The 2021 Copa Libertadores group stage was played from 20 April to 27 May 2021. A total of 32 teams competed in the group stage to decide the 16 places in the final stages of the 2021 Copa Libertadores.
Draw
The draw for the group stage was held on 9 April 2021, 12:00 PYT (UTC−4), at the CONMEBOL Convention Centre in Luque, Paraguay.
Teams were seeded by their CONMEBOL Clubs ranking as of 1 February 2021 (shown in parentheses), taking into account the following three factors:
Performance in the last 10 years, taking into account Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana results in the period 2011–2020.
Historical coefficient, taking into account Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana results in the period 1960–2010 and 2002–2010 respectively.
Local tournament champion, with bonus points awarded to domestic league champions of the last 10 years.
For the group stage, the 32 teams were drawn into eight groups (Groups A–H) of four containing a team from each of the four pots. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group, excluding the four winners of the third stage, which were seeded in Pot 4 and whose identity was not known at the time of the draw, and could be drawn into the same group with another team from the same association.
In the group stage, each group is played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The teams are ranked according to the following criteria: 1. Points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss); 2. Goal difference; 3. Goals scored; 4. Away goals scored; 5. CONMEBOL ranking (Regulations Article 2.4.2).
The Internacional v Deportivo Táchira match, originally scheduled for 27 April 2021, 19:15 local time, was rescheduled to 21:30 local time.
The Olimpia v Always Ready match, originally scheduled on 29 April 2021, 22:00 local time, was rescheduled to 28 April 2021, 22:00 local time.
The Always Ready v Deportivo Táchira match, originally scheduled for 5 May 2021, 22:00 local time, was rescheduled to 6 May 2021, 18:00 local time.
Referee Yender Herrera from Venezuela, who was originally assigned to the match between The Strongest and Barcelona, was replaced by Ángel Artega from Venezuela.
The Universidad Católica v Argentinos Juniors match, originally scheduled for 28 April 2021, 22:00 local time, was rescheduled to 29 April 2021, 18:00 local time.
The kickoff of the Atlético Nacional v Nacional match, originally scheduled for 21:00 local time, was delayed to 22:00 local time.
Referee Anderson Daronco from Brazil, who was originally assigned to the Argentinos Juniors v Atlético Nacional match, was replaced by Bruno Arleu from Brazil.