Regulations Article 2.4.3).

The winners of each group will advance to the round of 16 of the final stages, whilst the runners-up of each group will advance to the knockout round play-offs of the final stages.

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		AME	TIG	MAC	AAS
1	América de Cali	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Round of 16		—	19–21 May	26–28 May	14–16 Apr
2	Tigre	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Knockout round play-offs		28–30 Apr	—	14–16 Apr	26–28 May
3	Macará	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			7–9 Apr	5–7 May	—	19–21 May
4	Alianza Atlético	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		5–7 May	7–9 Apr	28–30 Apr	—

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		CAM	CIE	APC	JUV
1	Atlético Mineiro	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Round of 16		—	19–21 May	26–28 May	14–16 Apr
2	Cienciano	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Knockout round play-offs		28–30 Apr	—	14–16 Apr	26–28 May
3	Academia Puerto Cabello	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			7–9 Apr	5–7 May	—	19–21 May
4	Juventud	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		5–7 May	7–9 Apr	28–30 Apr	—

Group C

<table><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>W</th><th>D</th><th>L</th><th>GF</th><th>GA</th><th>GD</th><th>Pts</th><th>Qualification</th><th></th><th>SPA</th><th>MIL</th><th>BOR</th><th>OHI</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td>São Paulo</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Round of 16</td><td></td><td>—</td><td>19–21 May</td><td>26–28 May</td><td>14–16 Apr</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td>Millonarios</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>Knockout round play-offs</td><td></td><td>28–30 Apr</td><td>—</td><td>14–16 Apr</td><td>26–28 May</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td>Boston River</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td></td><td></td><td>7–9 Apr</td><td>5–7 May</td><td>—</td><td>19–21 May</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>O'Higgins</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td></td><td>5–7 May</td><td>7–9 Apr</td><td>28–30 Apr</td><td>—</td></tr></tbody></table>

Group D

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		SAN	SLO	CUE	REC
1	Santos	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Round of 16		—	19–21 May	26–28 May	14–16 Apr
2	San Lorenzo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Knockout round play-offs		28–30 Apr	—	14–16 Apr	26–28 May
3	Deportivo Cuenca	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			7–9 Apr	5–7 May	—	19–21 May
4	Recoleta	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		5–7 May	7–9 Apr	28–30 Apr	—

Group E

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		RAC	CAR	IPE	BOT
1	Racing	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Round of 16		—	19–21 May	26–28 May	14–16 Apr
2	Caracas	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Knockout round play-offs		28–30 Apr	—	14–16 Apr	26–28 May
3	Independiente Petrolero	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			7–9 Apr	5–7 May	—	19–21 May
4	Botafogo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		5–7 May	7–9 Apr	28–30 Apr	—

Group F

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		GRE	PAL	MCT	DRI
1	Grêmio	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Round of 16		—	19–21 May	26–28 May	14–16 Apr
2	Palestino	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Knockout round play-offs		28–30 Apr	—	14–16 Apr	26–28 May
3	Montevideo City Torque	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			7–9 Apr	5–7 May	—	19–21 May
4	Deportivo Riestra	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		5–7 May	7–9 Apr	28–30 Apr	—

Group G

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		OLI	VAS	AUD	BAR
1	Olimpia	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Round of 16		—	19–21 May	26–28 May	14–16 Apr
2	Vasco da Gama	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Knockout round play-offs		28–30 Apr	—	14–16 Apr	26–28 May
3	Audax Italiano	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			7–9 Apr	5–7 May	—	19–21 May
4	Barracas Central	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		5–7 May	7–9 Apr	28–30 Apr	—

Group H

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification		RIV	RBB	BLO	CBO
1	River Plate	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Round of 16		—	19–21 May	26–28 May	14–16 Apr
2	Red Bull Bragantino	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	Knockout round play-offs		28–30 Apr	—	14–16 Apr	26–28 May
3	Blooming	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0			7–9 Apr	5–7 May	—	19–21 May
4	Carabobo	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0		5–7 May	7–9 Apr	28–30 Apr	—

Statistics

Top scorers

Rank	Player	Team	1S	GS1	GS2	GS3	GS4	GS5	GS6	KPO1	KPO2	⅛F1	⅛F2	QF1	QF2	SF1	SF2	F	Total
1	Rodrigo Contreras	Millonarios	2																2