• The first legs of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16 Playoffs will be played this week.
   
• The action resumes with Nacional taking on Tigre.

Tuesday, 21 July

Nacional (URU) vs Tigre (ARG)

Following the World Cup break, Nacional will compete for the opportunity to extend their continental campaign after finishing third in Group B of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, behind Coquimbo Unido and Deportes Tolima. Tigre, meanwhile, finished runners-up to Macará in Group A of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, securing their place thanks to a victory over Alianza Atlético and América de Cali’s draw on the final matchday. The winner will face Montevideo City Torque in the Round of 16.

It will be a high-stakes encounter featuring two contrasting unbeaten records. Nacional did not lose at home during the group stage, collecting seven of their eight points at the Gran Parque Central. Tigre, meanwhile, remained unbeaten away from home, drawing against Alianza Atlético in Callao, Macará in Ambato and América de Cali.

The Uruguayan side will be looking to rediscover their best form after collecting only one point from their first two domestic matches following the break, drawing 0-0 with Danubio before losing to Wanderers. Head coach Jorge Bava recently completed his first 20 matches in charge and will be aiming for a victory to put his tenure back on track. “There is always pressure here. We are at the biggest club in Uruguay, so there is pressure to win,” he said after the latest defeat.

Nacional strengthened their squad with several high-profile signings, including midfielder Bruno Zuculini, formerly of Argentina’s Racing Club; goalkeeper Alexis Martín, from Paraguay’s Cerro Porteño; and Francisco Calvo, from Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq. Midfielder Santiago Silva, a Danubio academy graduate who impressed for Chile’s Huachipato, also joined the squad in recent hours.

Tigre played only one competitive match before the playoff tie, suffering a 1-0 defeat to Independiente Rivadavia in the Copa Argentina Round of 32. With Diego Dabove as head coach and the attacking partnership of Ignacio Russo and David Romero as their main offensive threat, El Matador recently added centre-back Gonzalo Requena as their first signing of the window.

Stadium: Gran Parque Central, Montevideo

Kick-off: 19:00

Referee: Carlos Betancur (COL)

VAR: Leonard Mosquera (COL)

Match facts:

• Nacional have won all three CONMEBOL Sudamericana knockout ties they have played against Argentinian opposition, each of them in the Round of 16. El Bolso eliminated Boca Juniors in 2006, San Lorenzo in 2018 and Unión in 2022, winning their home match in each tie.
   
• Tigre will play their 44th match in CONMEBOL competitions, and this will be their first against a Uruguayan opponent. El Matador have previously defeated clubs from seven different countries in these tournaments: Argentina (three wins), Brazil (one), Colombia (two), Ecuador (one), Paraguay (three), Peru (one) and Venezuela (four).
   
• Tigre scored twice following high turnovers during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Racing were the only other team to score more than once from such situations during that stage of the competition, with three goals.
   
• David Romero was the only player to score more than once during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana with shots following a ball carry of at least five metres. Both goals came away from home, against América de Cali and Macará.
   
• Nacional spent the third-most time leading matches during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, with 245 minutes. They also did not trail at any point in their three home fixtures during that round, recording two wins and one draw.

U.C.V. FC (VEN) vs Santos (BRA)

Following the World Cup break, UCV FC will look to extend the best continental campaign in the club’s history after finishing third in Group H of the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The Venezuelan side collected nine points, finishing behind Independiente del Valle and Rosario Central, who both ended the group with 13. Santos, meanwhile, were runners-up to Recoleta in Group D of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. They secured qualification on the final matchday by beating Deportivo Cuenca 3-0 and finishing above San Lorenzo on goal difference. The winner will face Macará in the Round of 16.

Daniel Sasso’s side will be aiming to recover the form they displayed throughout much of the first half of the year, when they emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages. The reigning Venezuelan champions reached the final group stage of the Torneo Apertura and began that phase with a four-match unbeaten run, but missed out on the final after suffering consecutive defeats to Academia Puerto Cabello and Portuguesa. “We need to produce a performance that is close to perfection, almost perfect,” the head coach warned ahead of the challenge against Santos.

UCV made several changes to their squad. They signed defenders Edwin Peraza, Gonzalo Mottes and Steven Pabón, midfielder Williams Lugo and Colombian winger Edwin Mosquera, who most recently played for Independiente Santa Fe. However, they lost two of their leading goalscorers: Juan Manuel Cuesta, who scored three times in the Libertadores before joining Sporting Cristal, and Jovanny Bolívar, whose loan from Albacete came to an end.

Santos played only one competitive match following the break, losing 2-1 to Botafogo in the Brasileirão. Cuca will be without several players for the first leg. Neymar will continue following an individual training programme after taking part in the World Cup, while Gabigol is dealing with discomfort in his adductor muscles. João Schmidt, Willian Arão, Igor Vinícius, Gustavo Henrique and Moisés also did not travel, leaving Álvaro Barreal — who scored against Botafogo — Benjamín Rollheiser, Rony and Gabriel Bontempo as the team’s main attacking options.

Stadium: Misael Delgado, Valencia

Kick-off: 20:30

Referee: Gery Vargas (BOL)

VAR: Jorge Justiniano (BOL)

Match facts:

• Santos have never lost against Venezuelan opponents in CONMEBOL competitions, recording three wins and five draws across eight matches. Six of those encounters came in knockout rounds, with O Peixe progressing from two of their three ties against teams from Venezuela.
   
• Only 7% of Santos’ passes during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana were long passes, the lowest proportion among all participating teams. São Paulo were the only other club to record a figure below 10%, with 9.4%.
   
• UCV were one of only four teams to score more than once following a high turnover — within the first 40 metres of the opposition’s half — during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores. Platense, Independiente Rivadavia and Bolívar were the other three.
   
• Neymar has not featured in a CONMEBOL knockout tie since September 2012, when he scored in the second leg as Santos defeated Universidad de Chile to win the Recopa. His only previous appearance in a Sudamericana knockout tie came in August 2010, when O Peixe were eliminated by Avaí in the second round.
   
• Gabigol, who has scored three goals in his last four appearances for Santos, will face Venezuelan opposition for the first time in CONMEBOL competitions. The Brazilian striker has scored against clubs from seven different countries in these tournaments, with Peru and Uruguay the only exceptions.

Wednesday, 22 July

Independiente Medellín (COL) vs Vasco da Gama (BRA)

Independiente Medellín produced a competitive campaign in the CONMEBOL Libertadores group stage but ultimately finished third, behind Flamengo and Estudiantes. Vasco da Gama were runners-up to Olimpia in Group G of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. The Colombian and Brazilian sides will compete for a place in the Round of 16, where the winner will face Olimpia.

Both teams enter the tie under new head coaches. Luis Amaranto Perea, who served as Néstor Lorenzo’s assistant with the Colombian national team during the World Cup, took charge following Colombia’s elimination. This will be his third spell as a head coach. “You can never say no to Medellín,” he said through tears at his unveiling. Pedro Emanuel, meanwhile, will make his international debut after taking charge of his first match in Vasco’s Brasileirão defeat to Vitória, a result that deepened the club’s worrying situation in the relegation zone.

El Poderoso made a significant number of signings while also confirming around ten departures. DIM brought in notable names including Joaquín Varela, Carlos Lucumí, Agustín Martegani, Juan José Córdoba, Jeison Medina and Alfonso Simarra. Francisco Fydriszewski, Francisco Chaverra, Leyser Chaverra, José Ortiz and Daniel Londoño were among those who left. Vasco have so far added only left-back Paulinho, while Matheus França returned to England following the end of his loan spell.

Stadium: Atanasio Girardot, Medellín

Kick-off: 17:00

Referee: Pedro Maza (CHI)

VAR: Fernando Vejar (CHI)

Match facts:

• Vasco have won four of their last five matches against Colombian opponents in CONMEBOL competitions, although the most recent meeting came in the 2001 Libertadores. In that edition, they defeated América de Cali 3-0 away from home during the group stage.
   
• Independiente Medellín have progressed from two of their three knockout ties against Brazilian opposition in CONMEBOL competitions, including the most recent in the Sudamericana, when they eliminated Santa Cruz in the Round of 16 in 2016. They had previously knocked out Grêmio in the quarter-finals of the 2003 Libertadores before losing to Santos in the semi-finals that same year.
   
• Independiente Medellín recorded 14 direct attacks during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, the fourth-highest total among all participating teams. Only Flamengo with 15, Junior with 16 and Independiente Rivadavia with 17 recorded more. DIM scored once from those situations.
   
• Adson scored three goals for Vasco during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Only two Cruzmaltino players have scored more in a single edition of the competition: Bernardo, with four in 2011, and Pablo Vegetti, with five in 2025.
   
• Vasco scored twice from corner-kick situations in their final two matches of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana group stage. Across their previous 28 continental fixtures since 2018, they had scored only once following a corner, against Jorge Wilstermann in February 2018.

Lanús (ARG) vs Cienciano (PER)

The reigning CONMEBOL Sudamericana and CONMEBOL Recopa champions will begin the defence of their crown against another former winner of the competition. El Granate finished third in Group G of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, behind Liga de Quito and Mirassol. Cienciano were runners-up to Atlético Mineiro in Group B of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. The winner will face Botafogo in the Round of 16.

Lanús were flawless at home during the CONMEBOL Libertadores, winning all three of their matches by a single-goal margin without conceding. The Argentinian side have not played a competitive fixture during the break, although they took part in two friendlies, and will be without Marcelino Moreno after he underwent surgery to treat metatarsalgia in his left foot. “We did not finish the previous half of the season in the best way for a number of reasons, but our intention is to continue improving,” head coach Mauricio Pellegrino said.

Lanús strengthened their attack with Paraguayan forward Allan Wlk, one of Recoleta’s standout performers during the first half of the year, and welcomed Alexis Segovia back following his loan spell at Atlético Tucumán. Eduardo Salvio and Carlos Izquierdoz also extended their contracts until December 2027.

Cienciano, meanwhile, failed to win away from home during the CONMEBOL Sudamericana group stage. They drew with Juventud and lost to Academia Puerto Cabello and Atlético Mineiro, scoring only once and conceding six goals. By contrast, they turned their home ground into an impenetrable fortress.

The Peruvian side, coached by Horacio Melgarejo, retain an experienced core featuring Alejandro Hohberg, Carlos Garcés, Kevin Becerra, Gerson Barreto and Maximiliano Amondarain among their leading figures. Cienciano come into the tie after losing at home to Melgar in the opening round of the Apertura.

Stadium: Ciudad de Lanús, Lanús

Kick-off: 21:30

Referee: Alexis Herrera (VEN)

VAR: Carlos Orbe (ECU)

Match facts:

• Lanús have won their last four matches against Peruvian opponents in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Their only previous knockout tie against a team from Peru came in the 2018 edition, when they defeated Sporting Cristal 5-4 on aggregate in the first round, winning 4-2 at home before losing 2-1 away.
   
• Cienciano have progressed from two of their three knockout ties against Argentinian opposition in CONMEBOL competitions. Both successes came in finals: a 4-3 aggregate victory over River Plate in the 2003 Sudamericana and a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Boca Juniors following a 1-1 draw in the 2004 Recopa.
   
• Lanús have the opportunity in this tie to move into the top three highest-scoring teams in CONMEBOL Sudamericana history. El Granate currently have 125 goals in the competition, two fewer than Independiente on 127 and four behind São Paulo on 129. Liga de Quito lead the ranking with 152.
   
• Lanús were the only team to score 100% of their goals from set pieces during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, with two coming from corners and one from a free-kick. All three opened the scoring and proved to be the winning goals in 1-0 victories over Mirassol, Liga de Quito and Always Ready.
   
• Cienciano spent only 198 minutes with the scores level during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, the third-lowest total in the competition. They were also among the ten teams that spent the most time leading, with 201 minutes.

Sporting Cristal (PER) vs RB Bragantino (BRA)

Sporting Cristal will compete in the playoffs after finishing third in Group F of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, behind Cerro Porteño and Palmeiras. RB Bragantino were runners-up to River Plate in Group H of the Sudamericana. The winner will face Atlético Mineiro in the Round of 16.

The Peruvian side changed head coaches during the break, with Roberto Mosquera replacing Zé Ricardo and beginning his fourth spell at the club. Los Cerveceros remain unbeaten since his arrival and opened their Clausura campaign with a 1-0 victory over Deportivo Garcilaso. Bragantino resumed their Brasileirão campaign with a 1-1 draw against Fluminense and currently sit fourth in the standings.

Sporting Cristal strengthened their attack with the signings of Hernán Barcos, Juan Manuel Cuesta and Michael Hoyos. Vagner Mancini’s side, meanwhile, welcomed several injured players back into the squad and could also have leading scorer Isidro Pitta available again following his participation in the World Cup with Paraguay.

Stadium: Estadio Nacional del Perú, Lima

Kick-off: 19:30

Referee: Leandro Rey (ARG)

VAR: Silvio Trucco (ARG)

Match facts:

• Sporting Cristal have won 11 of their last 15 home matches in CONMEBOL knockout rounds, with one draw and three defeats. That run includes their only such match against Brazilian opposition, a 2-1 victory over Athletico Paranaense in the qualifying phase of the 2014 Libertadores.
   
• RB Bragantino previously competed in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana playoffs in 2024, when they eliminated Barcelona with a 4-3 aggregate victory. That remains Braga’s most recent knockout tie victory in continental competitions.
   
• RB Bragantino finished the group stage with the highest number of patient build-up attacks featuring ten or more passes in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, recording 17. Two of those sequences resulted in goals.
   
• Bragantino’s Fernando was involved in six team sequences that ended in goals during the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, the joint-highest total for any player in the group stage alongside Olimpia’s Juan Alfaro.
   
• Sporting Cristal took their shots from an average distance of 21 metres from the opposition goal, the second-highest figure during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores. Los Celestes scored twice from outside the penalty area in that round, once against Palmeiras and once against Junior.

Thursday, 23 July

Bolívar (BOL) vs Gremio (BRA)

Bolívar will compete in the playoffs after finishing third in Group C of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, behind Independiente Rivadavia and Fluminense. Grêmio were runners-up to Montevideo City Torque in Group F of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana with 11 points. The winner will face São Paulo in the Round of 16.

Alejandro Restrepo’s side enter the tie in good form after a 4-0 victory over Guabirá, featuring a brace from Martín Cauteruccio, lifted them into third place in the Bolivian league. Grêmio resumed their Brasileirão campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Mirassol and remain just one point above the relegation zone, a situation that has increased concerns within Luís Castro’s squad.

Bolívar strengthened their attack with Billy Arce, Dairon Asprilla and Bruno Miranda. Asprilla scored in the emphatic victory over Guabirá, continuing his promising start at the club. Grêmio added defender Wallace and forward Matheus Nascimento for the second half of the season, while agreements are also in place for the arrivals of right-back Diego Caito and Cape Verde international Jovane Cabral, one of his national team’s standout performers at the recent World Cup.

Stadium: Hernando Siles, La Paz

Kick-off: 18:00

Referee: Roberto Pérez (PER)

VAR: Diego Haro (PER)

Match facts:

• Grêmio have won three of their four matches against Bolívar in CONMEBOL competitions, all of them in the Libertadores group stage. They recorded two victories in 1983 and one win and one defeat in 2003. This will be their first meeting in a knockout round.
   
• Bolívar have avoided defeat in 18 of their 22 home matches against Brazilian opposition in CONMEBOL competitions, recording 13 wins and five draws. However, one of their four defeats came against Grêmio, a 2-1 loss in March 1983.
   
• Grêmio’s passing sequences during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana lasted an average of 10.9 seconds, the highest figure among all participating teams. O Tricolor averaged 3.6 passes per sequence during that round.
   
• Martín Cauteruccio has scored in each of the last seven editions of CONMEBOL competitions in which he has featured, including one goal for Bolívar in the 2026 Libertadores. One of the Uruguayan striker’s 16 continental goals came against Grêmio, in a 1-1 draw while playing for San Lorenzo in March 2016.
   
• Since 2018, Bolívar have not been outperformed in terms of possession in 30 of their 35 home matches in CONMEBOL competitions, averaging 62.7% of the ball. During that period, they faced Brazilian opponents ten times, recording five wins, two draws and three defeats, and had less than 50% possession only once: 49.5% against Fluminense in 2026.

Santa Fe (COL) vs Caracas (VEN)

Independiente Santa Fe reached the playoffs after finishing third in Group E of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, behind Corinthians and Platense. Caracas were runners-up to Botafogo in Group E of the Sudamericana with nine points and remained unbeaten away from home. The winner of the tie will face River Plate in the Round of 16.

Pablo Repetto’s side have gained valuable match practice during pre-season. They lost to Real Cundinamarca, won both of their friendlies against Patriotas and shared one victory apiece with Internacional de Bogotá. Caracas confirmed Henry Meléndez as head coach after he secured qualification following Fernando Aristeguieta’s departure. They come into the match after a 1-1 draw with Aragua in the Copa Venezuela.

Santa Fe signed versatile midfielder Kevin Balanta from Santos Laguna and confirmed the departures of Jersson González, Edwin Mosquera and Yeicar Perlaza. Caracas strengthened their attack with Colombian forward Alejandro Villarreal, a 20-year-old arrival from Aldosivi who can play as either a centre-forward or winger.

Stadium: Nemesio Camacho El Campín, Bogotá

Kick-off: 19:30

Referee: Guillermo Guerrero (ECU)

VAR: Franklin Congo (ECU)

Match facts:

• Santa Fe and Caracas have previously met in two knockout rounds in CONMEBOL competitions, with El León progressing on both occasions: the semi-finals of the 1999 Copa Merconorte and the second round of the 2010 Sudamericana. The Colombian side have also advanced every time they have faced Venezuelan opposition in a continental knockout tie, doing so on five occasions.
   
• Caracas are currently enjoying their longest unbeaten away run in CONMEBOL competitions, having recorded one win and two draws across their last three matches. That equals the runs they achieved in 1999 and across 2017 and 2018, both of which featured two wins and one draw. El Rojo will now attempt to go four consecutive continental away matches without defeat for the first time.
   
• Caracas opened the scoring in five of their six matches during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Only Montevideo City Torque did so more often, with six, while River Plate and Tigre also recorded five.
   
• Santa Fe were one of only two teams that did not concede a first-half goal during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores, alongside Rosario Central. All seven goals conceded by El León during that round came after half-time.
   
• Santa Fe recorded their highest number of goals from corner-kick situations in a single continental competition since 2013 during the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores. They scored three times from corners, matching their total from the 2016 Libertadores.

Boca Juniors (ARG) vs O'Higgins (CHI)

Boca Juniors will compete in the playoffs after finishing third in Group D of the CONMEBOL Libertadores, behind Universidad Católica and Cruzeiro. O’Higgins, meanwhile, collected ten points and finished runners-up to São Paulo in Group C of the Sudamericana, ahead of Millonarios and Boston River. The winner of the tie will face Paraguay’s Recoleta in the Round of 16.

The side from Rancagua have already gained significant international experience this season. They began their campaign in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, eliminating Bahia on penalties before narrowly missing out on the group stage when Deportes Tolima overturned the tie in Ibagué. In the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, O’Higgins secured two crucial victories over Millonarios, winning 2-0 in Rancagua and 2-1 in Bogotá on the final matchday to seal qualification. Francisco González was their standout performer during the group stage, contributing two goals and four assists.

Boca enter the tie under a new head coach and in positive form. Rodolfo Arruabarrena began his second spell at the club after replacing Claudio Úbeda and signed a contract until December 2027. El Vasco, who won the Argentinian league and Copa Argentina during his first tenure, began his return with two victories and two clean sheets: a 1-0 friendly win over Athletico Paranaense and a 2-0 victory against Sarmiento in the Copa Argentina Round of 32, with goals from Alan Velasco and academy player Leonel Flores.

O’Higgins also arrive with competitive momentum. Lucas Bovaglio’s side have won three of their last four matches, beating Colo-Colo 4-1 and Unión Española 2-1 before eliminating Ñublense on penalties to reach the Copa de la Liga final. The decider against Coquimbo Unido was postponed, allowing El Capo de Provincia to focus fully on their continental tie. “The more difficult the obstacle, the better this team responds,” Bovaglio said after learning that Boca would be their opponents.

Boca signed Uruguayan right-back Leandro Lozano and Colombian goalkeeper Álvaro Montero, while also confirming the return of Sebastián Villa for a second spell at the club. Edinson Cavani, Ander Herrera, Nicolás Orsini and Agustín Martegani were among those who departed. O’Higgins strengthened their midfield with Tomás Avilés, an Argentina-born Chile international who joined on loan from Inter Miami.

Stadium: La Bombonera, Buenos Aires

Kick-off: 21:30

Referee: Andrés Matonte (URU)

VAR: Christian Ferreyra (URU)

Match facts:

• Boca have won four of their last six home matches in CONMEBOL Sudamericana knockout rounds, with one draw and one defeat. During that run, they conceded only once at La Bombonera, in a 1-0 defeat to Deportivo Capiatá in 2014.
   
• Boca have won their last four knockout ties against Chilean opposition in CONMEBOL competitions, including a 2005 Sudamericana semi-final against Universidad Católica. Their most recent meeting came in 2012, when they eliminated Universidad de Chile in the Libertadores semi-finals.
   
• O’Higgins spent the fourth-most time leading matches during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, with 279 minutes. The Rancagua side also won all three matches in which they opened the scoring, twice against Millonarios and once against Boston River.
   
• O’Higgins’ Francisco González completed more ball carries into the final third than any other player during the group stage of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, with 47. Four of those carries ended inside the opposition penalty area.
   
• Sebastián Villa returned to Boca during the current transfer window. During his previous spell, he scored five goals for the club in CONMEBOL competitions. The most recent came away to Chilean opposition, against Colo-Colo in the 2023 Libertadores.