Three Argentine giants — River Plate, Racing, and San Lorenzo — will compete in the 2026 Copa Sudamericana, starting March 3rd, seeking their second title. The tournament, South America's second most important club competition, will kick off with its preliminary phase. The first leg match between Bolivian teams Independiente Petrolero and Guabirá will open the tournament. This stage will feature teams from the same country to determine the remaining participants for the group stage. These will be joined by the four losers from the third qualifying round of the Copa Libertadores, six Brazilian teams qualified directly, and six Argentine teams based on their position in the 2025 annual league table. River Plate, finishing fourth in the table, returns to the Copa Sudamericana after 11 years of uninterrupted participation in the Copa Libertadores, which they won in 2015 and 2018.
