Boca Juniors will have to overcome a difficult group in the 2026 Copa Libertadores following the draw for the competition, which kicks off the week of April 7. According to the Argentine News Agency, the 'Xeneize' will face Cruzeiro of Brazil, the club against which they fell in the round of 16 of the 2024 Copa Sudamericana, Universidad Católica of Chile, and Barcelona of Ecuador, who advanced through the preliminary rounds by eliminating, among others, Argentinos Juniors. Additionally, Estudiantes will play against Flamengo of Brazil, Cusco of Peru, and Independiente Medellín of Colombia. Rosario Central will face Independiente del Valle of Ecuador, Libertad of Paraguay, and Universidad Central of Venezuela, while Lanús will have to deal with the altitude as they face Liga de Quito of Ecuador, the Bolivian Always Ready, and the Brazilian Mirassol, a debutant in the prestigious cup. Finally, there will be two Argentine debutants: Platense has a complicated zone after being drawn with Peñarol of Uruguay, Corinthians of Brazil, and Independiente Santa Fe of Colombia. Independiente Rivadavia will play against Fluminense of Brazil, the Bolivian Bolívar, and Deportivo La Guaira of Venezuela. The Copa Libertadores draw, held in the Paraguayan city of Luque after the Sudamericana groups were determined, revealed complicated zones for the Argentine teams. The only Argentine seeded team, Boca Juniors, was drawn into a very complex Group D. The 'Xeneize' will have to face Cruzeiro of Brazil, a club against whom they lost a knockout phase in the aforementioned Sudamericana two years ago, Universidad Católica of Chile, who finished second in the neighboring country's annual table with 17 wins in 30 matches, and Barcelona of Ecuador, who knocked out Argentinos Juniors and Botafogo of Brazil in the preliminary rounds of the current Copa Libertadores. Being part of Group A, Estudiantes will also not have an easy path, as they will have to play against the defending champion, the Brazilian Flamengo, who eliminated them in the quarter-finals of the previous edition, Cusco, runner-up of the Peruvian Clausura and second in the annual table, and Independiente Medellín, known as DIM, who reached the group stage by leaving two Uruguayan teams behind in the preliminary rounds: Liverpool and Juventud de Las Piedras, in an unforgettable campaign. Finally, Group H will feature Rosario Central with Independiente del Valle, champions of the Ecuadorian league after 82 points and only four defeats in 40 matches, Libertad of Paraguay, third in the accumulated table, and Universidad Central of Venezuela, fourth in the country's annual table of the 'Vinotinto' national team. The 2026 Copa Libertadores groups: GROUP A: Flamengo, Estudiantes, Cusco, Independiente Medellín. GROUP B: Nacional, Universitario, Coquimbo Unido, Deportes Tolima. GROUP C: Fluminense, Bolívar, Deportivo La Guaira, Independiente Rivadavia. GROUP D: Boca, Cruzeiro, Universidad Católica, Barcelona of Ecuador. GROUP E: Peñarol, Corinthians, Santa Fe, Platense. GROUP F: Palmeiras, Cerro Porteño, Junior, Sporting Cristal. GROUP G: Liga de Quito, Lanús, Always Ready, Mirassol. GROUP H: Independiente del Valle, Libertad, Rosario Central, Universidad Central of Venezuela.
