Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana: Argentine Team Debuts and Standings

The group stage of the 2026 Copa Libertadores de América commenced on April 7, 2026, featuring 32 participants divided into eight groups of four teams. The tournament opens with a significant presence from Argentine football, with six teams competing in the premier competition and an additional six bidding for the title in the second-tier Copa Sudamericana.

Among the Argentine representatives in the Copa Libertadores, Boca Juniors stands as the only seeded team. The Xeneize leads Group D, where they are scheduled to face Cruzeiro of Brazil, Universidad Católica of Chile and Barcelona of Ecuador. Barcelona entered the group stage after eliminating Argentinos Juniors during the preliminary round.

Estudiantes de La Plata, the champions of the 2025 Torneo Clausura, have been placed in Group A. They face a challenging path as they are grouped with the defending Copa Libertadores champions, Flamengo of Brazil, as well as Independiente Medellín from Colombia and competition newcomer Cusco FC from Perú.

Platense, the 2025 Torneo Apertura champions, face a difficult draw in Group E. Their opponents include legendary clubs Peñarol of Uruguay and Corinthians of Brazil, along with Independiente Santa Fe of Colombia.

Lanús, who recently won the Copa Sudamericana and the Recopa, compete in Group G. Their group includes Mirassol FC of Brazil and two high-altitude opponents: Liga de Quito of Ecuador, located at 2,850 meters above sea level, and Always Ready of Bolivia, located at 4,150 meters above sea level.

Tournament Format and Regulations

The 67th edition of the tournament follows a structure where the top two teams from each group advance to the round of 16. Teams that finish in third place secure a spot in the South American Cup round-of-16 playoffs, where they will face runners-up from the Copa Sudamericana group stage.

CONMEBOL has implemented a change to the first tiebreaker criterion for the group stage. If teams are tied, the priority for ranking is as follows:

• Head-to-head record between tied teams (highest points, then best goal difference, then highest goals scored).
• Best overall goal difference across all group matches.
• Highest overall number of goals scored across all group matches.
• Fewest red cards.
• Fewest yellow cards.
• Drawing of lots.

The knockout stages, including the round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, will be contested over two legs. The team with the superior campaign will host the second match. In these stages, the primary tiebreaker is goal difference, followed by a penalty shootout if necessary.

Regional Context and Sudamericana Debuts

Brazilian clubs enter the 2026 competition attempting to extend a streak of seven consecutive titles, a run achieved by Flamengo, Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Botafogo. This streak has allowed Brazilian football to match the total number of titles held by Argentine football.

Parallel to the Libertadores, the 2026 Copa Sudamericana group stage also began the week of April 7, 2026. Among the Argentine teams making their debuts in the Sudamericana are River Plate, San Lorenzo, and Deportivo Riestra.