Cruzeiro in pot 2 for the 2026 Libertadores, waiting on group stage draw | OneFootball

Cruzeiro can already start planning its path in the 2026 Libertadores. With the definition of the first pots of the continental competition, the Raposa officially appears in pot 2 of the tournament and awaits the group stage draw, scheduled for March 18, 2026, to find out its opponents.

The confirmation of the pots occurred after Corinthians qualified for the 2026 Libertadores, secured with the Copa do Brasil title. With this, the first three pots of the main South American competition already have their clubs defined. The distribution is made according to the teams' position in the Conmebol ranking, which separates the top eight in each bracket.

In pot 1, reserved for the top seeds, there are three Brazilian clubs. Flamengo, the current Libertadores champion, Palmeiras, the leader of the Conmebol ranking, and Fluminense, fifth in the Brazilian Championship and currently 11th in the entity's ranking, will represent the country among the main favorites of the competition.

In pot 2 are Cruzeiro and Corinthians. The Raposa returns to the Libertadores after 6 years away, boosted by its third place in the Brazilian Championship. The club currently holds the 29th position in the Conmebol ranking. Corinthians, on the other hand, enters the tournament as the Copa do Brasil champion and is in the 22nd position of the continental ranking.

Pot 3 will not feature Brazilian clubs. In pot 4, there is Mirassol, which secured a direct spot in the group stage after a surprising campaign in the Brasileirão. Without points in the Conmebol ranking, the club from the interior of São Paulo ended up placed in the last pot.

Two other Brazilian clubs can still join the list: Bahia and Botafogo. However, both will need to go through the preliminary stages of the Libertadores. They both start their duels in the second phase of the continental competition and, if they advance, will compete in the third. If they qualify for the group stage, they will be placed in pot 4.

It is worth noting that the regulations clearly state that clubs from the same country can only face each other in the group stage if one of them comes from pot 4. Thus, Cruzeiro can only end up in the same group as another Brazilian if this opponent is Bahia or Botafogo.

Check out all the clubs and their pots in the image below:

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