2026 Copa Libertadores
| Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Dates | 3 February – 28 November 2026 |
| Teams | 47 (from 10 associations) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 26 |
| Goals scored | 46 (1.77 per match) |
| Top scorer | Seven players (2 goals each) |
← 2025 2027 →
All statistics correct as of 5 March 2026. | |
The 2026 Copa CONMEBOL Libertadores is the 67th edition of the CONMEBOL Libertadores (also referred to as the Copa Libertadores), South America's premier club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL. The competition began on 3 February and is scheduled to end on 28 November 2026,[1] with the final to be played in Montevideo, Uruguay.[2]
The winners of the 2026 Copa Libertadores will earn the right to play against the winners of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana in the 2027 Recopa Sudamericana. They will also automatically qualify for the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2027 Copa Libertadores group stage.
Flamengo are the defending champions.
Teams
[edit]The following 47 teams from the 10 CONMEBOL member associations qualified for the tournament:
- Copa Libertadores champions
- Copa Sudamericana champions
- Brazil: 7 berths
- Argentina: 6 berths
- All other associations: 4 berths each
The entry stage is determined as follows:
- Group stage: 28 teams
- Copa Libertadores champions
- Copa Sudamericana champions
- Teams which qualified for berths 1–5 from Argentina and Brazil
- Teams which qualified for berths 1–2 from all other associations
- Second stage: 13 teams
- Teams which qualified for berths 6–7 from Brazil
- Team which qualified for berth 6 from Argentina
- Teams which qualified for berths 3–4 from Chile and Colombia
- Teams which qualified for berth 3 from all other associations
- First stage: 6 teams
- Teams which qualified for berth 4 from Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela
| Association | Team (Berth) | Entry stage | Qualification method |
|---|---|---|---|
 Argentina(6 + 1 berths) |
Lanús (Copa Sudamericana) | Group stage | 2025 Copa Sudamericana champions |
| Platense (Argentina 1) | 2025 Apertura champions[3] | ||
| Estudiantes (Argentina 2) | 2025 Clausura champions[3] | ||
| Independiente Rivadavia (Argentina 3) | 2025 Copa Argentina champions[3] | ||
| Rosario Central (Argentina 4) | 2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table best team not yet qualified[3] | ||
| Boca Juniors (Argentina 5) | 2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 2nd best team not yet qualified[3] | ||
| Argentinos Juniors (Argentina 6) | Second stage | 2025 Liga Profesional aggregate table 3rd best team not yet qualified[3] | |
.svg/40px-Bandera_de_Bolivia_(Estado).svg.png){kind=small} Bolivia(4 berths) |
Always Ready (Bolivia 1) | Group stage | 2025 División Profesional champions[4] |
| Bolívar (Bolivia 2) | 2025 División Profesional runners-up[4] | ||
| Nacional Potosí (Bolivia 3) | Second stage | 2025 Copa Bolivia champions[4] | |
| The Strongest (Bolivia 4) | First stage | 2025 División Profesional best team not yet qualified[4] | |
 Brazil(7 + 1 berths) |
Flamengo (Title holders) | Group stage | 2025 Copa Libertadores champions |
| Corinthians (Brazil 1) | 2025 Copa do Brasil champions[5] | ||
| Palmeiras (Brazil 2) | 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A runners-up[5] | ||
| Cruzeiro (Brazil 3) | 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 3rd place[5] | ||
| Mirassol (Brazil 4) | 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 4th place[5] | ||
| Fluminense (Brazil 5) | 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 5th place[5] | ||
| Botafogo (Brazil 6) | Second stage | 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 6th place[5] | |
| Bahia (Brazil 7) | 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 7th place[5] | ||
 Chile(4 berths) |
Coquimbo Unido (Chile 1) | Group stage | 2025 Liga de Primera champions[6] |
| Universidad Católica (Chile 2) | 2025 Liga de Primera runners-up[6] | ||
| O'Higgins (Chile 3) | Second stage | 2025 Liga de Primera 3rd place[6] | |
| Huachipato (Chile 4) | 2025 Copa Chile champions[6] | ||
 Colombia(4 berths) |
Santa Fe (Colombia 1) | Group stage | 2025 Apertura champions[7] |
| Junior (Colombia 2) | 2025 Finalización champions[7] | ||
| Deportes Tolima (Colombia 3) | Second stage | 2025 Primera A aggregate table best team not yet qualified[7] | |
| Independiente Medellín (Colombia 4) | 2025 Primera A aggregate table 2nd best team not yet qualified[7] | ||
 Ecuador(4 berths) |
Independiente del Valle (Ecuador 1) | Group stage | 2025 Serie A champions[8] |
| LDU Quito (Ecuador 2) | 2025 Serie A runners-up[8] | ||
| Barcelona (Ecuador 3) | Second stage | 2025 Serie A best team not yet qualified[8] | |
| Universidad Católica (Ecuador 4) | First stage | 2025 Copa Ecuador champions[8] | |
 Paraguay(4 berths) |
Cerro Porteño (Paraguay 1) | Group stage | 2025 Copa de Primera (Apertura or Clausura) champions with better record in aggregate table[9] |
| Libertad (Paraguay 2) | 2025 Copa de Primera tournament (Apertura or Clausura) champions with worse record in aggregate table[9] | ||
| Guaraní (Paraguay 3) | Second stage | 2025 Copa de Primera aggregate table best team not yet qualified[9] | |
| 2 de Mayo (Paraguay 4) | First stage | 2025 Copa Paraguay runners-up[Note PAR][9] | |
.svg/40px-Flag_of_Peru_(state).svg.png){kind=small} Peru(4 berths) |
Universitario (Peru 1) | Group stage | 2025 Liga 1 champions[10] |
| Cusco (Peru 2) | 2025 Liga 1 runners-up[10] | ||
| Sporting Cristal (Peru 3) | Second stage | 2025 Liga 1 3rd place[10] | |
| Alianza Lima (Peru 4) | First stage | 2025 Liga 1 4th place[10] | |
 Uruguay(4 berths) |
Nacional (Uruguay 1) | Group stage | 2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya champions[11] |
| Peñarol (Uruguay 2) | 2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya runners-up[11] | ||
| Liverpool (Uruguay 3) | Second stage | 2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table best team not yet qualified[11] | |
| Juventud (Uruguay 4) | First stage | 2025 Liga AUF Uruguaya aggregate table 2nd best team not yet qualified | |
.svg/40px-Flag_of_Venezuela_(state).svg.png){kind=small} Venezuela(4 berths) |
Universidad Central (Venezuela 1) | Group stage | 2025 Liga FUTVE champions[12] |
| Deportivo La Guaira (Venezuela 2) | 2025 Liga FUTVE aggregate table 1st place[12] | ||
| Carabobo (Venezuela 3) | Second stage | 2025 Liga FUTVE runners-up[12] | |
| Deportivo Táchira (Venezuela 4) | First stage | 2025 Liga FUTVE aggregate table best team not yet qualified[12] |
- Notes
- Paraguay (PAR): Since the 2025 Copa Paraguay champions General Caballero (JLM) were relegated and therefore became ineligible to qualify for South American competitions, the Paraguay 4 berth was awarded to the Copa Paraguay runners-up, 2 de Mayo.
Schedule
[edit]The schedule of the competition is as follows:[1][13]
| Stage | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|
| First stage | 18 December 2025 | 3–5 February 2026 | 10–12 February 2026 |
| Second stage | 17–19 February 2026 | 24–26 February 2026 | |
| Third stage | 3–5 March 2026 | 10–12 March 2026 | |
| Group stage | 19 March 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 | 28 November 2026 in Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
Draws
[edit]
Buenos Aires
La Paz
Rio de Janeiro
São Paulo
Quito
Asunción
Lima
Montevideo
Caracas
Quito teams
Indep. del Valle
LDU Quito
Universidad Católica
Lima teams
Alianza Lima
Sporting Cristal
Universitario
La Paz teams
Always Ready
Bolívar
The Strongest
Indep. del Valle LDU Quito
Universidad CatólicaLima teams
Alianza Lima Sporting Cristal UniversitarioLa Paz teams
Always Ready Bolívar The StrongestCaracas teams
Deportivo La Guaira
Universidad Central
Rio de Janeiro teams
Botafogo
Flamengo
Fluminense
São Paulo teams
Corinthians
Palmeiras
Deportivo La Guaira Universidad CentralRio de Janeiro teams
Botafogo Flamengo FluminenseSão Paulo teams
Corinthians PalmeirasAsunción teams
Cerro Porteño
Guaraní
Libertad
Greater Montevideo teams
Juventud
Liverpool
Nacional
Peñarol
Greater Buenos Aires teams
Argentinos Juniors
Boca Juniors
Lanús
Platense
Cerro Porteño Guaraní LibertadGreater Montevideo teams
Juventud Liverpool Nacional PeñarolGreater Buenos Aires teams
Argentinos Juniors Boca Juniors Lanús PlatenseLocation of teams of the 2026 Copa Libertadores.
Red: Group stage; White: Play-off rounds.
Red: Group stage; White: Play-off rounds.The draw for the qualifying stages was held on 18 December 2025, 12:00 PYT (UTC−3), at the CONMEBOL Convention Centre in Luque, Paraguay.[13][14]
Teams were seeded by their CONMEBOL Clubs ranking as of 15 December 2025 (shown in parentheses),[15] taking into account the following three factors:[16]
- 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 first stage, the six teams were drawn into three ties (E1–E3), with the teams from Pot 1 hosting the second leg.[17]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
|---|---|
|
|
- † The identity of the team from Bolivia was not known at the time of the draw and it was seeded in Pot 2.
For the second stage, the 16 teams were drawn into eight ties (C1–C8), with the teams from Pot 1 hosting the second leg. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same tie, excluding the three winners of the first stage, which were seeded in Pot 2 and whose identity was not known at the time of the draw, and could be drawn into the same tie with another team from the same association.[17]
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 |
|---|---|
|
- † The identity of the teams from Bolivia and Ecuador was not known at the time of the draw and they were seeded in Pot 2.
For the third stage, the eight winners of the second stage were allocated without any draw into the following four ties (G1–G4), with the team in each tie with the higher CONMEBOL ranking hosting the second leg.[17]
- Second stage winner C1 vs. Second stage winner C8
- Second stage winner C2 vs. Second stage winner C7
- Second stage winner C3 vs. Second stage winner C6
- Second stage winner C4 vs. Second stage winner C5
Qualifying stages
[edit]In the qualifying stages, each tie is played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. If tied on aggregate, extra time will not be played, and a penalty shoot-out will be used to determine the winner (Regulations Article 2.4.3).
The qualifying stages are structured as follows:
- First stage (6 teams): The three winners of the first stage advance to the second stage to join the 13 teams which are given byes to the second stage.
- Second stage (16 teams): The eight winners of the second stage advance to the third stage.
- Third stage (8 teams): The four winners of the third stage advance to the group stage to join the 28 direct entrants. The four teams eliminated in the third stage enter the Copa Sudamericana group stage.
First stage
[edit]| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Strongest | 2–2 (3–5 p) | Deportivo Táchira | 2–1 | 0–1 |
| Juventud | 4–4 (4–3 p) | Universidad Católica | 0–1 | 4–3 |
| 2 de Mayo | 2–1 | Alianza Lima | 1–0 | 1–1 |
Second stage
[edit]| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juventud | 2–1 | Guaraní | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Deportivo Táchira | 1–1 (0–3 p) | Deportes Tolima | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| 2 de Mayo | 2–2 (4–5 p) | Sporting Cristal | 2–2 | 0–0 |
| Barcelona | 1–1 (5–4 p) | Argentinos Juniors | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| Nacional Potosí | 1–2 | Botafogo | 1–0 | 0–2 |
| Carabobo | 3–1 | Huachipato | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| O'Higgins | 2–2 (4–3 p) | Bahia | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| Liverpool | 1–2 | Independiente Medellín | 1–2 | 0–0 |
Third stage
[edit]| Team 1 | Agg. Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juventud | G1 | Independiente Medellín | 1–1 | 12 Mar |
| O'Higgins | G2 | Deportes Tolima | 1–0 | 11 Mar |
| Carabobo | G3 | Sporting Cristal | 0–1 | 11 Mar |
| Barcelona | G4 | Botafogo | 1–1 | 10 Mar |
Group stage
[edit]The following 32 teams will be involved in the group stage (with their CONMEBOL clubs ranking as of 15 December 2025 shown in parentheses):[15]
|
Pot 1
|
Pot 2
|
Pot 3
|
Pot 4
|
- Notes
- ^ TH The defending Copa Libertadores champions will be seeded in Pot 1 and automatically allocated to Group A and the position A1.
- ^ CS The defending Copa Sudamericana champions will be seeded in Pot 2.
- ^ Q3 The third stage winners will be seeded in Pot 4.
Statistics
[edit]- As of 5 March 2026
Top scorers
[edit]| Rank | Player | Team | 1Q1 | 1Q2 | 2Q1 | 2Q2 | 3Q1 | 3Q2 | GS1 | GS2 | GS3 | GS4 | GS5 | GS6 | ⅛F1 | ⅛F2 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | F | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federico Barrandeguy
|
Juventud
|
1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||
| Jhon Chancellor
|
Universidad Católica
|
1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
 José Fajardo
|
Universidad Católica
|
2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Francisco González
|
O'Higgins
|
1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Edson Tortolero
|
Carabobo
|
1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Willian José
|
Bahia
|
2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Yoshimar Yotún
|
Sporting Cristal
|
1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "Alejandro Domínguez confirmó la sede de la final de la CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026" [Alejandro Domínguez confirmed the venue for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores final] (in Spanish). ESPN. 30 November 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "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.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ a b c d e f g "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.
- ^ a b c d "Bases Campeonato Nacional de Primera División Temporada 2025" [Campeonato Nacional de Primera División 2025 Season Regulations] (in Spanish). ANFP. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Reglamento Liga BetPlay DIMAYOR 2025" [2025 Liga BetPlay DIMAYOR Regulations] (PDF) (in Spanish). Dimayor. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d "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.
- ^ a b c d "Reglamento de la División de Honor 2025" [2025 División de Honor Regulations] (PDF) (in Spanish). Paraguayan Football Association. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Reglamento Liga 1 Te Apuesto 2025" [2025 Liga 1 Te Apuesto Regulations] (PDF) (in Spanish). Peruvian Football Federation. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
- ^ a b c "Régimen de disputa de los torneos oficiales - vigente desde el 2018" [Regime of play for official tournaments – in force since 2018] (in Spanish). Uruguayan Football Association. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d "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.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ "Cruces definidos para la Fase Preliminar de la CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026" [Matchups set for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores' Preliminary Stage] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- ^ a b "Ranking de Clubes de la CONMEBOL 2026" [2026 CONMEBOL Clubs Ranking] (PDF) (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ "RANKING DE CLUBES DE LA CONMEBOL 2021 SISTEMA DE PUNTAJE" (PDF) (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 August 2021.
- ^ a b c "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.