How the Copa Libertadores 2026 group stage draw works | OneFootball

The road to Eternal Glory is about to begin. With the 32 teams set to compete in the Group Stage of the CONMEBOL Libertadores Cup 2026, the highest authority in South American football already has everything ready for the draw that will determine the matchups.

In this stage, 28 clubs that qualified directly and 4 coming from the tough Phase 3 will participate, and they will be divided into eight groups of four teams each. Below, we detail how the draw pots will work for the draw to be held on Thursday, March 19, starting at 8:00 p.m.

The formation of the pots is strictly governed by the CONMEBOL Club Ranking, updated as of December 15, 2025, along with the reigning champions. The first line (Pot 1) has an absolute owner for Group A: Flamengo, as the reigning champion of the 2025 Libertadores. The remaining seven seeds (for Groups B to H) are the teams best positioned in the ranking.

For the second line (Pot 2), the regulations stipulate that it will include the 2025 CONMEBOL Sudamericana Champion along with the next seven teams in the ranking. However, there is an exception: if the Sudamericana champion has a ranking high enough to be a seed, that sporting merit prevails and they move to Pot 1.

Following this same logic of positions, the third line (Pot 3) is made up of the next eight clubs in the historical table. Finally, the fourth line (Pot 4) is reserved for the four teams that managed to survive the previous Phase 3, plus the last four clubs qualified by ranking.

Boca will be in Pot 1 for the draw.

The step-by-step of the 2026 Copa Libertadores draw

The ball extraction mechanics are designed to be sequential and orderly:

A fundamental rule: The CONMEBOL regulations clearly state that there cannot be two teams from the same country in the same group. If the draw results in this scenario, the drawn team will automatically move to the next available group and a new ball will be drawn.

Exception: The only way two teams from the same country can share a group is if one of them comes from Phase 3 of the competition.

This is how the confirmed Pots look

The pots for the 2026 Copa Libertadores.

Competition format and qualification

Once the groups are set, the ball will start rolling. Each team will play a total of six matches (three at home and three away) in a round-robin format. The demanding group stage will kick off on Tuesday, April 7. After this debut, the competition will continue with the second matchday scheduled between April 14 and 16.

The tight schedule continues: the third matchday will be from April 28 to 30 and the fourth from May 5 to 7. The fifth will be played from May 19 to 21, with the sixth and final matchday between May 26 and 28.

At the end of the six matchdays, the top two teams from each group will earn their coveted ticket to the Round of 16 of the Libertadores. Meanwhile, the tournament offers a consolation prize for the third-placed teams in each group: they will be transferred to the Playoff Phase of the Sudamericana Round of 16.

Keep reading:

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Much more than entry: the 5 hidden benefits you get for being a Boca member

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