2023 Copa Sudamericana


The 2023 Copa CONMEBOL Sudamericana was the 22nd edition of the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, South America's secondary club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.
The final was played in Maldonado, Uruguay on 28 October 2023. Originally scheduled to be held in Montevideo, on 15 April 2023 it was announced that the final would be played at Estadio Centenario, however the match was confirmed to have been moved to Estadio Domingo Burgueño in Maldonado on 15 September 2023.
Ecuadorian club LDU Quito were the champions, winning their second title in the competition after defeating Brazilian club Fortaleza 4–3 on penalties following a 1–1 draw after extra time in the final. As winners of the 2023 Copa Sudamericana, LDU Quito earned the right to play against the winners of the 2023 Copa Libertadores in the 2024 Recopa Sudamericana. They also automatically qualified for the 2024 Copa Libertadores group stage.
Independiente del Valle were the titleholders, but did not defend their title since they qualified for the 2023 Copa Libertadores group stage as Copa Sudamericana champions and later advanced to the knockout stage.

Format changes

On 19 December 2022, CONMEBOL announced format changes to the Copa Sudamericana starting from this edition while maintaining the same number of matches to be played. The following changes were implemented:
  • The first stage of the tournament, where teams from all associations play against a team from their same association, was played over a single match instead of a home-and-away two-legged basis.
  • The eight group runner-ups were not eliminated, but instead played a play-off round prior to the round of 16 against the eight third-placed teams of the Copa Libertadores group stage, which previously advanced directly to the round of 16. The winners of this round advanced to the round of 16 along with the Copa Sudamericana group winners.

Teams

The following 44 teams from the 10 CONMEBOL associations qualified for the tournament:
  • Argentina and Brazil: 6 berths each
  • All other associations: 4 berths each
The entry stage is determined as follows:
  • Group stage: 12 teams
  • First stage: 32 teams
AssociationTeam Entry stageQualification method

Gimnasia y Esgrima Group stage2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional and Primera División aggregate table best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Defensa y Justicia Group stage2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional and Primera División aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Tigre Group stage2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional and Primera División aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Newell's Old Boys Group stage2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional and Primera División aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Estudiantes Group stage2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional and Primera División aggregate table 5th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

San Lorenzo Group stage2022 Copa de la Liga Profesional and Primera División aggregate table 6th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Oriente Petrolero First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Guabirá First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Atlético Palmaflor First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Blooming First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

São Paulo Group stage2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

América Mineiro Group stage2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Botafogo Group stage2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Santos Group stage2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 4th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Goiás Group stage2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 5th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Red Bull Bragantino Group stage2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A 6th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Palestino First stage2022 Primera División best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Cobresal First stage2022 Primera División 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Universidad Católica First stage2022 Primera División 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Audax Italiano First stage2022 Primera División 4th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Deportes Tolima First stage2022 Primera A aggregate table best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Junior First stage2022 Primera A aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Santa Fe First stage2022 Primera A aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Águilas Doradas First stage2022 Primera A aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

LDU Quito First stage2022 Serie A aggregate table best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Emelec First stage2022 Serie A aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Deportivo Cuenca First stage2022 Serie A aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Delfín First stage2022 Serie A aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Guaraní First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Tacuary First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

General Caballero (JLM) First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Sportivo Ameliano First stage2022 Copa Paraguay champions

Universitario First stage2022 Liga 1 aggregate table best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Universidad César Vallejo First stage2022 Liga 1 aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Cienciano First stage2022 Liga 1 aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Binacional First stage2022 Liga 1 aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

River Plate First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Peñarol First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table 2nd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Defensor Sporting First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table 3rd best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Danubio First stage2022 Primera División aggregate table 4th best team not qualified for 2023 Copa Libertadores

Estudiantes de Mérida First stage2022 Primera División Fase Final Sudamericana A winners

Deportivo Táchira First stage2022 Primera División Fase Final Sudamericana B winners

Caracas First stage2022 Primera División Fase Final Sudamericana A runners-up

Academia Puerto Cabello First stage2022 Primera División Fase Final Sudamericana B runners-up

;Notes
A further 12 teams eliminated from the 2023 Copa Libertadores were transferred to the Copa Sudamericana, entering the group stage and the knockout round play-offs.
Teams eliminated in third stageEntry stage
MillonariosGroup stage
HuracánGroup stage
FortalezaGroup stage
MagallanesGroup stage
Third-placed teams in group stageEntry stage
ÑublenseKnockout round play-offs
Independiente MedellínKnockout round play-offs
BarcelonaKnockout round play-offs
Sporting CristalKnockout round play-offs
CorinthiansKnockout round play-offs
Colo-ColoKnockout round play-offs
LibertadKnockout round play-offs
PatronatoKnockout round play-offs

Schedule

The schedule of the competition was as follows: