In this guide
Direct entrants and earlier qualifiers meet in the groupsTwo clubs per group reach the last 16Third place changes the competitionRead matchday and phase separatelyKeep national leagues apartThe CONMEBOL Libertadores is South America’s leading men’s club football tournament. Its 2026 group stage has 32 clubs in eight groups of four, with six home-and-away matches for each club.
The group table has more than one consequence. First and second advance in the Libertadores, while third enters a separate route into the Sudamericana. Those destinations must not be described as the same last-16 place.
Direct entrants and earlier qualifiers meet in the groups
Twenty-eight group-stage clubs entered directly and four came through Phase 3 in 2026. A group-stage draw therefore combines different entry routes. Winning a preliminary place does not supply starting points in the new group.
Two clubs per group reach the last 16
The leading pair advance to the Libertadores round of 16. A fresh knockout draw follows the group phase. A group’s letter identifies a four-club table rather than a permanent bracket section through to the final.
Third place changes the competition
The eight third-placed clubs move to the Sudamericana round-of-16 play-offs. They have not automatically reached that competition’s last 16; they must contest its intermediate tie. The full name play-off is therefore essential.
Read matchday and phase separately
Group Stage Matchday 3 is not Phase 3 of qualification. Both use the number three but locate a fixture at different points in the tournament. A programme title shortened to third round can hide this distinction.
| Group finish | Immediate destination |
|---|---|
| First or second | Libertadores round of 16 |
| Third | Sudamericana last-16 play-off |
| Fourth | No progression through these group routes |
Keep national leagues apart
Brazilian or Argentine clubs can appear in domestic league programmes around their continental fixtures. A Libertadores result changes its own group or knockout route, not the domestic points table. Preserve competition and stage beside the same familiar club names when following both campaigns.