Copa Libertadores: Boca Faces Benedetto, Brazilian Giant; Rosario, Estudiantes in Tough Matches
The CONMEBOL group draw for the 2026 Copa Libertadores placed 32 teams into eight groups. The final will be held in Montevideo, Uruguay.
The ceremony took place at CONMEBOL headquarters in Luque, Paraguay. Officials confirmed the composition of the four-team groups.
Argentine representation and group notes
Six Argentine clubs qualified for the group stage. Each side received a different draw across the eight groups.
- Boca Juniors — Group D.
- Estudiantes de La Plata — Group A.
- Lanús — Group G.
- Rosario Central — Group H.
- Platense — Group F.
- Independiente Rivadavia — Group C.
Several Argentine sides will face difficult assignments. Rosario, Estudiantes in tough matches across their groups.
Boca’s opponents and the Benedetto storyline
Boca shares Group D with Cruzeiro, Universidad Católica, and Barcelona SC of Ecuador. Copa Libertadores: Boca Faces Benedetto as Barcelona fields Darío “Pipa” Benedetto.
Cruzeiro is a Brazilian giant in the same pool. Barcelona SC reached the group stage through the qualifying rounds.
Competition format
Each team will play home-and-away matches against every group opponent. The top two teams in each group will advance to the round of 16.
Third-placed clubs will drop into the Copa Sudamericana playoff phase. This structure defines the path to the knockout rounds.
Prize money and recent distributions
CONMEBOL approved a total prize pool of 316 million dollars. The Libertadores champion will receive 25 million dollars for winning the final.
In 2025, CONMEBOL distributed 209.09 million dollars among Libertadores participants. Flamengo, the defending champion, received 33.24 million dollars.
Sudamericana participants shared 78.77 million dollars in 2025. Lanús earned 9.84 million dollars as the competition’s top recipient.
Payments to clubs in 2026
Each group-stage club will receive 3 million dollars for participating. Teams will also collect 330,000 dollars per victory in the group phase.
Reaching the round of 16 grants an extra 1.25 million dollars. Quarterfinal advancement adds 1.7 million dollars.
Semifinalists will receive 2.3 million dollars each. The runner-up gains an additional 7 million dollars.
The champion can earn up to 35.23 million dollars in total. CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez highlighted the financial importance of the final.
Filmogaz.com will follow the tournament as fixtures are released. Match dates and kick-off times will determine the roadmap to Montevideo.
