- Sixteen teams from CONMEBOL's ten Member Associations will compete for the continental title from 15 to 31 October, with the Banco Guayaquil and Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadiums hosting the Group Stage.
- Corinthians will be aiming for a fourth consecutive title in an edition that will feature the debuts of Belgrano, Cruzeiro, Liga de Quito and Bolívar.
South American women's football is set for another date with The CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina, which 2026 edition kicks off in Ecuador on Thursday, 15 October, with 16 teams embarking on a journey that will culminate in the Final on 31 October. The defending champions, clubs familiar with the experience of contesting a continental final and newcomers preparing for their first appearance will all share the same dream.
Corinthians enter the tournament as the benchmark, having won the last three editions and amassed six titles overall. But there will be plenty of other stories to follow, from Palmeiras returning to the city where they conquered South America to Belgrano making their international debut and Independiente del Valle looking to translate their dominance in Ecuadorian football into success on home soil.
Group A: The champions and two former finalists
Corinthians will begin their title defence against Colo-Colo as they pursue a fourth consecutive CONMEBOL Libertadores crown. The ‘Brabas’ will also renew their rivalry with Independiente Santa Fe, whom they defeated in the 2021 and 2024 finals. That history will add extra intrigue to their final Group Stage fixture.
Colo-Colo will be looking to go one step further than their run to the Semi-finals in 2025. Tatiele Silveira's side demonstrated their attacking versatility in the build-up to the tournament, recording a 6-0 victory over Deportes Iquique in the first leg of the Chilean league Quarter-finals, with six different players on the scoresheet. Their opening continental test will come against none other than the defending champions.
Caracas FC arrive as champions of the 2026 Liga FUTVE Femenina, with a notable chapter in their history: their appearance in the 2014 continental Final against São José. Twelve years later, the Venezuelan side will attempt to make their mark in a group featuring two other clubs with experience of reaching the tournament's showpiece match.
Independiente Santa Fe have bolstered their attacking options in pursuit of another shot at continental glory. Runners-up in 2021 and 2024, they have signed Manuela González from Atlético Nacional, the Colombian league's leading scorer with 15 goals in 20 appearances. The ‘Leonas’ will open against Caracas before facing Colo-Colo and renewing acquaintances with Corinthians.
Group B: A special return and an Argentine debut
Independiente del Valle will enter the competition fresh from winning their third consecutive Ecuadorian Women's Super League title. The ‘Dragonas’ defeated Liga de Quito 3-2 on aggregate in the Final and will now look to make the most of home advantage as they aim to translate their domestic dominance onto the continental stage.
Belgrano will be Argentina's sole representatives as they make their CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina debut. The Córdoba-based side secured qualification by winning the 2025 Trofeo de Campeonas and will head into the tournament under the guidance of Mariana Sánchez. They will open against Independiente del Valle, a demanding first test against the champions of the host nation.
Universitario de Deportes sought international opposition ahead of their trip to Ecuador. On 6 October, they faced Universidad de Chile in Santiago and, despite suffering a 5-2 defeat, took the lead and later fought back to level the score at 2-2 in the second half. The Peruvian side face a challenging opener against Palmeiras before taking on Independiente del Valle and Belgrano.
Palmeiras will return to a city that holds a special place in their history. It was in Quito that they claimed their first CONMEBOL Libertadores title in 2022, defeating Boca Juniors 4-1 in the Final. Among their key players will be Bia Zaneratto, who returned to the club in 2026 after two seasons in US football.
Group C: Three debutants and the Paraguayan champions
Cruzeiro will make their continental debut after securing qualification by finishing runners-up in the 2025 Brazilian championship. Jonas Urias' side have welcomed back forward Letícia Ferreira but will be without goalkeeper Cláudia through injury. To strengthen that position, the ‘Cabulosas’ brought in Taluane ahead of the tournament.
Liga de Quito will also be making their debut, with the added incentive of playing in their home city. The ‘Guerreras Albas’ qualified for their first CONMEBOL Libertadores after finishing runners-up in Ecuador, following a closely contested Final that Independiente del Valle won 3-2 on aggregate.
Bolívar head into the tournament having achieved two historic milestones in the same season: their first Bolivian National Women's Football League title and qualification for their maiden CONMEBOL Libertadores. The ‘Academia’ will begin their first-ever continental campaign against Olimpia, aiming to carry the progress that brought them domestic glory onto the international stage.
Olimpia will be the only team in the group with previous experience in the competition. The Paraguayan side arrive as winners of the 2026 Campeonato Anual Femenino, having secured the title with a 3-0 victory over Recoleta in the penultimate round. That experience will be one of their key assets against three opponents taking their first steps in the tournament.
Grupo D: campeãs nacionais e experiência continental
O Deportivo Cali chega embalado por seu terceiro título colombiano consecutivo e o quarto de sua história. As ‘Azucareras’ derrotaram o Santa Fe por 7 a 4 no placar agregado da Final de setembro, com uma vitória por 4 a 2 no jogo de volta. Agora, tentarão manter o bom momento na competição continental.
O Libertad garantiu sua classificação como vice-campeão do Campeonato Anual Feminino do Paraguai. Na penúltima rodada, uma goleada por 8 a 0 sobre o Sportivo 2 de Mayo assegurou à equipe a segunda colocação, atrás do Olimpia. Sua estreia será contra o Deportivo Cali, antes de enfrentar a Universidad de Chile e o Nacional.
O Nacional disputará sua oitava CONMEBOL Libertadores, marca que o torna o clube uruguaio com mais participações na competição. Sob o comando de Diego Testas e após conquistar os títulos nacionais de 2024 e 2025, a equipe tricolor tentará aproveitar essa continuidade para avançar às Quartas de Final.
A Universidad de Chile chega após avançar às Semifinais de seu campeonato nacional e vencer o Universitario por 5 a 2 em um amistoso internacional. Gisela Pino e Franchesca Caniguán marcaram dois gols cada na partida e deram uma demonstração do poder ofensivo da equipe antes da estreia contra o Nacional.
How the opening round of the Group Stage will unfold
The action in Groups A and B gets underway on Thursday, 15 October. Independiente del Valle–Belgrano and Corinthians–Colo-Colo will kick off the opening round at 15:00. Universitario–Palmeiras and Caracas–Independiente Santa Fe will follow at 19:00.
Groups C and D will begin their campaigns on Friday, 16 October. Deportivo Cali–Libertad and Bolívar–Olimpia will kick off at 15:00, while Nacional–Universidad de Chile and Cruzeiro–Liga de Quito will complete the opening round at 19:00. All kick-off times are local to Ecuador.
Each team will face the other three sides in their group once, with the top two progressing to the Quarter-finals. From that stage onwards, the competition will be decided by single-match knockout ties until the champions of the CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina 2026 are crowned.
