- The draw for the CONMEBOL Libertadores 2026 Group Stage will take place on Thursday, March 19, starting at 20:00 (Paraguay time).
The draw will be broadcast live on the tournament’s official YouTube channel.
The moment South America has been waiting for has arrived: the 32 teams that make up the CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage will learn the path they must follow in pursuit of continental glory.
The draw will determine the initial roadmap for the 32 participating teams, which will be divided into eight groups of four clubs each. Every team will play six matches—three at home and three away—in search of a place in the Round of 16 of South America’s most important club competition.
The Competitions and Operations Department of the South American Football Confederation has released the guidelines for the Group Stage draw.
When will the CONMEBOL Libertadores draw take place?
The 2026 Copa Libertadores Group Stage draw will be held on Thursday, March 19, starting at 20:00 (Paraguay time), at CONMEBOL headquarters in Luque, Paraguay. The event will determine the composition of the tournament’s eight groups, each made up of four teams, marking the beginning of the road to the continental title.
Kick-off times across the continent:
- 20:00 – Argentina, Brazil (Brasília time), Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay
- 19:00 – Bolivia, Venezuela
- 18:00 – Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
From that moment on, the group stage map will be set. The competition will begin in April and run until the end of May.
¿Cómo ver el sorteo de la Fase de Grupos de la CONMEBOL Libertadores?
The CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage draw can be watched live via the tournament’s official YouTube channel, where the ceremony will be streamed live across the continent. This means fans will be able to see in real time how the eight groups are formed and the fixtures for their respective teams.
Which teams will participate in the draw?
A total of 32 teams from ten countries will take part in the Group Stage draw. Twenty-eight teams qualified directly, while the remaining four secured their place through Phase 3.
- Argentina: Boca Juniors, Estudiantes de La Plata, Independiente Rivadavia, Lanús, Rosario Central, Platense
- Bolivia: Always Ready, Bolívar
- Brazil: Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Fluminense, Mirassol, Palmeiras
- Chile: Coquimbo Unido, Universidad Católica
- Colombia: Deportes Tolima, Independiente Medellín, Junior, Santa Fe
- Ecuador: Barcelona, Independiente del Valle, Liga de Quito
- Paraguay: Cerro Porteño, Libertad
- Peru: Cusco, Sporting Cristal, Universitario
- Uruguay: Nacional, Peñarol
- Venezuela: Deportivo La Guaira, Universidad Central
The 32 teams will be split into eight groups of four. After six matchdays, the top two teams in each group will advance directly to the Round of 16, which will be drawn again after the group stage concludes.
How are the pots structured?
The 32 teams have been divided into four pots of eight teams each, based on the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores champion, the 2025 CONMEBOL Sudamericana champion, and the CONMEBOL Club Ranking as of December 15, 2025. Each group will include one team from each pot.
Draw pots:
- Pot 1: Flamengo (BRA), Palmeiras (BRA), Boca Juniors (ARG), Peñarol (URU), Nacional (URU), Liga de Quito (ECU), Fluminense (BRA), Independiente del Valle (ECU)
- Pot 2: Lanús (ARG), Libertad (PAR), Estudiantes de La Plata (ARG), Cerro Porteño (PAR), Corinthians (BRA), Bolívar (BOL), Cruzeiro (BRA), Universitario (PER)
- Pot 3: Junior (COL), Universidad Católica (CHI), Rosario Central (ARG), Santa Fe (COL), Always Ready (BOL), Coquimbo Unido (CHI), Deportivo La Guaira (VEN), Cusco (PER)
- Pot 4: Universidad Central (VEN), Platense (ARG), Independiente Rivadavia (ARG), Mirassol (BRA), Independiente Medellín (COL), Deportes Tolima (COL), Sporting Cristal (PER), Barcelona (ECU)
How will the CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage be played, and when will it begin?
The 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four clubs. Each team will play six matches, facing the other three teams in their group both home and away.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the Copa Libertadores Round of 16, while the teams finishing third will move into the Copa Sudamericana Round of 16 playoffs.
The 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores Group Stage will begin on April 7 and run until May 28. After the six matchdays, the tournament will move into its knockout phase.
What will the draw procedure be for the CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage?
- Pot 1 will be drawn first, containing the teams that will occupy the top spot in Groups B to H; these will be the group winners in each group.
- The draw will then continue with Pot 2 (second place), which will fill the groups from A to H in order of appearance.
- Next, teams will be drawn from pot 3, which will fill the third position in each group in order of appearance.
- Finally, pot 4 (fourth position) will be drawn, with the teams occupying the bottom spot in each of the groups A to H respectively.
No two teams from the same country may be placed in the same group; therefore, if drawn, they will move to the next group and another team will be drawn for that group.
The only instance in which two clubs from the same country may be placed in the same group is if one of the clubs has progressed from Phase 3 of the competition.
What are the criteria for determining the pots in the CONMEBOL Libertadores draw?
The Competitions and Operations Department of the South American Football Confederation has explained the criteria used to determine the pots for the draw for the group stage of the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
a) The winners of the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores were automatically seeded in Group A.
b) To determine the top seeds for the remaining seven groups (B to H), the CONMEBOL CLUB RANKING as of 15 December 2025 was used. The seven top seeds for Groups B to H are the teams ranked in the top seven positions according to the aforementioned Ranking, excluding the position of the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores champions.
c) The second tier comprises the most recent CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2025 champion, plus the next seven teams in the CONMEBOL CLUB RANKING as of 15 December 2025.
d) The third tier comprises the next eight teams in the CONMEBOL CLUB RANKING as of 15 December 2025.
e) The fourth tier consists of four teams from Phase 3 (Independiente Medellín, Deportes Tolima, Sporting Cristal and Barcelona) plus the next four teams in the CONMEBOL CLUB RANKING as of 15 December 2025.
f) In the Group Stage, each team will play one home match and one away match against each of the other teams in the same group
The teams finishing first and second in each group will qualify for the Round of 16.
h) The eight teams finishing third in their respective groups will qualify for the Round of 16 play-offs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana.
Note: Should the 2025 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Champion, by virtue of their position in the CONMEBOL Club Ranking as of 15 December 2025, be entitled to a seeded position, that ranking-based position and privilege shall take precedence over their status as CONMEBOL Sudamericana Champion, placing them amongst the top-tier clubs.
