The group stage draw for the 2026 Copa Sudamericana will take place on Thursday, March 19, at 20:00 local time (Argentina). The draw for the Copa Libertadores will also be held on the same day. Argentine clubs River Plate and Racing have been placed in Pot 1. San Lorenzo and Tigre are in Pot 2. Barracas Central and Deportivo Riestra, who were promoted to the Primera División in 2022 and 2024 respectively, will make their debut in the tournament and are in Pot 4 alongside Uruguayan side Juventud de Las Piedras, who made a historic run in the preliminary rounds of the Copa Libertadores. Pot 1 also features Atlético Mineiro, São Paulo, Grêmio, and Santos (Brazil), Olimpia (Paraguay), and América de Cali (Colombia). River Plate, participating in the tournament for the first time since 2015, returns to continental competition after a one-year absence. Racing, the 2024 champion and last year's Copa Libertadores semi-finalist, will also compete. Pot 2, in addition to the Argentine teams, includes Red Bull Bragantino and Vasco da Gama (Brazil), Millonarios (Colombia), Palestino (Chile), Caracas (Venezuela), and Cienciano (Peru). Pot 3 consists of Boston River and Montevideo City Torque (Uruguay), Audax Italiano (Chili), Deportivo Cuenca and Macara (Ecuador), Blooming and Independiente Petrolero (Bolivia), and Academia Puerto Cabello (Venezuela). Pot 4 is completed by Alianza Atlético (Peru), Recoleta (Paraguay), O’Higgins (Chili), Carabobo (Venezuela), and the standout team of the pot, Botafogo (Brazil).
