The Copa Libertadores 2026 group stage draw was conducted on Thursday evening, March 19, 2026, in Luque, Paraguay, and Boca Juniors landed in Group D, which was immediately dubbed the “group of death.”
Who Benefits
The 32-team field was divided into eight groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds and third-placed sides dropping into the Sudamericana playoffs. The final will be held at the Centenario in Montevideo, with a record winner’s prize of $25 million.
Defending champions Flamengo were placed in Group A alongside Estudiantes de La Plata, Independiente Medellin, and Cusco FC. Last year’s runners-up, Palmeiras, drew Group F with Cerro Porteno, Junior de Barranquilla, and Sporting Cristal. Peñarol and Corinthians headline Group E, while Fluminense will face Bolivar in Group C.
Who Pays
Boca Juniors received the most challenging draw, landing in Group D with two-time champions Cruzeiro, Chile’s Universidad Catolica, and Barcelona SC of Ecuador. The article said Boca Juniors have not lifted the trophy since 2007, marking their longest drought in the modern era.
Argentina has six representatives in the tournament: Boca, Estudiantes, Lanus, Rosario Central, Platense, and Independiente Rivadavia. Brazil has seven: Flamengo, Palmeiras, Fluminense, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Mirassol, and the Sudamericana-qualified Barcelona SC entrant.
The Tournament Structure
Legends Felipe Melo and Oscar Ruggeri pulled the bolillas for the draw. The group stage is scheduled to begin in the first week of April.
The article said the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout rounds, while third-placed sides will drop into the Sudamericana playoffs. The final will be held at the Centenario in Montevideo, with the winner’s prize set at $25 million.
Boca Juniors’ placement in Group D was the central result of the draw, and the article described the group as the “group of death” because of its difficulty.