COLOMBIA · SPORT GUIDE
Key Facts
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.9 points (October 2026 edition).
- What it is Single-match final of South America’s second-biggest club cup: Boca Juniors versus Atlético Mineiro.
- Date and place Saturday 21 November 2026, Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia.
- Time Kick-off not announced; Barranquilla time equals Eastern time that day.
- Tickets Official platform only: US$250, US$180 and US$90 (club fans); general sale from 30 October.
- Watch in the US The organiser has not named a US broadcaster for the final yet.
Boca Juniors play Atlético Mineiro in the Sudamericana final on Saturday 21 November 2026 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla, Colombia. Tickets cost US$90 to US$250, and general sale opens on Friday 30 October at 1 p.m. Eastern.
The kick-off time and the US broadcaster are not yet confirmed. CONMEBOL, South America’s football confederation, sells tickets only on its official platform.
What the Copa Sudamericana Final Is
The Copa Sudamericana is South America’s second-biggest club tournament, run by CONMEBOL, the continent’s football confederation. Its single-match Sudamericana final is on Saturday 21 November 2026 in Barranquilla, Colombia.
This year’s final pairs Boca Juniors, from Buenos Aires, with Atlético Mineiro, from Belo Horizonte in Brazil. Boca is one of the best-known clubs in the world, and Mineiro reached the final last year as well.
CONMEBOL holds the final at one neutral stadium, the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez. For US fans it is a one-night showdown between an Argentine giant and a Brazilian side, in a Caribbean port city.
Our guide to <a href=”https://www.riotimesonline.com/copa-libertadores-final-2026-montevideo-guide/”>the Libertadores final in Montevideo</a> covers the continent’s bigger title game. It is played a week after this one, on Saturday 28 November.
In Plain English
CONMEBOL is the South American football body, the counterpart of UEFA in Europe. The Sudamericana is its cup for clubs outside the top tournament, the Copa Libertadores, and is often compared to the Europa League.
A single-match final means no second leg, so one game decides the winner. CONMEBOL has not published how a draw would be settled.
Boca’s fans call the club the Xeneize, and Atlético Mineiro’s supporters call their side Galo, meaning rooster. Both nicknames appear in CONMEBOL’s own match reports.
Schedule and Start Times in Eastern Time
The Sudamericana final is on Saturday 21 November 2026 at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez in Barranquilla. CONMEBOL lists the kick-off time as to be confirmed, so no start time is published yet.
Barranquilla stays on Colombia time, which is UTC-5 all year. On 21 November the United States has returned to standard time, so Eastern time matches Barranquilla clock time exactly.
That makes the conversion easy: whatever the kick-off hour in Barranquilla, New York shows the same hour. Central time is one hour earlier, and Pacific time is three hours earlier.
CONMEBOL also plans an official Fiesta Sudamericana, a fan festival with special activities around the final. The organiser has not yet published its location or hours.
Tickets and Prices in US Dollars
CONMEBOL says Sudamericana final tickets sell only on its official platform, sudamericana.eleventickets.com. Sales began on Wednesday 28 October at noon Colombia time, which is 1 p.m. Eastern.
That first phase offers Category 2 tickets only to Colombian nationals living in Colombia, up to four each. Those tickets can be moved once, and only to a person with Colombian identity documents.
The general public can buy Category 1 and 2 tickets from Friday 30 October at noon Colombia time, or 1 p.m. Eastern. Category 1 costs US$250, and Category 2 costs US$180.
Category 3 costs US$90 and is reserved for the two clubs’ supporters, and its sale date is still to come. CONMEBOL warns fans not to buy from unauthorised sellers or websites.
Fans are encouraged to pre-register on the platform to speed up the purchase. CONMEBOL also says registering does not guarantee a ticket, and the number of tickets per buyer outside Colombia is not stated.
How the Two Finalists Got Here
Boca Juniors reached its third Sudamericana final, after 2004 and 2005, and its first in 21 years. In the semi-final it lost the first leg 1-0 at home to Vasco da Gama of Rio de Janeiro on 13 October.
In the return leg at the Maracanã in Rio on 20 October, Boca won 3-1. Captain Leandro Paredes scored the late goal, and coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side went through 3-2 on aggregate.
Atlético Mineiro won its first semi-final leg 3-0 at home against Montevideo City Torque, from Uruguay, on 14 October. It lost the return leg 2-0 in Montevideo on 21 October but went through 3-2 on aggregate.
Mineiro is the first Brazilian club to reach the Sudamericana final two years in a row. It is coached by Argentine Eduardo Domínguez, and CONMEBOL notes it has now reached a CONMEBOL final three years running.
How to Watch in the United States
The organiser has not named a US broadcaster or streaming service for the Sudamericana final. Neither the final’s fixture line nor the ticketing page lists one.
The kick-off time is also still to be confirmed, so no US start time can be given yet. Once CONMEBOL sets the hour, Eastern time will match Barranquilla clock time.
CONMEBOL publishes the fixture and any broadcast details on its official Sudamericana website, gol.conmebol.com/sudamericana. That page is the place to check first for a US channel or stream.
We will update this guide when a US broadcaster is named. Until then, treat any site that claims to list a US channel for the final as unconfirmed.
Getting to Barranquilla and the Stadium
Barranquilla is a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, and flight routes and fares from US cities for late November are not confirmed. Compare options, including connections through Bogotá, Medellín or Miami, before you book.
The match is at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, the stadium CONMEBOL names for the final. See our <a href=”https://www.riotimesonline.com/expat-cities/bogota/”>Bogotá city guide</a> if you plan to connect through the capital.
CONMEBOL has not published stadium access routes, gate times or a transport plan for the final. Expect large crowds and plan to arrive early once the organiser publishes entry rules.
Book a hotel as soon as your Sudamericana final ticket is secured, because fans from Argentina and Brazil are also heading to Barranquilla. Hotel prices and availability for the weekend are not confirmed, so no figures are given.
Safety and Costs for US Visitors
The US State Department publishes a travel advisory for Colombia at travel.state.gov. Read the current version before you book, because advisories can be reissued.
Violent crime and petty theft are risks in many large cities, and match nights draw big crowds. Keep valuables out of sight and use licensed taxis or app rides after the match.
Keep a copy of your passport apart from the original. Colombia’s current entry rules for US passport holders are not confirmed here, so check the official government pages.
The only costs confirmed are the ticket prices of US$90 to US$250. Flights, hotels and local transport for late November are not confirmed.
What Is Not Confirmed Yet
For the Sudamericana final, the kick-off time, the US broadcaster and the Category 3 sale date are not confirmed. CONMEBOL lists the kick-off as to be confirmed and says the Category 3 date will be announced shortly.
The rule for a draw, the stadium capacity and the Fiesta Sudamericana programme are also unpublished. Ticket availability by category can change after each sales phase.
Whether tickets will be left for foreign buyers after the Colombian-only phase is not stated. The Category 1 and Category 2 general sale on 30 October is the first date open to fans outside Colombia.
More: Colombia news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Copa Sudamericana final in 2026?
The Copa Sudamericana final is on Saturday 21 November 2026 at the Estadio Metropolitano in Barranquilla, Colombia. CONMEBOL lists the kick-off time as to be confirmed.
How much do Sudamericana final tickets cost?
Category 1 costs US$250 and Category 2 costs US$180 for the general public. Category 3 costs US$90 and is reserved for supporters of the two finalist clubs.
How can I watch the Sudamericana final in the United States?
No US broadcaster is confirmed yet. Check CONMEBOL’s official Sudamericana website once the kick-off time is set.
Who is playing in the Sudamericana final?
Boca Juniors of Argentina play Atlético Mineiro of Brazil in a single match. Boca beat Vasco da Gama 3-2 on aggregate, and Mineiro beat Montevideo City Torque 3-2.
Sources: CONMEBOL Sudamericana, tickets go on sale for the Final in Barranquilla (27 October 2026), accessed 28 October 2026; CONMEBOL Sudamericana, Barranquilla 2026 ticketing page, accessed 28 October 2026; CONMEBOL Sudamericana, Atlético Mineiro reach the Final (21 October 2026), accessed 28 October 2026; CONMEBOL Sudamericana, Boca Juniors reach the Final (20 October 2026), accessed 28 October 2026; CONMEBOL Sudamericana, fixtures and results, accessed 28 October 2026; US State Department, Colombia Travel Advisory, Level 3, page dated 17 April 2025, accessed 28 October 2026.
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