Libertadores 2026 bracket will be drawn on March 19th with pots and restrictions for teams from Brazil By Beatriz
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Conmebol confirmed the draw for the group stage of Copa Libertadores 2026 for March 19th, at 8pm, Luque local time, at Paraguai, where the entity’s headquarters are located. The event will define the eight brackets with the 32 clubs already classified, including six Brazilian representatives who will enter directly into the main stage. Flamengo, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Corinthians, Cruzeiro and
The distribution of teams follows the Conmebol ranking updated at the beginning of the year, divided into four pots of eight teams each. The draw respects specific rules to avoid clashes between clubs from the same country in the group stage, except in cases involving teams coming from the preliminary round, which is not the case with the Brazilians this time.
Pots confirmed for the draw
Flamengo and Palmeiras lead pot 1, alongside Fluminense, Boca Juniors, Peñarol, Nacional, LDU and Independiente del Valle. Esses clubs occupy the highest positions in the continental ranking.
Pot 2 brings together Corinthians and Cruzeiro, in addition to Libertad, Estudiantes, Cerro Porteño, Lanús, Bolívar and The presence of two Brazilians in this pot reinforces the country’s strength in the competition.
Pot 3 details and South American teams
Junior Barranquilla, Universidad Católica, Rosario Central, Santa Fe, Always Ready, Coquimbo Unido,
The geographic variety in pot 3 increases the possibilities of unprecedented clashes or regional classics in the initial phase.
Composition of pot 4 and possible crossovers
Mirassol appears in pot 4, along with Universidad Central, Platense, Independiente Rivadavia, Independiente Medellín, Tolima, Sporting Cristal and Barcelona of Alguns of these clubs allow exceptions for national duels in the group.
The last classified, Independiente Medellín, completed the list after victory over Juventud. The inclusion of newcomers like Mirassol highlights the renewal in the competition.
Complete calendar of the continental competition
The group stage starts between April 7th and 9th, with sequential rounds until May 26th to 28th. The round of 16 takes place in August, followed by quarterfinals in September and semi-finals in October.
The final is scheduled for November 28th, at a location yet to be defined by Conmebol. The format maintains the traditional structure with six rounds in the first phase.
Notable absences and impacts for Brasil
Bahia was eliminated early in the preview against O’Higgins, while Botafogo fell in the last stage to Barcelona from Guayaquil and migrated to Sul-Americana. Essas departures reduced the number of Brazilians to six in the group stage.
Brasil maintains a significant presence, but below the maximum possible eight vacancies. Early elimination affects planning strategies for the clubs involved.
Draw rules and restrictions applied
Each group will feature one team from each pot, with no possibility of duels between Brazilians in the first phase due to the absence of qualifiers from the country’s preliminary round. Conmebol will make the list official in the next few days.
The ceremony in Luque will be broadcast live and will define the initial paths for all participants.
