Boca Juniors, Sao Paulo, Atlético Mineiro and Montevideo City Torque have secured their places in the quarter-finals of the 2026 Copa Sudamericana as the tournament enters its final stages.
The marquee matchup between Argentine giants Boca Juniors and Brazilian side Sao Paulo is the only fixture fully confirmed so far for the last eight of South America's secondary club competition.
Four spots remain open in the annual tournament, which is organized by South American football's governing body CONMEBOL as the continent's second most prestigious club competition behind the Copa Libertadores. Representatives from Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil have already secured places in the upcoming round. The 2026 edition is guaranteed to crown a new champion following the early elimination of previous winners Lanús of Argentina, who were knocked out by Peruvian club Cienciano del Cusco in the playoff round.
Peruvian side Cienciano hold a commanding five-goal advantage over Brazilian side Botafogo as they look to complete their round of 16 series and book their place among the continent's top eight teams. The club from the high-altitude Andean city of Cusco, who won the Copa Sudamericana in 2003, will advance to face Montevideo City Torque of Uruguay if they protect their lead against the Rio de Janeiro-based outfit. Montevideo City Torque, founded in 2007 and affiliated with the City Football Group, are among the four clubs to already confirm their spot.
Off the pitch, Cienciano manager Horacio Melgarejo will be available to direct his team in domestic competition after the Court of Arbitration for Sport, known as TAS, suspended a sanction previously imposed against him. The ruling by the independent sports tribunal in Lausanne, Switzerland, enables the coach to return to the bench in Peru's top-flight Liga 1.
Quarter-final bracket and remaining ties
The remaining quarter-final matchups will be finalized as the final round of 16 ties reach their conclusion across South America. Brazilian club Atlético Mineiro, the 2013 Copa Libertadores winners based in Belo Horizonte, will face the winner of the tie between Brazilian side Santos and Ecuadorian club Macará of Ambato.
Another quarter-final tie will pit the winner of the clash between Argentine powerhouse River Plate and Colombian team Independiente Santa Fe against the winner of the matchup between Paraguayan side Olimpia and Brazilian club Vasco da Gama. The deciding match between Buenos Aires-based River Plate and Bogotá-based Santa Fe is scheduled for Wednesday, August 26.
Match dates, final venue and broadcast details
According to the official tournament programming, the first-leg matches of the Copa Sudamericana quarter-finals will be played between September 8 and September 10. The second-leg deciding matches will follow the next week, taking place between September 15 and September 17.
The competition will culminate later in the year, with the single-leg final scheduled for November 21 in the Colombian coastal city of Barranquilla.
Television coverage across Peru and the rest of Latin America will be provided by sports broadcast networks ESPN and DSports. Digital publication La República Deportes will also offer complete coverage, including live minute-by-minute updates of every match.
