The 2023 Copa Libertadores Group stage draw has taken place, marking the official start of South America’s most prestigious club competition.
The third-place club will drop down to the Copa Sudamericana to compete in a knockout round playoff against the second-place teams in that competition, with only the top two teams from each group moving on to the Round of 16.
In a difficult Group A, current Libertadores winners Flamengo will begin play against Aucas, the reigning champions of Ecuador, Racing, the runners-up of Argentina, and Nublense, the runners-up of Chile.
There is just one group in which Athletico Paranaense and Atlético Mineiro will compete against one another. They will face the reigning champions of Peru, Alianza Lima, and Paraguay’s Apertura, Libertad, as favourites.
2023 Copa Libertadores Group Stage Draw Results
The group stage draw results from Monday, March 27, 2023 are listed below. Groups F and H are the only groups in which a Brazilian club is absent.
Three groupings of Argentine and Brazilian clubs will compete against one another: Group A (Racing and Flamengo), Group D (River Plate and Fluminense), and Group E. (Corinthians and Argentinos Juniors).
| Group A | Flamengo (BRA) | Racing (ARG) | Aucas (ECU) | Nublense (CHI) |
| Group B | Nacional (URU) | Internacional (BRA) | Metropolitanos (VEN) | Indep. Medellin (COL) |
| Group C | Palmeiras (BRA) | Barcelona (ECU) | Bolivar (BOL) | Cerro Porteno (PAR) |
| Group D | River Plate (ARG) | Fluminense (BRA) | The Strongest (BOL) | Sporting Cristal (PER) |
| Group E | Indep. del Valle (ECU) | Corinthias (BRA) | Argentinos Jrs (ARG) | Liverpool (URU) |
| Group F | Boca Juniors (ARG) | Colo-Colo (CHI) | Monagas (VEN) | Dep. Pereira (COL) |
| Group G | Athletico Par. (BRA) | Libertad (PAR) | Alianza Lima (PER) | Atl. Mineiro (BRA) |
| Group H | Olimpia (PAR) | Atletico Nacional (COL) | Melgar (PER) | Patronato (ARG) |
Pots for the 2023 Copa Libertadores Group Stage Draw
The 32 qualifying teams were divided into eight groups of four clubs each for the Copa Libertadores 2023 group stage.
Teams were seeded in each of the four predefined pots according to the most recent CONMEBOL rankings based on performance in 2022, with one team from each pot being chosen for each group.
With the exception of Atlético Mineiro, Sporting Cristal, Cerro Porteno, and Independiente Medellin, who were the final teams to qualify after winning their positions in the playoffs, clubs from the same nation could not be placed in the same group.
The same four playoff qualifiers received automatic seeding in Pot 4, together with the current Peruvian champions Alianza Lima and Tortura champions Libertad.
Pot 1
- Flamengo (BRA)
- River Plate (ARG)
- Palmeiras (BRA)
- Boca Juniors (ARG)
- Nacional (URU)
- Independiente del Valle (ECU)
- Olimpia (PAR)
Pot 2
- Libertad (PAR)
- Atletico Nacional (COL)
- Internacional (BRA)
- Barcelona (ECU)
- Racing (ARG)
- Corinthians (BRA)
- Colo-Colo (CHI)
- Fluminense (BRA)
Pot 3
- Bolivar (BOL)
- The Strongest (BOL)
- Melgar (PER)
- Alianza Lima (PER)
- Argentinos Juniors (ARG)
- Metropolitanos (VEN)
- Augas (ECU)
- Monaga (VEN)
Pot 4
- Liverpool (URU)
- Deportivo Pereira (COL)
- Nublense (CHI)
- Patronato (ARG)
- Atletico Mineiro (BRA)
- Cerro Porteno (PAR)
- Sporting Cristal (PER)
- Independiente Medellin (COL)
When will the Copa Libertadores be held?
The competition will officially begin when the Copa Libertadores group stage action begins on on April 4. The knockout stages will then begin on August 1 and every round—with the exception of the final—will be split into two legs.
The final will then take place in the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 11.
- Group stage: April 4-6, April 18-20, May 2-4, May 23-25, June 6-8, June 27-29
- Round of 16: Aug. 1-10, 2023
- Quarter finals: Aug. 22-31, 2023
- Semi finals: Sept. 26-Oct. 5, 2023
- Final: Nov. 11, 2023
How to watch the Copa Libertadores in 2023?
For viewers in the States and Canada, the 2023 Copa Libertadores will be broadcasted on BeIN Sports.
Unfortunately, there is very little coverage of the tournament in the UK. The final is typically the only thing that the BBC broadcasts. The competition’s grand finale was available to UK viewers in 2022 via iPlayer.
Which team won the Copa Libertadores in 2022?
Brazilian powerhouse Flamengo won the competition last year after defeating Athletico Paranaense 1-0 in the final match.
That was Flamengo’s third title triumph and the last time they won it aside last year was in 2019. However, they were runner-ups in 2021.
Who has the most Copa Libertadores titles?
The Argentine team Independiente holds the record for most victories in this competition with seven, all of which occurred between 1964 and 1984. They haven’t advanced to the final since their previous victory.
Boca Juniors have won the competition six times, Penarol of Uruguay, five times with River Plate and Estudiantes of Argentina each wining it four times.
Check out this post on What does CONCACAF Nations League winner get?
