📝All you need to know about the Copa Libertadores preliminary round | OneFootball

The road to the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores final has officially begun. This Thursday, the draw for the preliminary phases took place, which will determine the last four members of the Group Stage. The tournament will kick off on February 3rd, featuring reigning continental champions such as Flamengo (Libertadores) and Lanús (Sudamericana).

Phase 1: The Beginning of the Dream

Six teams will open the tournament in three knockout ties. The matchups were defined as follows:

The winners of these matches will advance to Phase 2, where thirteen already qualified teams await, including regional powerhouses like Botafogo and Argentinos Juniors.

High-Voltage Clashes in Phase 2

The second stage, which will be held between February 17th and 26th, presents highly competitive matches. A potential Peruvian showdown between the winner of the Alianza Lima tie and Sporting Cristal stands out. Meanwhile, Independiente Medellín will face Liverpool of Uruguay, and the representative of Ecuador will clash with Argentinos Juniors.

The eight survivors of this round will move on to Phase 3, the last step before the group stage. It is important to note that teams eliminated in Phase 3 will not end their international participation, as they will earn a direct spot in the Group Stage of the Copa Sudamericana.

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

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