Corinthians learn Women’s Libertadores group, start bid for 7th title | OneFootball

Corinthians’ path in search of another continental title is set. Conmebol held the draw for the 2026 Women’s Copa Libertadores group stage this Monday (14), and the Brabas learned the three teams they will face at the start of their continental title defense.

Seeded in Group A, Timão will face Colo-Colo of Chile, Caracas FC of Venezuela, and Colombia’s second representative, which has yet to be determined. The competition will be held in Quito, Ecuador, from October 15 to 31.

Photo: Federico Peretti/Getty Images

Corinthians had already secured the top spot in the group even before the draw. As the reigning Women’s Copa Libertadores champion, the club did not take part in the seeding draw and was placed directly into Group A.

The 2026 edition will also feature two other Brazilian representatives. Cruzeiro was placed in Group C, while Palmeiras was drawn into Group B and therefore can only meet Corinthians from the knockout stage onward.

Brabas will have a continental champion in their path

Among the opponents already set for Corinthians, Colo-Colo boasts a Women’s Copa Libertadores title of its own. The Chilean club lifted the trophy in 2012 and is one of the seven teams, besides Timão, to have won the competition since its creation in 2009.

Caracas FC will be the Venezuelan representative in the black-and-white group. The final member of Group A will be Colombia’s second representative, whose identity depends on the outcome of the country’s national championship. Deportivo Cali, Atlético Nacional, Millonarios, and Independiente Santa Fe are competing for the Colombian spots in the continental tournament.

The draw followed one of Conmebol’s main rules: clubs from the same country could not be placed in the same group. For that reason, Palmeiras, which was in Pot 4, was the only team from that pot that could not be drawn into Corinthians’ group.

Corinthians arrive as the reigning three-time champion

More than just defending the title won last season, Corinthians arrive in Ecuador carrying a streak of three consecutive Copa Libertadores titles.

In 2025, the Brabas claimed their sixth continental title by defeating Deportivo Cali in the final. After a scoreless draw in regular time, Corinthians won the penalty shootout 5-3 and lifted the trophy once again.

That triumph extended a dominance built over recent years. The club won the title in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025. In this way, in addition to being the reigning three-time champion, Timão is the most successful club in Women’s Copa Libertadores history and will try to win its seventh trophy in 2026.

Corinthians’ dominance is also part of a strong Brazilian presence in the tournament. Of the 17 editions played through 2025, Brazilian clubs won 14. In addition to Corinthians’ six titles, São José won three times, Ferroviária and Santos won two each, while Palmeiras took the title in 2022.

See how the Women’s Copa Libertadores groups look

Besides Corinthians in Group A, Independiente del Valle occupies the top spot in Group B as Ecuador’s national champion, with the country set to host the competition.

Cruzeiro and Colombia’s first representative completed the top-seed positions in the remaining groups. The final draw came out as follows:

Group A: Corinthians, Colo-Colo (Chile), Caracas FC (Venezuela), and Colombia 2 representative.

Group B: Independiente del Valle (Ecuador), Belgrano (Argentina), Universitario (Peru), and Palmeiras.

Group C: Cruzeiro, LDU Quito (Ecuador), Bolívar (Bolivia), and Olimpia (Paraguay).

Group D: Colombia 1 representative, Libertad (Paraguay), Nacional (Uruguay), and Universidad de Chile.

How the Women’s Copa Libertadores will be played

The 2026 Women’s Copa Libertadores will feature 16 teams from ten national associations. In the first phase, the clubs will be divided into four groups, with four teams in each.

The teams will face each other once within their respective groups. After three rounds, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.

From that point on, the tournament enters the knockout stage. The quarterfinals, semifinals, and final will all be decided in single-leg matches, increasing the weight of each clash on the road to the title.

Matches will be played in Quito from October 15 to 31. Conmebol will still announce the full group-stage schedule, including dates, kickoff times, and the order of matches.

Millions in prize money at stake

In addition to the continental trophy, the Women’s Copa Libertadores will distribute significant prize money to the teams that finish in the top places.

The champion will receive 2 million dollars, approximately R$ 10.2 million at the exchange rate used when the amounts were announced. The runner-up will receive 600 thousand dollars, around R$ 3 million, while the third-place team will get 250 thousand dollars, approximately R$ 1.2 million.

With their first-phase opponents now known, Corinthians have a clearer picture of the task awaiting them in Ecuador. The most successful club in Women’s Copa Libertadores history and winner of the last three editions, Timão will begin its campaign against Colo-Colo, Caracas, and Colombia’s second representative while trying to extend a dominance that has already lasted three seasons.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.