Table coming soon….
The Copa Libertadores standings on this page follow the group stage of South America’s biggest club competition, the CONMEBOL Libertadores. The live table directly below updates automatically as results come in; this guide explains how to read it – how the eight groups work, what each position earns, how teams level on points are separated, the main 2026 dates, and how the tournament is finally decided. One thing to know up front: unlike a domestic league, the Libertadores table only covers the group phase. The champion is settled afterwards in a knockout bracket that ends with a single-match final.
Quick Facts
| Competition | CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores |
| Group-stage teams | 32, drawn into 8 groups of four (A–H) |
| Group matches per team | 6 (home and away) |
| Points | Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0 |
| Advance to round of 16 | Top 2 in each group |
| Third place | Drops to Copa Sudamericana play-offs |
| Fourth place | Eliminated |
| 2026 group stage | 7 April – 28 May 2026 |
| 2026 final | 28 November 2026, Estadio Centenario, Montevideo |
What the Copa Libertadores standings show
The standings show eight separate group tables, not one overall league. Thirty-two clubs reach the group stage and are drawn into eight groups of four, labelled A to H. Within each group every team plays the other three twice – once at home and once away – for six matches in total. Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a defeat, and the table ranks each group from first to fourth. If the abbreviations in the columns are unfamiliar, our guide to standings table abbreviations explains what P, W, D, L, GF, GA, GD and Pts mean. For a wider walkthrough, see how to read a sports standings table.
What each position in a group means
Only the top two teams in each group go through to the knockout rounds. There is no promotion or relegation – this is a cup – so the table decides who advances, who transfers to the secondary competition, and who is knocked out. The exact outcomes by position are:
What Each Position Means
| Group position | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1st | Advances to the round of 16 as group winner (seeded in the draw) |
| 2nd | Advances to the round of 16 as runner-up |
| 3rd | Transfers to the Copa Sudamericana knockout play-offs |
| 4th | Eliminated from continental competition |
Because the two group winners and runners-up from all eight groups qualify, 16 teams reach the round of 16. Finishing first rather than second still matters: group winners are seeded in the round-of-16 draw and are generally paired with a runner-up from another group.
How teams level on points are separated
When two or more teams finish level on points, CONMEBOL applies a fixed list of tiebreakers in order. For the 2026 edition the order changed so that head-to-head results are used before overall goal difference:
- Most points
- Points won in the matches between the tied teams (head-to-head)
- Goal difference in those head-to-head matches
- Goals scored in those head-to-head matches
- Overall goal difference
- Overall goals scored
- Fewest red cards
- Fewest yellow cards
- Drawing of lots
Away goals are no longer used as a tiebreaker anywhere in the competition. The same ordered logic – points first, then differentials – is common across football; our explainer on how points and tiebreakers work covers the general principles.
Key dates for the 2026 season
The 2026 Copa Libertadores runs from February to November. The group stage – the part this table covers – is played across the southern autumn, and the knockout rounds fill the second half of the year:
- Qualifying stages: February to March 2026
- Group stage: 7 April to 28 May 2026 (six matchdays)
- Round of 16: 11-20 August 2026 (two legs)
- Quarter-finals: 8-17 September 2026 (two legs)
- Semi-finals: 14-22 October 2026 (two legs)
- Final: 28 November 2026
How the Copa Libertadores is decided
The champion is decided in a knockout bracket, not by the table. From the round of 16 through the semi-finals, ties are played over two legs, with each club hosting once; the team with the better aggregate score advances. If the aggregate is level there is no extra time – the tie goes straight to a penalty shoot-out. The final is a single match at a neutral venue: the 2026 final is set for Saturday 28 November 2026 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay. If the final is level after 90 minutes it goes to extra time and, if needed, penalties.
Common misunderstandings about the table
The most frequent mistake is reading the standings as a single league ladder. In reality there are eight independent tables, and a team’s points only count within its own group. Two others are worth flagging: third place is not eliminated – those clubs drop into the Copa Sudamericana – and the group table never crowns the Libertadores champion, which is why “who is top” in May tells you only who advanced, not who will win. Group-stage form and points also do not carry into the knockout rounds; every tie starts level.
How to follow Copa Libertadores from New Zealand
In New Zealand the competition has been carried by beIN Sports, whose rights for the region run to 2026; matches stream through beIN Sports Connect, so check the current beIN schedule for live listings before kick-off. Timing is the bigger hurdle: South America sits about 15-16 hours behind New Zealand, so evening kick-offs there land the following day here. A typical midweek 9:30pm start in Argentina or Brazil is around lunchtime (NZDT) the next day, and most matches fall between late morning and early afternoon New Zealand time. If you also follow local ladders, our overview of New Zealand sports standings and our guide to the Premier League standings use the same table conventions.
Sources
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How many teams are in the Copa Libertadores group stage?
Thirty-two. They are drawn into eight groups of four (A to H), and each team plays six group matches, home and away against the other three.
How many points is a win worth?
A win is worth 3 points, a draw 1 point and a defeat 0 points – the standard football scoring used across the group stage.
Who qualifies from each group?
The top two teams in each group advance to the round of 16. The third-placed team transfers to the Copa Sudamericana knockout play-offs, while the fourth-placed team is eliminated.
How are teams separated if they finish level on points?
For 2026 the tiebreakers are, in order: head-to-head points, head-to-head goal difference, head-to-head goals, then overall goal difference, overall goals, fewest red cards, fewest yellow cards and finally a drawing of lots.
When and where is the 2026 final?
The 2026 final is a single match on 28 November 2026 at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, Uruguay. Extra time and, if needed, penalties decide it if the scores are level after 90 minutes.