- The CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16 Playoff ties will be decided this week.
- Eight teams will secure their place in the Round of 16.
The CONMEBOL Sudamericana Round of 16 Playoffs will be decided in a week packed with excitement, tension and decisive matches across the continent. After first legs that produced commanding leads, narrow results and several finely poised ties, the 16 teams will meet again with one clear objective: claiming one of the eight available places in the next round.
Every match will feel like a final for those involved. Some teams will look to protect the advantage they earned in the opening leg, while others will count on home support as they try to turn their tie around. Once the return legs are complete, eight clubs will keep their dream of La Gran Conquista alive, while the remaining eight will see their 2026 international campaign come to an end.
Martes 28 de julio
Tigre vs. Nacional (3-0)
‘El Matador’ will look to finish the job after taking a commanding lead in the opening leg, when goals from Jalil Elías, Ignacio Russo and Elías Cabrera secured a 3-0 victory at the Gran Parque Central. Head coach Diego Dabove rotated his squad for Tigre’s Clausura 2026 opener against Estudiantes de Río Cuarto, a match the Buenos Aires side lost 1-0.
‘El Bolso’, who had no competitive action over the weekend, will be chasing a historic comeback: no team has ever overturned a three-goal first-leg deficit after losing at home in a CONMEBOL competition. Jorge Bava will be without Bruno Zuculini, who was sent off in the opening encounter. “We know we are on the right track in terms of the work we are doing. It is a matter of breaking through this moment, putting together a run of good results and allowing the football we all believe these players are capable of producing to start flowing,” Bava said about the Uruguayan giant’s current situation. The winner will face Montevideo City Torque.
Stadium: José Dellagiovanna, Victoria
Kick-off: 19:00
Referee: Flavio de Souza (BRA)
VAR: Wagner Reway (BRA)
Match facts:
- Almost half of Tigre’s goals in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana have come from set pieces (5 of 11): three from corners, one from a throw-in and one from an indirect free kick that opened the scoring against Nacional in the first leg.
- Nahuel Banegas made 10 tackles against Nacional in the opening leg, the most by a Tigre player in a CONMEBOL competition match since Opta records began in 2013. It is also the joint-highest tally by any player in the 2026 editions of these competitions, alongside Gustavo Henrique for Santos against Recoleta and José Carabalí for Universitario against Nacional.
- This will be only the second time Tigre have played a second leg after winning the opening match away from home in a CONMEBOL competition. On the previous occasion, ‘El Matador’ defeated Argentinos Juniors 2-1 away in the first leg of the second round of the 2012 Sudamericana before winning 4-1 at home to advance.
- Nacional are seeking to become the first team in CONMEBOL competition history to win a tie after losing the first leg at home by three goals or more. In each of the previous 56 cases, the team that won the opening leg went on to advance.
- Tigre scored the goal featuring the longest passing sequence of any first-leg match in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs: Elías Cabrera’s strike against Nacional came after 13 consecutive passes.
Santos vs. U.C.V. FC (4-1)
‘O Peixe’ return home with the opportunity to put the tie beyond doubt after their emphatic victory in Venezuela. The Brazilian side come into the match following a 2-2 draw against Chapecoense in the Brasileirão, a result that also brought some encouraging news: Neymar returned to action and scored both of his team’s goals. Universidad Central, meanwhile, will be chasing an upset away from home against one of South America’s most historic clubs. The winner will face Macará in the Round of 16.
Stadium: Urbano Caldeira, Santos
Kick-off: 21:30
Referee: Carlos Benítez (PAR)
VAR: Ulises Mereles (PAR)
Match facts:
- Santos generated 2.41 expected goals against UCV in the first leg, their second-highest xG total in an away CONMEBOL Sudamericana match since records began in 2013, behind only their game against Recoleta in 2026 (2.74 xG).
- Of Santos’ 12 goals in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, 11 have come from open play and only one from a set piece: Gabriel Barbosa’s direct free-kick against San Lorenzo. Only Botafogo, with 13, have scored more open-play goals in the competition.
- Santos remain unbeaten against Venezuelan opposition in CONMEBOL competitions, with four wins and five draws. Three of those victories came at home in the Libertadores: 3-2 against Caracas in 2007, 3-1 against Deportivo Táchira in 2011 and 2-1 against Deportivo Lara in 2021.
- Gabriel Menino was one of only two players to score after carrying the ball in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs, alongside Boca’s Miguel Merentiel.
- Daniel De Sousa has provided an assist in each of his last two matches for UCV in CONMEBOL competitions, equalling Fernando Solé for the most assists by a player for the club in continental competition, with two each. De Sousa has registered only two key passes for the Venezuelan side, and both resulted in goals.
Wednesday, July 29
Vasco Da Gama vs. Independiente Medellín (2-2)
Everything remains to play for in Brazil. Vasco will look to make home advantage count after securing an important draw away from home in the first leg. Last weekend, they drew 1-1 against Mirassol, who are preparing for the CONMEBOL Libertadores Round of 16, with Carlos Andrés Gómez scoring the equalizer ten minutes from time.
Independiente Medellín opened their Liga Dimayor campaign with an important 3-2 victory over Pasto thanks to goals from Jhan Mena, Hayen Palacios and John Montaño. Montaño, in particular, arrives in excellent form after scoring both of DIM’s goals in the first leg and will be hoping to make the difference again in the return fixture. Olimpia await the winner in the Round of 16.
Stadium: São Januário, Rio de Janeiro
Kick-off: 19:00
Referee: Maximiliano Ramírez (ARG)
VAR: Héctor Paletta (ARG)
Match facts:
- Vasco have never lost at home against Colombian opposition in CONMEBOL competitions, recording four wins and two draws. Their most recent such meeting came in 2001, when they defeated América de Cali 4-1 in the Libertadores group stage.
- Independiente Medellín won the only CONMEBOL tie they have ever decided away from home against Brazilian opposition: the 2016 Sudamericana Round of 16 against Santa Cruz, which finished 3-3 on aggregate and was decided on away goals.
- Independiente Medellín were one of only two teams to score from a direct attack in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs, alongside Boca. DIM scored from their only direct attack of the match against Vasco.
- Since 2025, Claudio Spinelli has scored 10 goals in 20 CONMEBOL competition appearances for Vasco. Only two players have scored more over that span: Álex Arce with 12 and Adrián Martínez with 11.
- John Montaño scored twice for Independiente Medellín in the first leg. Since 2013, only six players have scored more than twice in a single CONMEBOL Sudamericana edition before turning 20: Nilson Angulo (three for LDU Quito in 2022), Matheus Martins (three for Fluminense in 2022), Agustín Álvarez (eight for Peñarol in 2021), Thiago Almada (four for Vélez in 2020), João Pedro (three for Fluminense in 2019) and Esequiel Barco (three for Independiente in 2017).
Cienciano vs. Lanús (0-2)
Lanús have made a flying start to the second half of the year. The reigning CONMEBOL Sudamericana champions began the defense of their title with a convincing home victory over Cienciano before extending their strong run of form with a 1-0 win against San Lorenzo in their Argentine Clausura opener. Colombian Yoshan Valois scored the winner against ‘El Ciclón’.
Ahead of the return leg against Cienciano, Mauricio Pellegrino will have to decide who replaces Lucas Besozzi, who was sent off in the first meeting.
Cienciano, meanwhile, were unable to return to winning ways over the weekend, losing 2-0 to Juan Pablo II College in an Apertura campaign in which they are still searching for their first victory. As they look to overturn the deficit against ‘El Granate’, the Peruvian side will hope to make the most of the conditions in Cusco to reach the next round. Botafogo await the winner in the Round of 16.
Stadium: Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Cusco
Kick-off: 19:30
Referee: Carlos Betancur (COL)
VAR: Mauricio Pérez (COL)
Match facts:
- Lanús have advanced from 10 of the 11 CONMEBOL ties in which they won the first leg by more than one goal, including one decided in Peru: their 2018 Sudamericana first-round tie against Sporting Cristal.
- Cienciano have suffered only three defeats in their last 17 home matches in CONMEBOL competitions (10 wins, four draws) and are unbeaten in their last four at home (two wins, two draws), their longest such run since a five-match winning streak between 2007 and 2008 in the Libertadores.
- Lanús were the only team to score following a high turnover — a recovery in the first 40 metres of the opposition half — in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs. ‘El Granate’ recorded 16 high turnovers against Cienciano, four more than any other team, with DIM next on 12.
- Two of the five players with the most touches in the opposition box during the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs represented Lanús: Agustín Medina with seven and Yoshan Valois with eight, the highest total of any player.
- The last two times Cienciano opened the scoring in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, they did so with headed goals. Excluding own goals, only Racing and River have also scored twice with headers to break the deadlock in the current competition since the group stage.
Bragantino vs. Sporting Cristal (0-0)
Red Bull Bragantino will host Sporting Cristal with the tie still completely up for grabs. Fifth in the Brasileirão, Bragantino drew 0-0 with Coritiba last weekend and remain well positioned domestically while also pursuing their continental ambitions. Sporting Cristal, unable to make home advantage count in the first leg, suffered a defeat against Melgar last weekend in the second round of Liga 1. The winner will face Atlético Mineiro in the Round of 16.
Stadium: Municipal Cícero de Souza Marques, Bragança Paulista
Kick-off: 21:30
Referee: Esteban Ostojich (URU)
VAR: Andrés Cunha (URU)
Match Facts:
- Sporting Cristal are unbeaten in four of their last five away matches outside the group stage in CONMEBOL competitions (1W, 3D), including a 0-0 draw against Emelec in a Sudamericana playoff. Before that run, ‘Los Celestes’ had suffered 12 defeats in 14 matches.
- RB Bragantino will play their 28th home match in CONMEBOL competitions, and this will be their first against Peruvian opposition, meaning they will have now faced clubs from all 10 CONMEBOL member nations. ‘Braga’ have lost only five of their previous 27 home matches (14W, 8D), with every defeat coming against Argentine or Brazilian opposition.
- RB Bragantino’s Cleiton recorded the second-highest goals prevented figure (1.04) in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs, behind only Grêmio’s Weverton (1.47). The Bragantino goalkeeper has also kept a clean sheet in three of his last four appearances in the competition.
- Only four players attempted a shot after completing a dribble in last week’s CONMEBOL Sudamericana matches. Two of them represented RB Bragantino: Henry Mosquera and Marcelinho Braz, with one shot each.
- Yoshimar Yotún has scored half of Sporting Cristal’s away goals (3 of 5) in CONMEBOL competitions this season. Two of those goals came from the penalty spot, making him one of five players to score more than once from penalties this year across the Libertadores, Sudamericana and Recopa.
Thursday, July 30
Gremio vs. Bolívar (2-3)
After producing a thrilling first leg, Grêmio and Bolívar will decide who reaches the Round of 16 in a return fixture that promises to live up to expectations. ‘El Tricolor’ will look to overturn the deficit at home and keep their continental campaign alive. Last weekend, Grêmio rescued a late 1-1 draw against Fluminense, currently fourth in the Brasileirão.
One player to watch will be Cape Verde international Jovane Cabral, one of his national team’s standout performers at the recent FIFA World Cup. He made his Grêmio debut against ‘Flu’ and provided the assist for Diego Caito’s late equalizer.
Bolívar will arrive for the return leg with even greater confidence after defeating Real Potosí 2-1, with Dairon Asprilla once again finding the net after scoring the winner in the opening match against Grêmio. São Paulo await the winner in the Round of 16.
Stadium: Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre
Kick-off: 19:00
Referee: Piero Maza (CHI)
VAR: Rodrigo Carvajal (CHI)
Match Facts:
- Bolívar have won two of their last three away matches in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana (2W, 1L, all in 2025), twice as many victories as they had recorded in their entire previous history in the competition (24 matches: 1W, 6D, 17L).
- Grêmio have overturned 50% of the CONMEBOL ties in which they lost the first leg away from home (8 of 16). The most recent occasion came against Estudiantes de La Plata in the 2018 Libertadores Round of 16: they lost 2-1 in Argentina, won 2-1 in Brazil and advanced 5-3 on penalties.
- Bolívar nearly doubled the totals for both shots (31) and expected goals (4.2 xG) recorded by any other team in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs. The three players involved in the most attacking sequences all represented the Bolivian side: Robson Matheus (15), Patricio Rodríguez (13) and Carlos Melgar (11).
- Patricio Rodríguez recorded four shots following a ball carry in the first leg against Grêmio, twice as many as any other player in last week’s CONMEBOL Sudamericana matches.
- Tetê scored the only goal from a corner sequence in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs. ‘El Tricolor’ have not scored more than one goal from corners in a single continental campaign since the 2021 Sudamericana, when they scored two.
O'Higgins vs. Boca Juniors (0-1)
Boca Juniors will put their continental future on the line in Rancagua after an unexpected weekend setback: they suffered a 3-0 defeat against Deportivo Riestra in their Argentine Clausura opener. Although head coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena rested players with the decisive match against the Chilean side in mind, the result increases the pressure on ‘El Xeneize’, who will have to defend the advantage secured at ‘La Bombonera’ through Miguel Merentiel’s goal.
O’Higgins also suffered defeat domestically, losing 2-0 to Concepción. Head coach Lucas Bovaglio chose to preserve several key players ahead of the battle for a place in the next round. ‘El Teniente’ will look to build on their strong performance in Buenos Aires and write a historic chapter for the club. The winner will face Recoleta in the Round of 16.
Stadium: Codelco El Teniente, Rancagua
Kick-off: 20:30
Referee: Wilmar Roldán (COL)
VAR: David Rodríguez (COL)
Match Facts:
- Boca have won their last three away matches against Chilean opposition in CONMEBOL competitions, equalling their longest winning streak on Chilean soil in continental competition, previously achieved between 1999 and 2001. They will now look to set a new outright club record.
- O’Higgins are unbeaten in their last 13 home matches in CONMEBOL competitions, a run spanning 42 years (6W, 7D). They kept a clean sheet in 11 of those matches: Cerro Porteño were the last visiting side to score against them, in 2014, and O’Higgins have now gone eight consecutive continental home games without conceding (5W, 3D).
- Boca’s Sebastián Villa (7) and Lautaro Blanco (6) were among the four players with the most carries ending inside the opposition penalty area during the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs.
- Francisco González has scored four of O’Higgins’ six home goals in CONMEBOL competitions this season. Across the Libertadores and Sudamericana, only one player has scored more than four continental goals for the Rancagua-based club: Miguel Ángel Neira, with six.
- Among players who contested more than five aerial duels in last week’s 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana matches, O’Higgins’ Alan Robledo recorded the highest success rate, winning 83.3% of them.
Caracas vs. Santa Fe (0-2)
Caracas will fight for their continental future in Barquisimeto after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the first leg in Bogotá. Henry Meléndez’s side had no competitive action over the weekend, with the Venezuelan Clausura not beginning until July 31, allowing them to focus fully on their comeback attempt. ‘El Rojo’ will look to make home advantage count as they try to overturn the deficit and extend their run in the competition.
Independiente Santa Fe suffered a 2-1 defeat against Águilas Doradas in their league opener. Head coach Pablo Repetto rotated his squad and rested several key players with the return leg in mind, when ‘El Cardenal’ will defend the advantage secured through goals from Hugo Rodallega and Franco Fagúndez. The winner will face River Plate in the Round of 16.
Stadium: Metropolitano de Cabudare, Barquisimeto
Kick-off: 20:30
Referee: Anderson Daronco (BRA)
VAR: Pablo Goncalves (BRA)
Match facts:
- Santa Fe won their most recent away match in the 2026 Libertadores, defeating Peñarol 1-0 in Uruguay, and will now look to record consecutive away victories in CONMEBOL competitions for only the fourth time in their history, after doing so in 1967-72, 2013 and 2018.
- Caracas are unbeaten in seven of their last nine home matches in knockout rounds of CONMEBOL competitions, suffering only two defeats. They also kept a clean sheet in seven of those matches.
- Independiente Santa Fe’s Nahuel Bustos was the only player to provide an assist after completing a dribble among all those who featured in the first legs of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Playoffs.
- Two of Caracas’ three home goals in the 2026 Sudamericana have been headers, matching their total from all 17 previous home matches in CONMEBOL competitions since 2020.
- Hugo Rodallega has now scored four goals for Independiente Santa Fe in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Only two players have scored more for ‘El León’ in the competition: Óscar Rodas with five and Wilson Morelo with seven.
