The draw for the previous phases of the Libertadores Cups And South America 2026 has already defined its full draw, with the participation of 32 teams looking for a place in the group stage. In this case the Libertadores, Argentinos Juniors He will be the sole Argentine representative and will have to overcome two keys to advance to the next phase of the continent’s biggest tournament. In the meantime, the Sudamericana will hold national one-party games, which were also decided this Thursday at the Sudamericana headquarters Conmebolin Luque, Paraguay.
The preliminary round of the Copa Libertadores is divided into three direct elimination phases. Six teams will take part in Phase 1 (one per country: Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela), competing in three round-trip rounds.
The winners will compete alongside 13 other clubs in Phase 2, which also consists of two games. From there, the eight winners advance to the final phase (Phase 3) and the four winners advance to the group phase. Those who are eliminated in this round will receive a place in the Sudamericana as a consolation.
The second phase of the playoffs includes AAJJ, which is ranked 47th in the Conmebol rankings and will therefore play at home at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. The Argentine team’s rival will be the representative of Ecuador, which has not yet been officially announced by the local federation. During this phase, teams from the same country cannot meet each other. If they advance, phase three, the final playoff round before the groups, has already been drawn.
In the Copa Sudamericana, the first phase involves direct confrontation between teams from the same country, with the exception of Argentina and Brazil, which enter directly into the group stage. Each game is played in a single game on the field of the best-placed club according to the ranking. There are 16 keys in total that grant a place in the next instance of the continental competition.
Complete Copa Libertadores 2026 schedule
The expectation is renewed for all South American clubs, both those who want to stay alive in the Libertadores and those who dream of an opportunity in the Sudamericana. For Argentinos Juniors, the road to the group stage begins in February, a challenge they must overcome if they want to dream of “eternal glory”.
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