CONMEBOL Sets Draw for 2026 Women’s Libertadores
Paraguay.- 13 September 2026 | www.zonadeazar.com CONMEBOL has confirmed details of the group-stage draw for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina, which will take place on Monday 14 September at 12:30 local time at the South American football governing body’s headquarters in Luque, Paraguay.
The competition will feature 16 clubs representing all ten CONMEBOL Member Associations and will be staged in Ecuador from 15 to 31 October 2026.
Competition Format
The 2026 tournament will be divided into two stages:
- Preliminary Stage or Group Stage.
- Final Stage, comprising Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final.
The 16 qualified clubs will be drawn into four groups of four.
The top two teams in each group will advance to the Quarter-finals.
All phases will be played as single-round fixtures.
Corinthians Enter as Defending Champions
Sport Club Corinthians Paulista will participate as the reigning 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina champions.
The Brazilian club will automatically occupy position A1 and head Group A.
Its status as defending champion once again places Corinthians among the leading clubs entering the continental tournament.
Independiente del Valle Heads Group B
Independiente del Valle, representing the host country, will automatically occupy position B1.
The Ecuadorian side will therefore head Group B.
Ecuador will also be represented by Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito.
Belgrano Represents Argentina
Club Atlético Belgrano will represent Argentina in the 2026 edition.
The Córdoba club has been placed in Pot 2 alongside:
- Colo-Colo of Chile.
- Olimpia of Paraguay.
- Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito.
These four clubs will occupy the second position in each of the four groups.
Three Brazilian Clubs
Brazil will have three representatives:
- Corinthians.
- Cruzeiro.
- Palmeiras.
Corinthians qualify as defending champions, Cruzeiro are included in Pot 1, while Palmeiras secured one of the additional places awarded through the competition’s historical ranking.
Additional Historical Ranking Places
A significant feature of the 2026 edition is the allocation of additional places through the CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina historical ranking.
Pot 4 contains:
- Palmeiras of Brazil.
- Colombia’s second representative.
- Universidad de Chile.
- Libertad of Paraguay.
These clubs will occupy the fourth position in each group.
Group C and D Seeds
The remaining two seeded teams will be determined through the draw.
Cruzeiro and Colombia’s first representative form Pot 1.
The first club drawn will occupy position C1 and the second will be assigned to D1.
Draw Pots
The draw will be structured as follows:
Pot 1
- Colombia’s first representative.
- Cruzeiro.
Pot 2
- Colo-Colo.
- Olimpia.
- Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito.
- Belgrano.
Pot 3
- Universitario de Deportes.
- Nacional of Uruguay.
- Caracas FC.
- Bolivia representative.
Pot 4
- Palmeiras.
- Colombia’s second representative.
- Universidad de Chile.
- Libertad.
Same-Country Restriction
Two teams from the same country cannot be drawn into the same group.
Should such a combination occur, the relevant team will be moved to the next available group and another club will be drawn for the original position.
The rule is designed to ensure greater Member Association diversity during the opening phase.
Ten Member Associations Represented
The competition will feature representatives from:
- Argentina.
- Bolivia.
- Brazil.
- Chile.
- Colombia.
- Ecuador.
- Paraguay.
- Peru.
- Uruguay.
- Venezuela.
Brazil has three places, while Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay each have two representatives.
Ecuador Hosts 2026 Edition
The CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina will be staged in Ecuador between 15 and 31 October 2026.
The tournament will once again bring the leading women’s clubs in South America together in a centralised host country for more than two weeks of continental competition.
Draw Broadcast
The 14 September ceremony will be broadcast live through the official CONMEBOL Libertadores YouTube channel.
The broadcast will reveal the complete composition of all four groups and establish the opening path for each of the 16 participating clubs.
Development of South American Women’s Football
The 2026 edition further reinforces the CONMEBOL Libertadores Femenina as South America’s leading international women’s club competition.
Additional places allocated through the historical ranking also expand participation for associations with strong records in the tournament.
This structure creates further competitive opportunities for clubs and players while increasing international exposure for leading institutions across the region.
Industry Context
The growth of the Women’s Libertadores extends beyond sporting competition.
Bringing clubs from all ten Member Associations together creates opportunities involving:
- Professional player development.
- International visibility.
- Media rights.
- Sponsorship.
- Commercial activity.
- Institutional development.
- Professionalisation of women’s football structures.
For participating clubs, the tournament is also a regional showcase to new audiences, brands and industry stakeholders.
Next Steps or Impact
The next milestone will be the 14 September draw in Luque, when the four groups will be confirmed.
Clubs will then move into the final phase of preparations ahead of travelling to Ecuador, where the competition begins on 15 October.
The 2026 edition will once again bring together the elite of South American women’s club football while providing another platform to strengthen visibility, competitiveness and institutional development across the region.
Editó: Cristobal R.
