2026 Copa Uruguay
| Copa AUF Uruguay 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country | Uruguay |
| Dates | 25 August – December 2026 |
| Teams | 44 |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 8 |
| Goals scored | 14 (1.75 per match) |
All statistics correct as of 27 August 2026. | |
The 2026 Copa Uruguay (officially known as Copa AUF Uruguay 2026), is the fifth edition of the Copa Uruguay, the country's national football cup tournament. The tournament is played from 25 August to December 2026 with 44 teams participating. The winners will qualify for the 2027 Copa Libertadores.[1]
Peñarol are the defending champions.
Format
For this season, the competition features a change of format while also expanding to 44 teams: all 16 teams from Liga AUF Uruguaya, 8 from Segunda División, 8 from Primera División Amateur, 2 from Divisional D and 10 clubs from the Copa Nacional de Clubes organized by the Organización del Fútbol del Interior (OFI).[2]
The first stage, which is contested by 32 clubs, was split into two paths: one for professional clubs and another one for amateur clubs. In the professional side, the 24 clubs from the first and second tier leagues were drawn into six groups of four teams in which teams will play their group rivals once, with the top two teams in each group as well as the four best third-placed sides advancing to the next round, whilst the amateur path will have the eight Primera División Amateur clubs, which were drawn into four single-match ties, with the winners advancing to the next round.
For the second stage, the professional and amateur paths will remain separated, with the Divisional D and OFI clubs joining the four amateur winners from the previous round. In both paths, the 16 participating clubs will be drawn into eight single-match ties, with the winners advancing to the round of 16. Starting from that round, the professional and amateur teams will be able to play each other, playing a straight knockout competition, and amateur sides will be granted home advantage. The semi-finals and the final will be played on neutral ground.
The winners of the competition will qualify for the 2027 Copa Libertadores through the Uruguay 4 berth, granting them access to the first stage of the continental competition, provided that they play in the top tier in 2027. If the champions do not fulfill this criterion, or have already qualified for the Copa Libertadores through league performance, the berth will be awarded to the best-placed team in the aggregate table of the 2026 Liga AUF Uruguaya that has not yet qualified.[3]
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is as follows:
| Round | Draw date | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Eliminatory stage | 11 August 2026[4] |
|
| Second stage | TBD 2026 | |
| Round of 16 | ||
| Quarter-finals | ||
| Semi-finals | ||
| Finals | ||
Qualified teams
44 clubs take part in this season's Copa Uruguay competition: the 16 from Liga AUF Uruguaya and 8 from Segunda División which were the top clubs in the league based on their performance at halfway point, for a total of 24 professional clubs. The competition will also feature 20 amateur teams, those being eight from Primera División Amateur, the top two clubs that failed to promote in the previous Divisional D season, and 10 from the Copa Nacional de Clubes organized by the Organización del Fútbol del Interior (OFI), which were the eight clubs that qualified for the quarter-finals of the 2026 Divisional A tournament as well as two play-off winners.[2]
| Liga AUF Uruguaya All 16 teams |
Segunda División The top 8 teams of the 2026 season at halfway point |
Primera División Amateur The top 4 teams of the 2026 Torneo Inicial and the best 4 teams that did not promote in the 2025 season |
Divisional D The runner-up and third-placed team of the 2025 season |
OFI 8 quarter-finalists and 2 play-off winners of the 2026 Divisional A season |
|
|
|
Eliminatory stage
The first stage, named eliminatory stage, was split into two paths: one for professional clubs and another one for amateur sides. The professional clubs were drawn into six groups of four, with the top two teams of each group as well as the four best third-placed sides advancing to the second stage, while in the amateur path the eight Primera División Amateur teams were drawn into four ties, with the winners advancing to the following round of the competition.
Professional path
Group 1
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DAN | PEÑ | ATE | MCT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danubio | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | Advance to the Second stage | — | 3–2 | — | ||
| 2 | Peñarol | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | — | — | — | 1–0 | ||
| 3 | Atenas | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 0 | Possible Second stage | — | — | — | ||
| 4 | Montevideo City Torque | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Head-to-head record, 5) Drawing of lots.
Group 2
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PCO | DFS | REN | CRL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plaza Colonia | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 | Advance to the Second stage | — | — | — | 2–1 | |
| 2 | Defensor Sporting | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | 0–0 | — | |||
| 3 | Rentistas | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Possible Second stage | — | — | — | ||
| 4 | Cerro Largo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | −1 | 0 | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Head-to-head record, 5) Drawing of lots.
Group 3
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | DMA | WAN | CRR | CSC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deportivo Maldonado | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to the Second stage | — | — | — | ||
| 2 | Montevideo Wanderers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | ||||
| 3 | Cerro | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible Second stage | — | — | |||
| 4 | Cerrito | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Head-to-head record, 5) Drawing of lots.
Group 4
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | JUV | RAC | CEN | ORI | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Juventud | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 | Advance to the Second stage | — | — | 1–0 | ||
| 2 | Racing | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | |||
| 3 | Central Español | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible Second stage | — | — | |||
| 4 | Oriental | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 0 | — | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Head-to-head record, 5) Drawing of lots.
Group 5
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | RIV | ALB | NAC | PRO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | River Plate | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 | Advance to the Second stage | — | — | — | ||
| 2 | Albion | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — | — | ||||
| 3 | Nacional | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Possible Second stage | — | 0–0 | — | — | |
| 4 | Progreso | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 | 0–2 | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Head-to-head record, 5) Drawing of lots.
Group 6
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | LIV | BOR | COL | FEN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 | Advance to the Second stage | — | — | |||
| 2 | Boston River | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | ||||
| 3 | Colón | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Possible Second stage | — | — | — | ||
| 4 | Fénix | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | 0 | 0–2 | — | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Points, 2) Goal difference, 3) Goals for, 4) Head-to-head record, 5) Drawing of lots.
Amateur path
| TBD 2026 | Terremoto | v | Bella Vista | |
| --:-- UTC−3 |
| TBD 2026 | Deutscher | v | Deportivo Italiano | |
| --:-- UTC−3 |
| TBD 2026 | Rampla Juniors | v | Lito | |
| --:-- UTC−3 |
| TBD 2026 | Durazno | v | Deportivo Colonia | |
| --:-- UTC−3 |
See also
References
- ↑ "El calendario de la Copa AUF Uruguay 2026: rivales y localías de Nacional y Peñarol en la fase de grupos" [The schedule of the 2026 Copa AUF Uruguay: rivals and home matches for Nacional and Peñarol in the group stage] (in Spanish). El País. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- 1 2 "La Copa AUF Uruguay 2026 tendrá su sorteo este martes; mirá los equipos clasificados y cómo será la forma de disputa con un cupo para la Copa Libertadores en juego" [The draw for the 2026 Copa AUF Uruguay will take place this Tuesday; check the qualified teams and how the competition will be structured with a spot in the Copa Libertadores at stake] (in Spanish). El Observador. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Con nuevo formato y un premio inédito, se sorteó la Copa AUF Uruguay 2026" [With a new format and an unprecedented prize, the draw for the 2026 Copa AUF Uruguay was held] (in Spanish). DSports. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.
- ↑ "Se sorteó la Copa AUF Uruguay 2026: mirá cómo quedaron conformados los seis grupos" [The 2026 Copa AUF Uruguay was drawn: check out how the six groups were formed] (in Spanish). Montevideo Portal. 11 August 2026. Retrieved 23 August 2026.