Sul-Americana 2026 to feature 10 Libertadores champions as group stage draw set | OneFootball

The 2026 Conmebol Sul-Americana group stage will have a distinct Libertadores feel, with 10 former champions involved from April. According to Globo.com, the draw is on Thursday at 20:00 Brasília time at Conmebol’s headquarters in Luque, Paraguay, and will air on ge TV.

Five of the competition’s most successful clubs are present. In all, six Brazilian teams, three from Argentina and one from Paraguay have previously lifted the Libertadores. The champions are River Plate, Grêmio, Olimpia, Santos, São Paulo, Atlético-MG, Botafogo, Racing, San Lorenzo and Vasco.

The roster of past Libertadores winners could have been larger, but Atlético Nacional, champions in 1989 and 2016, went out in the first phase of the Sul-Americana.

Botafogo dropped into the Sul-Americana after elimination in the third phase of the Libertadores, as set out in the regulations. Brazil also have a sixth representative, Bragantino.

Of the 32 participants, five have previously won the Sul-Americana itself, San Lorenzo, Cienciano, São Paulo, River Plate and Racing.

Matchday one of the group stage is scheduled between seven and nine April. The final will be played on 21 November in Barranquilla, Colombia.

Source: Globo.com