Copa Libertadores 2026 Round of 16: Draw, Ties & Dates

The draw was held on Friday, 29 May 2026 at CONMEBOL headquarters in Luque, Paraguay, and the round of 16 of the Copa Libertadores 2026 now has its ties, dates and favourites. After a tight group stage that ended on 28 May, the continent's 16 best teams were paired into eight two-legged ties to be played in August. The big news is the return of the draw: after two editions with a fixed bracket based on seeding, CONMEBOL put the balls back in the pots, and the result is a set of explosive duels, several group-stage rematches and the absence of historic giants who fell by the wayside.

The 8 Round-of-16 Ties

These are the eight matchups that will decide the quarter-finalists. In each tie, the team that finished second in its group hosts the first leg, while the group winner closes the return leg at home, the reward for topping the group:

• Estudiantes de La Plata (ARG) vs. Universidad Católica (CHI)
• Rosario Central (ARG) vs. Corinthians (BRA)
• Cruzeiro (BRA) vs. Flamengo (BRA)
• Deportes Tolima (COL) vs. Independiente del Valle (ECU)
• Mirassol (BRA) vs. LDU Quito (ECU)
• Palmeiras (BRA) vs. Cerro Porteño (PAR)
• Platense (ARG) vs. Coquimbo Unido (CHI)
• Fluminense (BRA) vs. Independiente Rivadavia (ARG)

Format, Dates and the Road to the Final

The round of 16 is played over two legs. First legs are scheduled between 11 and 13 August 2026, with the return legs between 18 and 20 August. There is no away-goals rule and no extra time in these rounds: if a tie is level on aggregate, it is decided straight from a penalty shootout. Extra time is reserved only for the single-match final. The eight winners advance to the quarter-finals, set for 8–17 September, followed by the semi-finals in October. The single-match final will be played on 28 November 2026 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, with a 25-million-dollar prize for the champion.

The Most Attractive Ties

Cruzeiro vs. Flamengo: the all-Brazilian clash that feels like a final

The draw was cruel to the spectacle and generous to the drama. Flamengo, reigning Libertadores champion and owner of the most expensive squad on the continent, must face Cruzeiro in the round of 16, a heavyweight all-Brazilian duel many expected in a semi-final or final. The Mengão won Group A convincingly; Cruzeiro came through as runner-up in Group D, behind Universidad Católica. It is the tie that will sell the most tickets and knock out a serious contender the earliest. Flamengo are the bookmakers' favourites for the whole tournament, but a Brazilian knockout is never won on paper.

Palmeiras vs. Cerro Porteño: the Group F rematch

Here the draw did what the old format forbade: it reunited two teams from the same group. Palmeiras and Cerro Porteño already met in Group F, and it was the Paraguayan side that finished on top, pushing the Verdão into second place. That gives Cerro the advantage of closing the tie at La Nueva Olla, a fortress few want to visit on a decisive night. Palmeiras, a recent finalist who has reached three title deciders in recent years, are the heavy favourites to suffer, but also the side with the most individual quality in the tie.

Mirassol vs. LDU Quito: the debutant against a champion

The best story in the bracket. Mirassol, a Brazilian club making its Libertadores debut, defied the odds and finished second in Group G, just behind LDU Quito, the 2023 continental champions. They meet again, now in a knockout. The altitude of Quito will be a huge factor in the return leg, where Liga close at home. For Mirassol, reaching the round of 16 on debut is already historic; eliminating a former champion would be a feat that justifies the entire season.

Fluminense vs. Independiente Rivadavia: the giant against the surprise

Another group rematch. Independiente Rivadavia delivered the most important continental campaign in its history and earned the luxury of winning Group C ahead of Fluminense, a regular semi-finalist in recent years. Flu arrive wounded in pride and under obligation to advance; the side from Mendoza, with nothing to lose and a whole city dreaming, is the kind of awkward opponent that decides ties on sheer courage. It is the duel where pedigree and hunger collide head-on.

Boca Out: the Surprises and the Big Absentees

The biggest bombshell of the group stage has a name: Boca Juniors are out. The Argentine side finished third in a brutal Group D, behind Universidad Católica and Cruzeiro, and must settle for a Copa Sudamericana playoff against O'Higgins. They were not the only historic name to fall: for the first time in a long while there are no Uruguayan teams in the round of 16 —neither Nacional nor Peñarol survived their groups— and both Peruvian representatives, Universitario and Sporting Cristal, also bowed out. Barcelona SC finished bottom of their group. At the other end, the revelations: Coquimbo Unido and Universidad Católica put two Chilean sides among the last 16, Independiente Rivadavia made history, and Mirassol advanced on their very first attempt.

"The Libertadores does not care about names or budgets. Boca out, Mirassol in: the round-of-16 draw confirmed that this edition respects no hierarchy, and that is exactly what makes it unpredictable."

Brazil Rules: the Map of the 16

The split by country leaves a clear leader. Brazil place six teams in the round of 16 —Flamengo, Palmeiras, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Fluminense and debutants Mirassol—, an overwhelming presence that explains why three of the title favourites (Flamengo, Palmeiras and Cruzeiro) are Brazilian. Argentina respond with four: Estudiantes, Rosario Central, Platense and Independiente Rivadavia. Chile and Ecuador contribute two each, while Paraguay (Cerro Porteño) and Colombia (Deportes Tolima) complete the map. Six nations, one favourite repeated on every prediction, and a bracket that promises high-voltage ties from the very first knockout round.

Simulate the Libertadores 2026 Round of 16

The draw has already drawn the path, but the ball has not rolled yet. On Fut Simulator Pro you can simulate all eight round-of-16 ties of the Copa Libertadores 2026 with updated squads, play the first and second legs, and find out who advances to the quarter-finals before a single match is played in August.

• Simulate the 8 round-of-16 ties over two legs
• Put Flamengo, Palmeiras or Cruzeiro on your road to the title
• Check whether Mirassol or Independiente Rivadavia pull off the upset
• Build your full bracket all the way to the 28 November final in Montevideo

"Eight ties, sixteen teams, one trophy. The Libertadores 2026 round of 16 now has its opponents: all that is left is to find out who writes the story."