2026 Copa Libertadores & Copa Sudamericana draws: Who are the Argentine teams facing? |
The draws for the 2026 Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana were held on Thursday, with several Argentine teams learning who they’ll be up against.
There will be six Argentine sides competing in the Liberadores, the premier international club competition in South America, while a further six will be bidding for the title in the Sudamericana, the second-tier competition.
Historic teams and newcomers in the Libertadores
The 2026 Copa Libertadores will see an interesting mix of footballing giants and up-and-coming sides take to the pitches.
The biggest team to represent Argentina will undoubtedly be Boca Juniors. The Xeneize, the only seeded Argentine team ahead of the draw, will lead Group D. It’ll have a sizable challenge in front of them, as they face off against Brazil’s Cruzeiro, Chile’s Universidad Católica and Ecuador’s Barcelona, who eliminated Argentinos Juniors in the preliminary round.
2025 Torneo Clausura champions Estudiantes de La Plata are part of Group A. They’ll have to fend off defending Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo, from Brazil, but the rest of the group looks manageable: Independiente Medellín from Colombia and competition newcomer Cusco FC from Perú.
Recent Copa Sudamericana and Recopa winners Lanús will have to get their oxygen tanks ready in Group G. They were matched up against two high altitude rivals in Ecuador’s Liga de Quito and Bolivia’s Always Ready (2,850m and 4,150m above sea level, respectively). Brazil’s Mirassol FC, another newcomer to the competition, completes the group.
Torneo Apertura 2025 champions Platense have perhaps the toughest challenge of any Argentine team. Drawn in Group E, they’ll face off against two legendary teams: Uruguay’s Peñarol and Brazil’s Corinthians, with Colombia’s Independiente Santa Fe also in the mix.
Independiente Rivadavia, the Argentine debutant in the competition, was drawn into Group C alongside Brazil’s Fluminense, Bolivia’s Bolívar, and Venezuela’s La Guaira.
Last but not least, Angel di María’s Rosario Central will compete in Group H against Independiente del Valle of Ecuador, Libertad of Paraguay, and Universidad Central of Venezuela.
Three giants in the Sudamericana
The 2026 Copa Sudamericana will see three of Argentina’s biggest clubs bid for glory and a return to the spotlight.
Undoubtedly, the biggest is River Plate, who narrowly missed out on a Libertadores spot under Marcelo Gallardo in 2025. The Millonario was drawn into Group H, alongside Brazil’s Bragantino, Bolivia’s Blooming, and Venezuela’s Carabobo, and is the favorite to advance to the next stage.
Racing arguably got the short stick, drawn into Group E alongside 2024 Libertadores champions Botafogo from Brazil. They will also take on Caracas and will play at an altitude of 2,790 meters against Independiente Petrolero in Sucre, Bolivia.
In the midst of an institutional crisis and having recently sacked head coach Damián Ayude, San Lorenzo will face a tough challenge when it takes on Neymar’s Santos in Group D. However, matchups against Ecuador’s Deportivo Cuenca and Recoleta, a Paraguayan team making its debut in this edition, should be easier to handle.
There will be two Argentine clubs making international debuts. Deportivo Riestra, making its international debut in Group F, will face the historic Grêmio of Brazil, Palestino of Chile, and Montevideo City Torque of Uruguay.
Meanwhile, Barracas Central will share Group G with Olimpia of Paraguay, Vasco da Gama of Brazil, and Audax Italiano of Chile.
The list is completed by Tigre, drawn into Group A with Colombia’s América de Cali, Ecuador’s Macará, and Peru’s Alianza Atlético.