Summary
The 2026 Copa Sudamericana is South America's second most prestigous club football tournament where top club teams (44 total) from all 10 CONMEBOL F/As (football associations) are represented. It is the equivalent of the UEFA Europa League. The 2026 winner will play in the 2027 Copa Libertadores and in the 2027 Recopa Sudamericana against the winner of the 2027 Copa Libertadores.
Each F/A is given a minimum of 4 berths, while Argentina and Brazil are each given a minimum of 6. Stage entry is based on cummulative historical relative performance of each F/A against the other F/As.
After the Group Stage and before the Final, if teams are tied on Aggregate, teams will do directly to a penalty shoot-out. In the Final, if the score is tied at the end of regulation time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played. If still tied at the end of extra time, a penalty shoot-out will be held.
The 2026 Final will be played in the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez (Barranquilla, Colombia) on 21 November 2026.
Lanús (ARG1) won the 2025 Copa Sudamericana.
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| F/A | COPALIB Teams | COPASUD Teams |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 7 | 6 |
| Boliva | 4 | 4 |
| Brazil | 8 | 6 |
| Chile | 4 | 4 |
| Colombia | 4 | 4 |
| Ecuador | 4 | 4 |
| Paraguay | 4 | 4 |
| Peru | 4 | 4 |
| Uruguay | 4 | 4 |
| Venezuela | 4 | 4 |
Competition Structure
| Stage | # Teams | New Teams Entering This Round | Teams From Previous Round | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Stage | 32 |
| 16 Knock-out matches, direct to penalty shoot-out if tied at end of 90 minutes | |
| Group Stage | 32 |
| 16 winners from First Round | 8 groups of 4 with Home/Away matches against each team in group, top team with most points (win = 3 pts, draw = 1 pt) in each group advance (Table ranking ties are broken by (1) goal difference, (2) goals scored, (3) away goals scored, then (4) CONMEBOL ranking.) |
| Playoff Round | 16 | eight 3rd place teams from 2026 Copa Libertadores Group Stage | eight 2nd place teams from Group Stage | 8 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances |
| Round of 16 | 16 | None | 8 winners from Group Stage, 8 Playoff Round winners | 8 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances |
| Quarterfinals | 8 | None | 8 winners from Round of 16 | 4 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances |
| Semifinals | 4 | None | 4 winners from Quarterfinals | 2 sets of Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals advances |
| Final | 2 | None | 2 winners from Semifinals | Home/Away matches, highest aggregate goals wins |
First Stage
| Date | Home | Status | Road | Venue | ||||
 | CD Guabirá (BOL1) | Estadio Olímpico Patria |
 | Defensor Sporting (URU1) | Estadio Centenario (Montevideo) |
 | Audax Italiano (CHI1) | Estadio El Cobre |
 | Monagas SC (VEN1) | Complejo Deportivo Socialista |
 | Deportivo Garcilaso (PER1) | Estadio Campeones del '36 |
 | CD San Antonio Bulo Bulo (BOL1) | Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera |
 | Metropolitanos FC (VEN1) | Estadio Olímpico de la UCV |
 | Millonarios FC (COL1) | Estadio Atanasio Giradot |
 | Club Olimpia (PAR1) | Estadio Martín Torres |
 | CD Palestino (CHI1) | Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos |
 | Libertad FC (ECU1) | Estadio Alejandro Serrano Aguilar |
 | Racing Club (URU1) | Estadio Campeones Olímpicos |
 | Deportivo Recoleta (PAR1) | Estadio Arsenio Erico |
 | CA Bucaramanga (COL1) | Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero |
 | FBC Melgar (PER1) | Estadio Garcilaso |
 | CSD Macará (ECU1) | Estadio 9 de Mayo (Machala) |