The ANFP Presidents' Council approved on Thursday the distribution of the 16 Primera División teams into four groups for the new Copa de la Liga, using a Snake Draft system based on the 2025 standings. The tournament will start on March 16 and end with a final on July 19. The winner will secure a spot as Chile 3 in the 2027 Copa Libertadores and entry to the Supercopa.
The National Association of Professional Football (ANFP) faced a setback in its initial proposal for the 2026 Copa de la Liga, the fourth tournament on the Chilean calendar alongside the Primera Liga, Copa Chile, and Supercopa. During the Presidents' Council meeting on January 8, the clubs altered the team distribution order, adopting a Snake Draft system mimicking a snake's movement, based on the 2025 League standings.
The seeds are the top four from last season: Coquimbo Unido (1st), Universidad Católica (2nd), O’Higgins (3rd), and Universidad de Chile (4th). It includes promoted teams Universidad de Concepción and Deportes Concepción. The groups are:
- Group A: Coquimbo Unido, Colo Colo (8th), Huachipato (9th), Deportes Concepción.
- Group B: Universidad Católica, Cobresal (7th), Ñublense (10th), Universidad de Concepción.
- Group C: O’Higgins, Palestino (6th), Deportes Limache (11th), Everton (14th).
- Group D: Universidad de Chile, Audax Italiano (5th), Unión La Calera (12th), Deportes La Serena (13th).
Each group will play a regular phase, with winners advancing to semifinals: A vs. D, and B vs. C, in home-and-away matches. The final will be a single game, venue TBD. The tournament starts March 16 and ends July 19, coinciding with the World Cup final in New York.
The aim is to increase matches for more revenue and settle debts with TNT Sports, the ANFP's TV partner. The champion will secure a spot in the Supercopa (Final Four format) and the Chile 3 slot in the 2027 Libertadores, previously awarded to the Copa Chile winner. Youth rules remain the same as other competitions, requiring at least two players born in 2005 and 2006 on the roster.
