2026 Copa Sudamericana

2026 Copa Sudamericana

Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026
The Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla will host the final
Tournament details
Dates	3 March – 21 November 2026
Teams	44+12 (from 10 associations)
← 2025 2027→

The 2026 Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana will be 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 will begin on 3 March and is scheduled to end on 21 November 2026, ^[1] with the final to be played at Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla, Colombia. ^[2]

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

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

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

The entry stage is determined as follows: ^[3]

• 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 [4]
	Racing (Argentina 2)		2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [4]
	Deportivo Riestra (Argentina 3)		2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [4]
	San Lorenzo (Argentina 4)		2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [4]
	Tigre (Argentina 5)		2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 5th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [4]
	Barracas Central (Argentina 6)		2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 6th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [4]
Bolivia (4 berths)	(Bolivia 1) [Note BOL]	First stage	2025 División Profesional best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [5]
	(Bolivia 2) [Note BOL]		2025 División Profesional 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [5]
	(Bolivia 3) [Note BOL]		2025 División Profesional 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [5]
	Guabirá (Bolivia 4)		2025 División Profesional 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [5]
Brazil (6 berths)	São Paulo (Brazil 1)	Group stage	2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [6]
	Grêmio (Brazil 2)		2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [6]
	Red Bull Bragantino (Brazil 3)		2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [6]
	Atlético Mineiro (Brazil 4)		2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [6]
	Santos (Brazil 5)		2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 5th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [6]
	Vasco da Gama (Brazil 6)		2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 6th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [6]
Chile (4 berths)	Universidad de Chile (Chile 1)	First stage	2025 Liga de Primera best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [7]
	Audax Italiano (Chile 2)		2025 Liga de Primera 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [7]
	Palestino (Chile 3)		2025 Liga de Primera 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [7]
	Cobresal (Chile 4)		2025 Liga de Primera 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [7]
Colombia (4 berths)	Atlético Nacional (Colombia 1)	First stage	2025 Copa Colombia champions [8]
	América de Cali (Colombia 2)		2025 Primera A aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [8]
	Atlético Bucaramanga (Colombia 3)		2025 Primera A aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [8]
	Millonarios (Colombia 4)		2025 Primera A aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [8]
Ecuador (4 berths)	Orense (Ecuador 1)	First stage	2025 Serie A best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [9]
	Libertad (Ecuador 2)		2025 Serie A 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [9]
	Macará (Ecuador 3)		2025 Serie A second hexagonal winners [9]
	Deportivo Cuenca (Ecuador 4)		2025 Serie A second hexagonal runners-up [9]
Paraguay (4 berths)	Sportivo Trinidense (Paraguay 1)	First stage	2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [10]
	Nacional (Paraguay 2)		2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [10]
	Recoleta (Paraguay 3)		2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [10]
	Olimpia (Paraguay 4)		2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [10]
Peru (4 berths)	Alianza Atlético (Peru 1)	First stage	2025 Liga 1 aggregate table best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [11]
	Melgar (Peru 2)		2025 Liga 1 aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [11]
	Deportivo Garcilaso (Peru 3)		2025 Liga 1 aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [11]
	Cienciano (Peru 4)		2025 Liga 1 aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [11]
Uruguay (4 berths)	Defensor Sporting (Uruguay 1)	First stage	2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [12]
	Boston River (Uruguay 2)		2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [12]
	Racing (Uruguay 3)		2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [12]
	Montevideo City Torque (Uruguay 4)		2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [12]
Venezuela (4 berths)	Academia Puerto Cabello (Venezuela 1)	First stage	2025 Clausura runners-up [13]
	Monagas (Venezuela 2)		2025 Liga FUTVE aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [13]
	Caracas (Venezuela 3)		2025 Liga FUTVE aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [13]
	Metropolitanos (Venezuela 4)		2025 Liga FUTVE aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2026 Copa Libertadores [13]

Notes

1. Bolivia (BOL):

   • Blooming (2025 División Profesional 5th place) has qualified for either the Bolivia 1 or Bolivia 2 berth.
   • Independiente Petrolero (2025 División Profesional 6th place) has qualified for either the Bolivia 2 or Bolivia 3 berth.

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.

Teams eliminated in third stage	Entry stage
	Group stage
Third-placed teams in group stage	Entry stage
	Knockout round play-offs

Schedule

The schedule of the competition is as follows: ^[1]

Schedule for 2026 Copa Sudamericana

Stage	Draw date	First leg	Second leg
First stage	18 December 2025 [14]	3–5 March 2026
Group stage	18 March 2026	Matchday 1: 7–9 April 2026 Matchday 2: 14–16 April 2026 Matchday 3: 28–30 April 2026 Matchday 4: 5–7 May 2026 Matchday 5: 19–21 May 2026 Matchday 6: 26–28 May 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 in Barranquilla, Colombia

Draws

Buenos Aires

Blooming

Guabirá

Ind. Petrolero

Atlético Mineiro

Grêmio

RB Bragantino

Santos

São Paulo

Vasco da Gama

Cobresal

Santiago

América de Cali

Atl. Bucaramanga

Atl. Nacional

Millonarios

Dep. Cuenca

Libertad

Macará

Orense

Asunción

Alianza Atlético

Cusco

Melgar

Montevideo

Pto. Cabello

Caracas

Monagas

Cusco teams
Cienciano
Dep. Garcilaso
Santiago teams
Audax Italiano
Palestino
Universidad de Chile

Caracas teams
Caracas
Metropolitanos

Asunción teams
Nacional
Olimpia
Recoleta
Sportivo Trinidense
Montevideo teams
Boston River
Defensor Sporting
Montevideo City Torque
Racing
Greater Buenos Aires teams
Barracas Central
Deportivo Riestra
Racing
River Plate
San Lorenzo
Tigre

class=notpageimage|

Location of teams of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana.
Red: Group stage; White: First stage.
(L) Teams transferred from the 2026 Copa Libertadores.

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. ^{[14] [15]}

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 will host the match. ^[16]

First stage

Main article: 2026 Copa Sudamericana first stage

In the first stage, each tie will be 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 will advance 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
Bolivia 3	3–5 Mar	Guabirá
Bolivia 2	3–5 Mar	Bolivia 1
Universidad de Chile	3–5 Mar	Palestino
Cobresal	3–5 Mar	Audax Italiano
Atlético Nacional	3–5 Mar	Millonarios
América de Cali	3–5 Mar	Atlético Bucaramanga
Deportivo Cuenca	3–5 Mar	Libertad
Orense	3–5 Mar	Macará
Nacional	3–5 Mar	Recoleta
Sportivo Trinidense	3–5 Mar	Olimpia
Alianza Atlético	3–5 Mar	Deportivo Garcilaso
Cienciano	3–5 Mar	Melgar
Montevideo City Torque	3–5 Mar	Defensor Sporting
Boston River	3–5 Mar	Racing
Academia Puerto Cabello	3–5 Mar	Monagas
Caracas	3–5 Mar	Metropolitanos

Group stage

The following 32 teams will be involved in the group stage (CONMEBOL Clubs ranking as of 15 December 2025 shown in parentheses): ^[17]

River Plate (3) Atlético Mineiro (6) São Paulo (7) Racing (9) Grêmio (14) Santos (27) San Lorenzo (37) Red Bull Bragantino (43)

Vasco da Gama (61) Tigre (97) Deportivo Riestra (No rank) Barracas Central (No rank) First stage winner Bolivia 1 (?) First stage winner Bolivia 2 (?) First stage winner Chile 1 (?) First stage winner Chile 2 (?)

First stage winner Colombia 1 (?) First stage winner Colombia 2 (?) First stage winner Ecuador 1 (?) First stage winner Ecuador 2 (?) First stage winner Paraguay 1 (?) First stage winner Paraguay 2 (?) First stage winner Peru 1 (?) First stage winner Peru 2 (?)

First stage winner Uruguay 1 (?) First stage winner Uruguay 2 (?) First stage winner Venezuela 1 (?) First stage winner Venezuela 2 (?) Copa Libertadores third stage loser G1 (?) Copa Libertadores third stage loser G2 (?) Copa Libertadores third stage loser G3 (?) Copa Libertadores third stage loser G4 (?)

See also

• 2026 Copa Libertadores

References

1. "Calendario de la CONMEBOL Libertadores, CONMEBOL Sudamericana y CONMEBOL Recopa 2026" [Schedule for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, CONMEBOL Sudamericana and CONMEBOL Recopa] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 28 July 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
2. "Oficial: Barranquilla será sede de la final de Copa Sudamericana 2026" [Official: Barranquilla will host the 2026 Copa Sudamericana final] (in Spanish). ESPN. 28 November 2025. Retrieved 28 November 2025.
3. "Se viene una CONMEBOL Sudamericana más competitiva y representativa" [A more competitive and representative CONMEBOL Sudamericana is coming] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 2 October 2020.
4. "Reglamento de Torneos de la Temporada 2025 Primera División Liga Profesional de Fútbol de AFA" [Liga Profesional de Fútbol de AFA – Tournament Regulations for the 2025 First Division Season](PDF) (in Spanish). Liga Profesional de Fútbol. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
5. Bolivian Football Federation (29 March 2025). "Convocatoria Torneos de División Profesional 2025" [2025 División Profesional Tournaments Callup]. futboldebolivia.net (in Spanish). Fútbol Boliviano. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
6. "Regulamento Específico da Competição Brasileiro Série A 2025" [Specific Regulations for the 2025 Brasileiro Série A Competition](PDF) (in Brazilian Portuguese). Brazilian Football Confederation. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
7. "Bases Campeonato Nacional de Primera División Temporada 2025" [Campeonato Nacional de Primera División 2025 Season Regulations] (in Spanish). ANFP . Retrieved 1 September 2025.
8. "Reglamento Liga BetPlay DIMAYOR 2025" [2025 Liga BetPlay DIMAYOR Regulations](PDF) (in Spanish). Dimayor . Retrieved 1 September 2025.
9. "Así se juega el campeonato ecuatoriano de fútbol 2025. ¿Cómo es el sistema?" [This is how the 2025 Ecuadorian football championship is played. How is the system?] (in Spanish). Bendito Fútbol. 24 August 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
10. "Reglamento de la División de Honor 2025" [2025 División de Honor Regulations](PDF) (in Spanish). Paraguayan Football Association . Retrieved 1 September 2025.
11. "Reglamento Liga 1 Te Apuesto 2025" [2025 Liga 1 Te Apuesto Regulations](PDF) (in Spanish). Peruvian Football Federation . Retrieved 1 September 2025.
12. "Régimen de disputa de los torneos oficiales - vigente desde el 2018" [Regime of play for official tournaments – in force since 2018] (in Spanish). AUF . Retrieved 30 October 2024.
13. "Guía completa de la Liga FUTVE 2025: equipos, formato y clasificación a las copas" [Complete guide to the 2025 Liga FUTVE: teams, format, and cup qualification] (in Spanish). DSports. 24 January 2025. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
14. "Conmebol sorteará las fases preliminares de Libertadores y Sudamericana 2026 el 18 de diciembre" [CONMEBOL will draw the preliminary rounds of the 2026 Libertadores and Sudamericana on 18 December] (in Spanish). El Universo. 10 December 2025. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
15. "Fase Preliminar CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026: Los cruces" [2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Preliminary Stage: The matchups] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
16. "Pautas de sorteo para la CONMEBOL Libertadores y CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026" [Draw guidelines for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores and CONMEBOL Sudamericana] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 17 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
17. "Ranking de Clubes de la CONMEBOL 2026" [2026 CONMEBOL Clubs Ranking](PDF) (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.

External links

• CONMEBOL Sudamericana
• CONMEBOL.com