Argentina and Brazil lead in the playoffs for the round of 16 of the South American Cup

Argentina and Brazil are set to dominate the round-robin playoffs for a spot in the round of 16 of the South American Cup, as announced in the fixtures on Thursday.

A total of 16 teams will compete to secure their presence in the tournament, as revealed by the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).

In a new format, the playoffs will feature eight runners-up from the Sudamericana group stage and eight third-place finishers from the Copa Libertadores group stage.

Four teams will represent Argentina: Estudiantes, Patronato, Tigre, and San Lorenzo.

Brazil follows closely with Botafogo, América-MG, and Corinthians.

Chile’s Ñublense, Audax Italiano, and Colo-Colo will also participate, alongside Ecuador’s Barcelona SC and Emelec.

The lineup further includes Peru’s Universitario and Sporting Cristal, Colombia’s Deportivo Independiente Medellín (DIM), and Libertad, the reigning champion of Paraguay’s Apertura Tournament.

The round-robin fixtures are as follows:

Barcelona vs. Estudiantes
Ñublense vs. Audax Italiano
Patronato vs. Botafogo
Colo-Colo vs. América-MG
Libertad vs. Tigre
Corinthians vs. Universitario
Sporting Cristal vs. Emelec
DIM vs. San Lorenzo.

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This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief