The real story is absence.
En Asunción, bajo la cúpula de la CONMEBOL, el fútbol sudamericano traza esta noche sus líneas de batalla para 2026. El sorteo de la Copa Libertadores y la Sudamericana no es solo un acto administrativo: es el espejo de una temporada doméstica que castigó a los grandes y elevó a los inesperados. La ausencia de River Plate, Racing, São Paulo y Botafogo del torneo más prestigioso del continente recuerda que en el deporte, como en la historia, ningún trono es eterno.
- La noche del jueves en Luque concentra la atención del fútbol sudamericano: 32 equipos esperan conocer su destino en la fase de grupos de la Libertadores, mientras los excluidos aguardan su lugar en la Sudamericana.
- La verdadera tensión no está en las urnas, sino en las ausencias: River Plate, Racing, São Paulo, Botafogo y Atlético Mineiro —potencias históricas y campeones recientes— competirán en el torneo secundario tras quedar fuera de la Libertadores.
- Los últimos cuatro cupos del torneo principal se definieron con dramatismo: Sporting Cristal avanzó por penales, Barcelona de Ecuador eliminó al propio Botafogo en Brasil, y Deportes Tolima remontó un marcador adverso para colarse en el bombo.
- La regla que prohíbe enfrentamientos entre equipos del mismo país —salvo que uno venga de la fase previa— convierte el sorteo en un ejercicio de geometría continental que se resolverá en tiempo real.
- El torneo ya diseña sus caminos cruzados: los terceros de cada grupo de la Libertadores caerán a un playoff de la Sudamericana, entrelazando ambas competencias en una misma red de ambición y redención.
El sorteo que definirá los grupos de la Copa Libertadores y la Sudamericana 2026 se celebra este jueves por la noche en la sede de la CONMEBOL, en Luque, Paraguay. A las 20 horas se conocerán los cruces de los 32 equipos que disputarán la fase de grupos del torneo más importante del continente. Pero lo que más llama la atención no es quién estará, sino quién falta.
La fase previa cerró la semana pasada con cuatro clasificados que ocuparán el bombo cuatro: Deportes Tolima, que remontó ante O'Higgins; Sporting Cristal, que avanzó por penales tras perder en Lima; Barcelona de Ecuador, que sorprendió eliminando a Botafogo en Brasil; e Independiente Medellín, que selló su boleto en casa. Estos cuatro se suman a los 28 ya clasificados.
El bombo uno de la Libertadores reúne a Flamengo, Palmeiras, Boca Juniors, Peñarol, Nacional, LDU Quito, Fluminense e Independiente del Valle. Los bombos siguientes incluyen a clubes como Estudiantes, Corinthians, Bolívar, Rosario Central y Universitario, entre otros. La norma central del sorteo impide que equipos del mismo país se enfrenten en la fase de grupos, salvo que uno provenga de la fase previa.
Mientras tanto, la Sudamericana recibirá a un grupo inusualmente poderoso: River Plate, Racing, São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro, Gremio, Santos, Olimpia y Botafogo encabezan el bombo uno del torneo secundario, una concentración de historia y palmarés poco habitual para esa competencia. Su presencia allí es el reflejo directo de temporadas domésticas que no alcanzaron para la élite continental.
Una vez definidos los grupos, los dos primeros de cada zona avanzarán a los octavos de la Libertadores, mientras que los terceros tendrán una segunda oportunidad en un playoff de la Sudamericana. El sorteo de este jueves trazará los caminos, pero la verdadera disputa —la de recuperar el lugar en la cima del fútbol sudamericano— ya ha comenzado.
The draw that will shape South America's two most prestigious club tournaments happens Thursday night in Asunción, and it arrives with an unusual cast of characters. CONMEBOL will convene at its headquarters in Luque at 8 p.m. to assign the 32 teams competing in the 2026 Copa Libertadores to their group-stage opponents, followed by the Sudamericana draw. The moment carries weight not because of who will be there, but because of who won't be.
The preliminary rounds concluded last week, settling the final four spots in the Libertadores. Deportes Tolima of Colombia reversed a deficit against Chile's O'Higgins to claim one berth. Peru's Sporting Cristal advanced on penalties after losing to Carabobo in Lima, a dramatic finish that sent them through. Barcelona of Ecuador delivered a shock by eliminating Botafogo in Brazil. Independiente Medellín sealed the last ticket by defeating Juventud de Las Piedras at home. These four teams will occupy the fourth seed pot when the balls are drawn, joining 28 others already locked in.
But the real story is absence. River Plate, Racing Club, São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro, Botafogo, Santos, Olimpia, Millonarios, and Gremio will not compete in the Libertadores this year. Some are historic powers. Some won it recently. All of them are accustomed to being there. Instead, they will compete in the Sudamericana—the secondary continental tournament—a demotion that reflects either a poor domestic season or, in some cases, the brutal mathematics of qualification. This 2026 edition will look different from any in recent memory.
The Libertadores field divides into four pots. The first seed pot contains eight clubs: Flamengo, Palmeiras, Boca Juniors, Peñarol, Nacional of Montevideo, LDU Quito, Fluminense, and Independiente del Valle. The second includes Libertad, Estudiantes de La Plata, Cerro Porteño, Lanús, Corinthians, Bolívar, Cruzeiro, and Universitario. The third features Junior, Universidad Católica, Rosario Central, Independiente Santa Fe, Always Ready, Coquimbo Unido, La Guaira, and Cusco. The fourth pot—the one filled by the preliminary round survivors—holds Universidad Central, Platense, Independiente Rivadavia, Mirassol, Barcelona, Sporting Cristal, Deportes Tolima, and Independiente Medellín.
One rule shapes how the draw unfolds: teams from the same country cannot face each other in the group stage unless one of them came through the preliminary rounds. This constraint will govern which pairings are possible and which are forbidden, creating a puzzle that the draw ceremony will solve in real time. Once groups are set, the top two finishers in each group advance to the knockout rounds. The eight third-place teams drop into a playoff phase of the Sudamericana, creating a secondary pathway for teams that fall just short.
The Sudamericana, meanwhile, will feature its own four pots. The first includes the clubs locked out of the Libertadores: River Plate, Racing, América de Cali, São Paulo, Atlético Mineiro, Gremio, Olimpia, and Santos. The second pot holds Millonarios, San Lorenzo, Bragantino, Palestino, Caracas, Vasco da Gama, Tigre, and Cienciano. The third lists Audax Italiano, Blooming, Academia Puerto Cabello, Montevideo City, Deportivo Cuenca, Independiente Petrolero, Boston River, and Macará. The fourth pot contains the eight teams that lost in the Libertadores preliminary rounds: Botafogo, Juventud de Las Piedras, O'Higgins, Carabobo, plus Recoleta, Alianza Atlético, Deportivo Riestra, and Barracas Central.
Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay dominate both tournaments, as they have for decades. But the absence of so many traditional powers from the Libertadores—and their relegation to the Sudamericana—signals something worth watching. The draw on Thursday will determine the brackets, but the real competition has already begun: the fight to reclaim a place at the continental table's head.
Notable Quotes
Teams from the same country cannot face each other in the group stage unless one came through the preliminary rounds— CONMEBOL tournament rules
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that River Plate and São Paulo aren't in the Libertadores this year?
Because they're not supposed to miss it. These are clubs that have won it, that expect to be there. Missing means something went wrong domestically—they didn't finish high enough in their league, or they lost in qualifying. It's a signal that the usual order has shifted.
So the draw on Thursday—is it just a formality, or does it actually change the tournament?
It changes everything. The draw determines who you face, and in a tournament where you need to finish top two to advance, your group can make or break your season. A weak group is a gift. A strong one is a death sentence.
What about those teams that lost in the preliminary rounds? Where do they go?
They drop into the Sudamericana, the second tournament. But there's a twist—if you finish third in your Libertadores group, you also get a second chance in the Sudamericana playoffs. So the tournaments are connected. Missing the Libertadores isn't quite the end.
Is there a rule preventing teams from the same country facing each other?
Yes, with one exception. If a team came through the preliminary rounds, they can face anyone. It's meant to balance things, but it also creates a puzzle during the draw—certain pairings are forbidden, others are allowed.
What does the absence of so many big names tell us about South American football right now?
That the hierarchy is unstable. The same eight or nine clubs used to dominate. Now there's more churn. Clubs that were fixtures are struggling domestically. It makes the tournament less predictable, which some see as healthy and others see as chaos.