No River, five debutants: just nine spots left for Liberta 26️⃣ | OneFootball

The 2026 Copa Libertadores already has 38 participants confirmed out of the 47 teams that will compete in the next edition of the tournament.

The main surprise is the absence of River Plate, which did not get a "helping hand" from its rival Boca Juniors, and will not be one of the seven Argentine representatives in the tournament.

The Millionaires will play in the Copa Sudamericana, something that hasn't happened since 2014.

Among those qualified for the 2026 edition of the Libertadores, five clubs will compete for the first time: Mirassol from Brazil, Platense and Independiente Rivadavia from Argentina, Juventud from Uruguay, and 2 de Mayo from Paraguay.

This edition also marks the return of teams that have been absent from the competition for a long time, such as Universidad Católica from Ecuador, which hasn't played in the tournament since 1980.

Coquimbo Unido from Chile, which only participated in 1992, and O’Higgins, also from Chile, which hasn't appeared since 2014, are other new additions.

Despite the progress, there are still nine spots to be filled in six countries.

In Argentina, one spot remains to be decided between Racing, Estudiantes, and Gimnasia y Esgrima.

In Brazil, the last representative will come from the Copa do Brasil: Vasco and Corinthians are fighting for the trophy, and if one of them wins the title, São Paulo will inherit the spot via the Brasileirão.

In Chile, the national cup will determine the last qualifier, with Huachipato and Deportes Limache playing the final, which could result in another debutant.

There are still three spots left in Colombia, two in Ecuador, and one in Bolivia.

Teams already qualified for the 2026 Libertadores

Brazil: Bahia, Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Fluminense, Mirassol, Palmeiras

Argentina: Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Independiente Rivadavia, Lanús, Platense, Rosario Central

Bolivia: Always Ready, The Strongest, Bolívar

Chile: Coquimbo Unido, Universidad Católica, O’Higgins

Colombia: Independiente Santa Fe

Ecuador: Independiente del Valle, Universidad Católica

Paraguay: 2 de Mayo, Cerro Porteño, Guarani, Libertad

Peru: Alianza Lima, Cusco, Sporting Cristal, Universitario

Uruguay: Juventud, Liverpool, Nacional, Peñarol

Venezuela: Carabobo, Deportes La Guaira, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Deportivo Táchira

The full list of participants will be finalized in the coming weeks, as national competitions progress in South America.

Stay tuned here on OneFootball to keep up with everything!

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

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