Brazil will have all its representatives who competed in the group stages of the two tournaments in the knockout stages of the 2026 Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. In total, 13 Brazilian teams qualified for the knockout stages of the continental competitions — as leaders or vice-leaders of their brackets.
Conmebol (South American Football Confederation) will draw this Friday (29), at noon (Brasília time), the round of 16 clashes of the two competitions and the seedings until the finals. The event in Luque, Paraguay, will be broadcast on ESPN (closed TV) and getv (YouTube).
Of the 13 Brazilians classified for the knockout stages, six are in the round of 16 of the Libertadores (Flamengo, Corinthians, Mirassol, Palmeiras, Cruzeiro and Fluminense).
Seven teams survive in the South American Championship, and three of them went directly to the round of 16 by leading their groups: Botafogo, São Paulo and Atlético-MG. The other four teams — Grêmio, Red Bull Bragantino, Vasco and Santos — will have to compete in a playoff against the third-placed teams in the biggest competition in South America.
In this extra phase before the round of 16, Grêmio will face Bolívar (BOL); Bragantino will face Sporting Cristal (PER); Vasco will face Independiente Medellín (COL); and Santos will face Universidad Central (VEN). The departures are scheduled for July 21st to 23rd (outbound) and July 28th to 30th (return). All Brazilians will decide the tie at home.
The classification of all Brazilians in the group stages of the two Conmebol competitions is not an unprecedented feat. The South American, previously a cup in knockout format from start to finish, won a group stage only from 2021 onwards.
Since then, group stages have been played in both cups in six editions. Brazil’s 100% success in this stage of the two tournaments only happened once, in 2024, when 14 teams won the right to play the knockout stages.
In 2026, the only team to have fallen early was Bahia. The team led by coach Rogério Ceni was eliminated by Chilean O’Higgins in the second phase of the pre-Libertadores in February. With the setback at this stage, they did not even achieve the consolation of competing in the South American Championship — something that Botafogo achieved after being defeated in the third stage by Barcelona de Guayaquil (EQU).
The repetition of such dominance only reinforces Brazilian hegemony in South American football. It is true that not all teams demonstrated a completely safe campaign in the Conmebol cups this year. Some even flirted with elimination, like Fluminense in the Libertadores and Santos in the Sul-Americana.
One of the favorites for the Libertadores title, Palmeiras, who leads the Brazilian Championship, won their place in the knockout stage only in the sixth round of the group stage. With 11 points added, Abel Ferreira’s team came in second place in the group and finished with the 11th best overall campaign.
The other favorite to lift the cup, current champion Flamengo, had a calmer life. He scored 16 points and achieved the best campaign in the Libertadores — which is why he will have the right to decide until the second leg of the semifinals at Maracanã.
In the draw for the round of 16 of South America’s main competition, the teams from pot 1 face those from pot 2. The return game takes place at the home of the team from the first pot.
Pot 1 has Flamengo, Independiente Rivadavia (ARG), Independiente del Valle (EQU), Universidad Católica (CHI), Cerro Porteño (PAR), LDU (EQU), Corinthians and Coquimbo Unido (CHI) — here described in order from best to worst campaign. Pot 2 has Rosario Central (ARG), Mirassol, Palmeiras, Cruzeiro, Platense (ARG), Estudiantes (ARG), Tolima (COL) and Fluminense.
In the South American Championship, the logic will be similar, but instead of teams, pot 2 will have clashes — those of the playoffs, and the winners of this extra knockout stage will face the teams from pot 1.
In the first pot of the South American Championship are Botafogo (owner of the best campaign), River Plate (ARG), Montevideo City Torque (URU), Olimpia (PAR), São Paulo, Macará (EQU), Atlético-MG and Deportivo Recoleta (PAR).
Pot 2 brings the clashes: Bolívar (BOL) x Grêmio; Sporting Cristal (PER) x Bragantino; Independiente Medellín (COL) x Vasco; Boca Juniors (ARG) x O’Higgins (CHI); Nacional (URU) x Tigre (ARG); Santa Fe (COL) x Caracas (VEN); Lanús (ARG) x Cienciano (PER); and Universidad Central (VEN) x Santos.
The South American team’s decision is scheduled for November 21, in Barranquilla, Colombia. The Libertadores final will be on November 28, in Montevideo, Uruguay.
