- Two teams from Argentina, one from Bolivia, and one from Paraguay will compete in the tournament for the first time.
- Among the debutants, only the Argentine sides will begin their journey directly in the Group Stage.
The 2026 edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana will feature four debutants. Argentina’s Barracas Central and Deportivo Riestra, Bolivia’s Independiente Petrolero, and Paraguay’s Recoleta will take part for the first time in South America’s second most important club competition.
Deportivo Riestra and Barracas Central qualified through the Argentine league. They secured their spots by finishing third and sixth, respectively, in the overall standings among teams that did not qualify for the CONMEBOL Libertadores.
Independiente Petrolero, meanwhile, qualified as the third-best Bolivian team outside the CONMEBOL Libertadores and began its campaign in the Sudamericana from the first stage. The team advanced to the Group Stage after eliminating Guabirá in the knockout round.
Recoleta, for its part, sealed its qualification for the Group Stage after recording its best-ever season in Paraguay’s top division and defeating Nacional (PAR) in the playoff round. After a 1–1 draw, ‘Los Canarios’ prevailed 5–4 in the penalty shootout.
The draw for the CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026 Group Stage will take place on Thursday, March 19, starting at 20:00 (Paraguay time), at the CONMEBOL headquarters in Luque, Paraguay. During the ceremony, the composition of the eight groups—each made up of four teams—will be determined, marking the beginning of the road toward the continental title.
Kick-off times across the rest of the continent will be as follows:
- 20:00 – Argentina, Brazil (Brasília time), Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay
- 19:00 – Bolivia and Venezuela
- 18:00 – Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru
