Copa Sudamericana Semi-Finals on 13 and 14 October 2026

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BRAZIL · FOOTBALL

The Copa Sudamericana semi-finals start on Tuesday 13 October, when Boca Juniors host Brazil’s Vasco da Gama at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires. On Wednesday 14 October, Atlético Mineiro host Uruguay’s Montevideo City Torque at the Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

For US viewers, both games fall in the evening Eastern time, at 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday and 6 p.m. on Wednesday. The two winners meet in the one-match Copa Sudamericana final in Barranquilla, Colombia, on Saturday 21 November.

What the Copa Sudamericana Is and Who Is Left

The Copa Sudamericana is South America’s second club competition, below the Copa Libertadores, much as the Europa League sits below Europe’s Champions League. It is run by CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation, which is based in Luque, Paraguay.

Four clubs from Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay remain. The latest match schedule from CONMEBOL’s competitions department, dated Friday 9 October, sets the dates, kick-off times and stadiums of the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals.

Each semi-final is played over two legs, one at each club’s home. A tie that is level on aggregate goes to a penalty shoot-out, as Atlético Mineiro’s quarter-final against Santos did.

Boca Juniors, from Buenos Aires, are the only semi-finalist that has won this trophy, in 2004 and 2005. CONMEBOL says Boca and Vasco have not met in its competitions since 2001, 25 years ago.

Vasco da Gama, from Rio de Janeiro, kept a clean sheet in seven of their 12 games in this year’s tournament, CONMEBOL says. They knocked out Colombia’s Independiente Santa Fe with a 0-0 draw away and a 2-0 home win.

Atlético Mineiro, from Belo Horizonte, lost last year’s final to Argentina’s Lanús and want revenge. Coached by Argentina’s Eduardo Domínguez, they beat Santos on penalties after a 4-4 aggregate draw.

Montevideo City Torque, a club only 19 years old, would become the first Uruguayan side to reach a Copa Sudamericana final. Their striker Salomón Rodríguez is the tournament’s top scorer, with seven goals.

Dates, Kick-Off Times and Stadiums

Boca Juniors against Vasco da Gama kicks off at 21:30 on Tuesday 13 October at the Estadio Alberto J. Armando, known as La Bombonera. That is 8:30 p.m. in New York and 5:30 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Atlético Mineiro against Montevideo City Torque starts at 19:00 on Wednesday 14 October at the Arena MRV, Atlético’s own stadium. That is 6 p.m. in New York and 3 p.m. in Los Angeles.

The return legs of the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals follow a week later at the same local times. Vasco host Boca in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday 20 October.

City Torque then host Atlético at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo on Wednesday 21 October. All four host cities run three hours behind GMT, according to CONMEBOL’s schedule.

That puts them one hour ahead of New York until US clocks fall back on Sunday 1 November. After that date, they are two hours ahead.

Chile’s Piero Maza referees the game in Buenos Aires, and Colombia’s Carlos Betancur takes charge in Belo Horizonte, CONMEBOL says. The winners of the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals go straight to the final in Barranquilla.

How to Watch in the US

beIN SPORTS holds the exclusive US rights to the Copa Sudamericana through 2026 and showed City Torque’s quarter-final in Cusco, Peru. Its US website promotes the Boca game against Vasco as live on beIN SPORTS.

beIN SPORTS says every Copa Sudamericana match streams live on its beIN SPORTS CONNECT service, while its TV channels carry a selection. Check the beIN SPORTS TV guide on the day of the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals, since channel slots can shift.

The kick-off times above come from CONMEBOL’s official schedule, not from the broadcaster.

Tickets and Getting Into the Stadiums

Tickets for the first legs of the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals are sold by the home clubs. Buy only through those official channels, since tickets offered by touts or on social media may be fake.

Boca Juniors’ ticket notice for this game, published on 7 October, covers only club members, who book their place through the Boca Socios platform. At the gate they must show their membership card and Argentine ID card, with dues paid up to September.

The notice lists no sale to the general public, so treat any offer of a Boca ticket from outside the club with caution.

Atlético Mineiro sells tickets only through its official platform, ingressos.galonaveia.com.br. Public sales opened on Wednesday 30 September, with a box office at the Arena MRV from 11:00 to 18:00 on Tuesday 13 October.

Full price in the upper north stand was R$99.67 (about US$20), and club members paid from R$29.90 (about US$6), the club said on 28 September. US$ figures use 4.99 reais to the US dollar, the rate on 12 October.

Visiting fans pay R$200 (about US$40) at full price and enter through gates 19 and 20, also by facial recognition only.

Entry for everyone over 12 is by facial recognition only, so buyers must create a GaloID account and register their face first. Children of any age need a ticket, the club adds.

Tickets work only as e-tickets in the club’s Super App, and printed tickets, screenshots and photos are refused. The forecourt, turnstiles and car park open at 16:00, three hours before kick-off.

Travel and Safety Tips for US Fans

US citizens need no visa for Argentina for visits of 90 days or less, the State Department says. It rates Argentina at Level 1, exercise normal precautions, in an advisory dated 10 July 2026.

The same State Department page names La Boca, the district around Boca’s stadium, among the Buenos Aires areas with higher crime rates. Travel to and from the game by booked car or with a group, and keep phones out of sight.

Brazil requires a visa or an e-visa for US citizens, whatever the purpose of the trip, and it must be approved before you fly. The State Department rates Brazil at Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of crime and kidnapping.

Its Brazil page warns that any public event, including sporting events, can turn violent. It also warns of assaults in which drugs are slipped into drinks, especially in Rio de Janeiro.

Use cash machines inside banks, airports or other secure buildings rather than on the street, the State Department advises. Agree on a meeting point with friends before you enter, in case you are separated in the crowd.

If you are not sitting with home fans at the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals, wear neutral colours on the way in and out. Fans travelling on to the return legs should allow for Rio de Janeiro’s evening traffic on Tuesday 20 October.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

CONMEBOL’s schedule lists the Maracanã for the Vasco against Boca return leg, but the stadium’s use has been fought over in Rio de Janeiro’s courts. Flashscore Brasil and beIN SPORTS report that the Nilton Santos stadium, also in Rio, is the fallback.

Both outlets say the game will stay in Rio de Janeiro whichever stadium is chosen. Fans planning to travel should check CONMEBOL’s schedule again before booking.

Neither home club has said how many tickets remain for the first legs. Line-ups for the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals will be known only shortly before kick-off.

More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals?

The first legs are on Tuesday 13 October in Buenos Aires and Wednesday 14 October in Belo Horizonte. The return legs are on Tuesday 20 October in Rio de Janeiro and Wednesday 21 October in Montevideo.

What time do the games start in the US?

The first of the Copa Sudamericana semi-finals, Boca Juniors against Vasco da Gama, starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Atlético Mineiro against Montevideo City Torque starts at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Where can I watch the Copa Sudamericana in the US?

beIN SPORTS holds the US rights, and it says every Copa Sudamericana match streams live on beIN SPORTS CONNECT. Check its TV guide on the day for the TV channel.

Sources: CONMEBOL, Programa de partidos, Semifinales CONMEBOL Sudamericana 2026 (version 9.10.2026), 9 October 2026; CONMEBOL Sudamericana, En busca de ‘La Gran Conquista’: todo definido para las Semifinales, 9 October 2026; CONMEBOL, Barranquilla espera: así se jugará la Ida de las Semifinales de la CONMEBOL Sudamericana, 12 October 2026; Clube Atlético Mineiro, Galo x Montevideo City Torque, ticket notice (ingressos), 28 September 2026; Club Atlético Boca Juniors, Boca-Vasco da Gama: Información para socias y socios, 7 October 2026; beIN SPORTS (US), Boca Juniors and Vasco da Gama Clash in Copa Sudamericana Semifinals, 12 October 2026; beIN SPORTS (US), Vasco-Boca: Maracanã Confirmed, Blocked and Once Again Left in Limbo, 12 October 2026; beIN SPORTS (US), LIVE! Cienciano vs. Montevideo City Torque in the Copa Sudamericana on beIN SPORTS, 10 September 2026; Flashscore Brasil, Justiça nega pedido do Vasco para mandar duelo com Boca Juniors no Maracanã, 6 October 2026; US State Department, Argentina international travel information, accessed 13 October 2026; US State Department, Brazil international travel information, accessed 13 October 2026; beIN SPORTS (US), How and where to watch all the Copa Libertadores and Sudamericana matches, 24 March 2026; beIN SPORTS (US), beIN SPORTS renews exclusive rights for CONMEBOL club competitions (2023-2026), 22 December 2022.

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