In its 67th edition, the Copa Libertadores kicks off group stage matches this week with 32 teams in contention, with the six Brazilian teams and the six Argentine teams in the running to try to isolate their respective countries as the biggest winners of the continent’s main club competition.
With more money in hand to reinforce the squads with important signings, Brazilian teams have won the championship cup in the last seven editions — Flamengo won three times, and Palmeiras twice, with Fluminense and Botafogo winning the title for the first time.
Now, Brazil and Argentina share the lead in the ranking of countries with the most Libertadores titles, with 25 each. The biggest winner is Independiente-ARG, with seven titles won between the 1960s and 1980s.
The 2026 edition of the tournament features the debut of three teams, including Mirassol, in addition to the Argentines Independiente Rivadavia and Platense, and also has the important absence of River Plate, the last non-Brazilian team to win, in 2018, and which did not qualify after eleven consecutive appearances.
The six Brazilian representatives in the dispute have a total of eleven achievements, under the leadership of Flamengo, who became the country’s first four-time champion at the end of last year, beating Palmeiras in the decision in Lima, Peru.
According to the draw held at the end of March, the red and black team is in group A, alongside also four-time champions Estudiantes-ARG, both favorites to move on to the next phase of the competition. The group also has Cusco-PER and Independiente Medellín-COL.
Current runner-up, Palmeiras is right behind among the Brazilians with the most titles, with three victories — tied with Santos, São Paulo and Grêmio — and is the only team that has already been champion among the members of group F, which has Cerro Porteño-PAR, Junior Barranquilla-COL and Sporting Cristal-PER.
Two-time champion, Cruzeiro returns to the competition after its last participation in 2019, and is in group D, with six-time champion Boca Juniors-ARG — the second biggest champion of the tournament, who returns after being defeated by Fluminense in the 2023 final —, in addition to Universidad Católica-CHI and Barcelona de Guayaquil-EQU.
Champions of the Copa do Brasil, Corinthians, who won the Libertadores in 2012, make up group E, along with five-time champions Peñarol-URU, Santa Fé-COL and debutant Platense-ARG.
Fluminense is in group C, alongside Bolívar-BOL, Deportivo La Guaira-VEN and fellow newcomers Independiente Rivadavia-ARG.
A team from the interior of São Paulo with a surprising campaign in its debut in Series A of the Brazilian Championship, when it finished in fourth place, Mirassol is the only Brazilian in the dispute in 2026 that has not yet won the competition.
Under the leadership of experienced full-back Reinaldo, the team in yellow uniforms is part of group G, with LDU-EQU, champions in 2008 over Fluminense, as well as Lanús-ARG and Always Ready-BOL — the Bolivian team plays its games at the El Alto Municipal Stadium, 4,150 meters above sea level.
The group stage clashes begin this Tuesday (7) with two Brazilian teams on the field — Fluminense debuts against Venezuelan La Guaira, away from home, and Cruzeiro visits Barcelona de Guyaquil.
On Wednesday (8), it’s Flamengo’s turn to go to Peru to face Cusco, while Palmeiras travels to Cartagena to face Junior Barranquila. Mirassol debuts in the competition with the support of its fans at the José Maria de Campos Maia Municipal Stadium, Maião, against Lanús, runner-up in 2017, defeated in the final by Grêmio.
On Thursday (9), Corinthians, who fired coach Dorival Júnior the day before after losing to Internacional in the Brazilian championship, will go to Argentina for a duel against Platense.
The Libertadores group stage runs until May 28th, with the round of 16 round-trip games between August 11th and 20th. The quarterfinals take place from September 8th to 17th, with semi-finals scheduled for October 14th to 22nd. The final is scheduled for November 28th, at the Centenário Stadium, in Montevideo, Uruguay.
The champion will be entitled to a prize of US$25 million (R$129 million), with US$7 million (R$36 million) for the runner-up.
Globo broadcasts two games per round in the group stage exclusively on open TV, while ESPN, on closed TV, and Disney+ and Paramount+, on streaming, broadcast all matches on their platforms.
Greatest Copa Libertadores champions
- Independent (ARG) 7
- Boca Juniors (ARG) 6
- Peñarol (URU) 5
- Students (ARG) 4
- Flamengo (BRA) 4
- River Plate (ARG) 4
- Grêmio (BRA) 3
- National (URU) 3
- Olympia (PAR) 3
- Palmeiras (BRA) 3
- Santos (BRA) 3
- São Paulo (BRA) 3
