- Boca and São Paulo, two former champions, replay their 2007 tie at 'La Bombonera'; Santa Fe host Vasco three decades after their only previous meeting; Santos and Atlético Mineiro star in the all-Brazilian duel.
- The tie between Cienciano and Montevideo City Torque guarantees either a first-time semifinalist or the return of the 2003 champions to that stage; the first legs run from Tuesday, September 8 to Thursday, September 10.
'La Gran Conquista' enters its decisive stretch. Eight teams remain in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana and the quarterfinals offer four ties with very different identities: a clash of former champions between Boca, back-to-back winners in 2004 and 2005, and São Paulo, the 2012 champions; a reunion thirty years in the making between Independiente Santa Fe, the 2015 champions, and Vasco da Gama; an all-Brazilian classic never before seen in CONMEBOL competitions between Santos and Atlético Mineiro; and a tie of new stories between Cienciano, the only international champion in Peruvian football, and Montevideo City Torque, who have already written the finest page of their short history.
The first legs will be played between Tuesday, September 8 and Thursday, September 10, with Boca, Santa Fe, Santos and Cienciano at home. The return legs come the following week, and the goal is the same for everyone: the single-match final on November 21 at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla. As always, if the aggregate is still level after 180 minutes, the tie will be decided on penalties.
Boca Juniors vs. São Paulo
'La Bombonera' will shake with a duel of pedigree: Boca, the only back-to-back champions of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, host São Paulo, the 2012 champions, in the fifth knockout tie between the two in CONMEBOL competitions and the first since the Round of 16 of the 2007 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, when the 'Xeneize' won 2-1 at home, the São Paulo 'Tricolor' won 1-0 at the Morumbi and the tie went Brazil's way.
Boca arrive in their best form of the season. After dropping down from the CONMEBOL Libertadores and eliminating O'Higgins on penalties in the Playoffs, Rodolfo Arruabarrena's side steamrolled Recoleta in the Round of 16: 3-1 at the Estadio Tomás Adolfo Ducó and 4-0 in Asunción, with goals from Santiago Ascacíbar, Sebastián Villa, Miguel Merentiel and Alan Velasco in the return leg, for a 7-1 aggregate. Merentiel and Ascacíbar, with three goals apiece in the continental season, lead the output of a squad that blends the experience of Leandro Paredes with the emergence of youngsters like Leonel Flores, scorer of a stunning goal in the first leg against the Paraguayans.
Boca Juniors in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
São Paulo, for their part, are the team that has never trailed in this edition. After a 1-1 draw in La Paz against Bolívar, Dorival Júnior's side settled the tie at the MorumBIS with a 3-1 win: Luciano opened the scoring, Dairon Asprilla equalized for the Bolivians, and Jonathan Calleri and Sabino sealed qualification. Luciano, with three goals, is their top scorer in this edition and is one goal away from joining the competition's top five all-time scorers. And Calleri, a São Paulo idol with a Boca past, returns to La Bombonera as the marquee name.
The tie carries a precedent Boca fans still remember: that 2007 elimination, with the aggregate level, was decided by the away-goals rule, which no longer exists. Two decades later, the 'Xeneize' chase their third 'Gran Conquista' and São Paulo their second, with one stat weighing in the visitors' favor: seven wins in their last nine matches against Argentine opponents in CONMEBOL competitions.
São Paulo in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Alberto J. Armando 'La Bombonera', Buenos Aires
Date and time: Tuesday, September 8 at 9:30 PM
Referee: Piero Maza (CHI)
VAR: Fernando Véjar (CHI)
The match in numbers:
- This will be the fifth knockout tie between Boca and São Paulo in CONMEBOL competitions. The Xeneize won three of them: they advanced in the semifinals of the 1993 Copa de Oro and the 1994 Supercopa and won the 2006 Recopa, while they fell in the most recent one, in the Round of 16 of the 2007 Sudamericana.
- São Paulo have won seven of their last nine matches against Argentine opponents in CONMEBOL competitions (2L). Almost half of those wins came away from home: 3-1 against Racing in the 2021 Libertadores, 2-0 against Tigre in the 2023 Sudamericana and 1-0 against Talleres in the 2025 Libertadores.
- Since the start of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana group stage, São Paulo are the only team yet to fall behind on the scoreboard after eight matches played (4W 4D). In addition, the Tricolor are on a run of 39 consecutive matches without defeat in CONMEBOL competitions when they open the scoring (32W 7D).
- Sebastián Villa (Boca) is the player with the most direct goal contributions since the start of the 2026 season in CONMEBOL competitions, with nine (4G 5A), alongside Álex Arce (9G with Independiente Rivadavia) and Francisco González (5G 4A with O'Higgins). His only goal against a Brazilian opponent in these competitions came against Santos in the 2021 Libertadores.
- Luciano is São Paulo's top scorer in the current 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, with three goals, and has 14 in the history of the Copa. If he scores again, he will move into fifth place in the competition's all-time scoring charts, alongside Miguel Borja, Bernardo Cuesta and Nicolás Fernández.
Boca Juniors vs. São Paulo Kit
Independiente Santa Fe vs. Vasco da Gama
Three decades after their only previous meeting, Independiente Santa Fe and Vasco da Gama face each other again in a knockout tie. Back then, in the semifinals of the 1996 Copa CONMEBOL, the 'León' advanced on penalties in Bogotá after a 2-2 aggregate. History repeats itself at 'El Campín', with the 2015 CONMEBOL Sudamericana champions at home and a Vasco side arriving emboldened after their rout in Asunción.
Santa Fe come off the most resounding qualification of their campaign: they knocked out River Plate. After a 0-0 in Bogotá, Pablo Repetto's side drew 1-1 at the 'Monumental' — Sebastián Driussi put the 'Millonario' ahead and Franco Fagúndez equalized in the 80th minute — and prevailed in the penalty shootout, with Hugo Rodallega as captain at 41. Rodallega and Fagúndez, with four goals each, have scored two-thirds of the 'Cardenal's' goals in the continental season, and almost all of them came in the second half: a team that grows as the minutes go by.
Independiente Santa Fe in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Vasco, coached by Pedro Emanuel, settled their tie against Olimpia with a comeback full of character. After a 0-0 at São Januário, they fell behind in Asunción to Esteban Matus' goal but turned it around with authority: Thiago Mendes equalized, David put them ahead before halftime and Adson and Claudio Spinelli rounded off the 4-1. The 'Cruzmaltino' are among the teams that have picked up the most points in this competition in matches they started losing, and Adson, with nine involvements in goal-scoring sequences, is one of their most decisive weapons.
For Santa Fe, the tie is a test of their strength at home: just three home defeats in 44 knockout-round matches in CONMEBOL competitions, and six wins in seven duels against Brazilian sides. For Vasco, it is the chance to confirm that the Asunción version — the team that never gives up — is the one that can take them back to a continental semifinal.
Tie yet to begin: the winner on aggregate will advance to the semifinals; if level after both legs, penalties will decide. The return leg will be played next week in Rio de Janeiro.
Vasco da Gama in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Nemesio Camacho El Campín, Bogotá
Date and time: Tuesday, September 8 at 5:00 PM
Referee: Darío Herrera (ARG)
VAR: Hernán Mastrángelo (ARG)
The match in numbers:
- The only previous meeting between Independiente Santa Fe and Vasco da Gama in continental competitions came in a knockout round, when they met in the semifinals of the 1996 Copa CONMEBOL. The tie began in Brazil, finished 2-2 on aggregate and the León advanced on penalties (6-5) at home.
- Independiente Santa Fe have suffered just three home defeats in 44 knockout-round matches in CONMEBOL competitions (27W 14D). Counting only meetings with Brazilian opponents, the León have six wins in seven matches (1D).
- Adson (Vasco) is the player with the most involvements in sequences that ended in a goal (9) since the start of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, alongside Alejandro Hohberg (Cienciano), although the Cruzmaltino player has played three fewer matches than his Imperiales counterpart (8 vs. 11).
- Vasco are among the four teams that have picked up the most points since the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana group stage in matches in which they fell behind, with seven. The Cruzmaltino avoided defeat all three times they conceded the opening goal in the current edition of the Copa (2W 1D).
- Two-thirds of the goals Santa Fe have scored this year across the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Sudamericana (8/12) came from Hugo Rodallega and Franco Fagúndez, with four goals each. Of those eight goals, seven came in the second half.
Santa Fe vs. Vasco da Gama Kit
Santos vs. Atlético Mineiro
A Brazilian classic that continental history had yet to see. Santos and Atlético Mineiro have never met in CONMEBOL competitions, and their last knockout meeting came in the 2019 Copa do Brasil. The Vila Belmiro hosts the first leg of a duel between two teams that reached the quarterfinals by very different routes: the 'Peixe' suffering until the end, the 'Galo' with their habit of never losing ties.
Santos beat Macará 2-1 at the Vila and held on for a 0-0 at altitude in Ambato to qualify, on a night when they failed to register a shot on target and Cuca opted for a rotation packed with youngsters, with neither Neymar nor Gabriel Barbosa in the squad. The team had reached the Round of 16 after an eight-goal Playoff tie against Universidad Central, and has in 'Gabigol' — with five goals in the continental season and a run of four consecutive CONMEBOL Sudamericana matches with a goal — its attacking reference. Neymar, with two goals and two assists in five matches, is the other big question mark of the tie.
Santos in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Atlético Mineiro eliminated Red Bull Bragantino with a 1-0 win in Bragança Paulista and a 2-2 draw at the Arena MRV in which they had to come from behind twice: Eric Ramires and Eduardo Sasha put the visitors ahead, Maycon equalized and Tomás Cuello, in the third minute of stoppage time, sealed qualification. Eduardo Domínguez's side thus extended a record that sets them apart in the tournament: they have never lost a tie after winning the first leg away from home. Bernard, with three goals, and Cuello, with four assists, sustain their attack.
The duel also features a personal reunion in the dugouts: Cuca, who won the 2013 Libertadores with the 'Galo', now coaches the Santos side trying to eliminate the club that made his name. And a historic first for the 'Peixe': it is the first time they face a compatriot in this tournament from the quarterfinals onward.
Tie yet to begin: the winner on aggregate will advance to the semifinals; if level after both legs, penalties will decide. The return leg will be played next week in Belo Horizonte.
Atlético Mineiro in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Urbano Caldeira (Vila Belmiro), Santos
Date and time: Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 PM
Referee: Alexis Herrera (VEN)
VAR: Carlos Orbe (ECU)
The match in numbers:
- Santos and Atlético Mineiro have no previous meetings in CONMEBOL competitions. The last time they met in a knockout tie was in the Round of 16 of the 2019 Copa do Brasil, when the Galo advanced 2-1 on aggregate (0-0 at home and 2-1 away).
- Santos have won seven of the nine knockout ties they have played against Brazilian opponents in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana. This is the first time they face a team from their own country in the Copa from the quarterfinals onward, going beyond the Round of 16 tie they won against São Paulo in 2004.
- Atlético Mineiro are one of three teams to have scored more than one goal from build-up attacks (10+ passes before the shot) since the start of the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, with two, alongside São Paulo and Olimpia.
- Gabigol (Santos) has scored in his last four matches in the 2026 Sudamericana and, if he scores again, will equal his longest scoring streak in CONMEBOL competitions: five matches between November 2020 and May 2021 (7 goals).
- Neymar has already played a knockout tie against Atlético Mineiro: it was in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Copa do Brasil, where he contributed a goal and an assist in the second leg to send Santos through.
Santos vs. Atletico Mineiro Kit
Cienciano vs. Montevideo City Torque
The tie of new stories. Cienciano, the 2003 CONMEBOL Sudamericana champions and the only Peruvian club with an international title, host Montevideo City Torque in Cusco, a side that just a few weeks ago broke into the last eight for the first time. This tie will produce, without fail, either a first-time semifinalist or the return of the 'Papá' to that stage 23 years later.
Cienciano arrive from one of the most striking ties of the Round of 16. The historic 6-1 over Botafogo at the Inca Garcilaso de la Vega — a hat-trick from Matías Succar, a brace from Neri Bandiera and a goal from Marcos Martinich — was followed by a well-managed 1-0 defeat in Rio that never put the 6-2 aggregate at risk. Horacio Melgarejo's side had already eliminated Lanús, the defending champions, with an epic comeback in the Playoffs, and leans on Cristian Souza, with five assists in this edition, and on Alejandro Hohberg, one of the players with the most involvements in goal-scoring sequences in the tournament.
Cienciano in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Montevideo City Torque built their qualification on efficiency and a striker on a hot streak. After a 1-0 in Victoria, they closed out the tie against Tigre with a 2-1 win at the Centenario, with a brace from Salomón Rodríguez, who has five goals in the competition and four in his last four continental matches. Marcelo Méndez's side has won seven of its nine matches in this CONMEBOL Sudamericana, the best win rate for a Uruguayan team in a single edition, with a direct-attacking approach that makes them one of the teams with the most goals scored that way in the tournament.
The matchup pits the two most effective direct-attacking teams in the Copa against each other, and also two ways of living this stage: Cusco, with the memory of 2003 intact and the momentum of the rout over Botafogo, against a club founded less than twenty years ago that is already making history. For Cienciano, the objective is to make the altitude and the precedents count: they have advanced in both ties they have played against Uruguayan sides. For Torque, it is to keep proving that their game plan works on any stage.
Tie yet to begin: the winner on aggregate will advance to the semifinals; if level after both legs, penalties will decide. The return leg will be played next week in Montevideo.
Montevideo City Torque in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana: results, squad and schedule
Match details:
Stadium: Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Cusco
Date and time: Thursday, September 10 at 7:30 PM
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
VAR: Pablo Gonçalves (BRA)
The match in numbers:
- Cienciano have advanced in both knockout ties they have played against Uruguayan opponents in CONMEBOL competitions: they beat Montevideo Wanderers in the qualifying round of the 2008 Libertadores and Liverpool in the first round of the 2009 Sudamericana.
- City Torque have won seven of their nine matches in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana (1D 1L), a 78% win rate. It is, so far, the highest win rate for a Uruguayan team (3+ matches) in a single edition of the Copa and the 9th-highest overall.
- The two teams with the most goals from direct attacks so far in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana meet: Cienciano (4) and City Torque (3).
- Salomón Rodríguez has scored four goals in his last four continental matches with City Torque and has five in the 2026 CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Only three Uruguayan players have scored more goals in a single edition of the Copa: Rodrigo Mora (6 in 2010), Agustín Álvarez (10 in 2021) and Gonzalo Mastriani (9 in 2023 and 7 in 2024).
- Cristian Souza has five assists with Cienciano in this CONMEBOL Sudamericana. Since 2013, only two players have provided six assists in a single edition of the Copa: Leonardo Pisculichi in 2014 and Gastón Togni in 2023, both with six.
Cienciano vs. Montevideo City Torque Kit
