Positions in the Copa Sudamericana

The Copa Sudamericana, a prestigious annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, features teams from across South America. Understanding the positions and qualification process is crucial for following the tournament.

Qualification for the Tournament

Teams qualify for the Copa Sudamericana primarily based on their performance in their respective domestic leagues. The precise criteria vary by country but often include teams that finished just outside the qualification spots for the Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier club competition, as well as winners of domestic cup competitions.

Each CONMEBOL member association (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela) is allocated a certain number of berths. The specific qualification rules are determined by each national federation.

Group Stage

The competition typically begins with a group stage. Teams are drawn into groups, usually consisting of four teams each. Teams play each other in a double round-robin format, meaning each team plays every other team in their group twice – once at home and once away.

The top team in each group advances to the knockout stage.

Knockout Stage

The knockout stage comprises the Round of 16, Quarter-finals, Semi-finals, and the Final. Each round, except for the final, consists of two legs, with each team playing one match at home and one match away. The team with the higher aggregate score (the sum of the scores from both legs) advances to the next round. The away goals rule (where goals scored away from home are weighted more heavily) used to be in effect to determine the winner if the aggregate score was tied, but it has been abolished since 2022. If the aggregate score is still tied, the tie is broken by a penalty shootout.

The Final

The final is a single match, held at a neutral venue selected by CONMEBOL. The winner of the final is crowned the Copa Sudamericana champion.

Prize Money and Continental Representation

Winning the Copa Sudamericana brings significant prestige and financial rewards. The champion also qualifies for the following season’s Copa Libertadores, granting them a spot in the group stage of the premier South American club competition. Furthermore, the Copa Sudamericana winner plays against the Copa Libertadores winner in the Recopa Sudamericana, and against the winner of the J.League Cup in the CONMEBOL–J.League YBC Levain Cup/CONMEBOL Sudamericana Final (Suruga Bank Championship until 2019).

Significance of Positions

Throughout the tournament, each position, from group stage advancement to reaching the final, carries immense importance. Teams fiercely compete for every point, knowing that even a single goal or a penalty shootout victory can determine their fate in this highly competitive competition.