Nacional's squad for the Copa Libertadores: a legendary goal-scorer from Coquimbo Unido and the three-time Peruvian champion

The Copa Libertadores draw determined that Jadson Viera’s Nacional will be in Group B alongside Universitario, Coquimbo Unido, and Deportes Tolima. The group stage is scheduled to begin the week of April 7, with match times to be confirmed by CONMEBOL. The Tricolor already knows that on the first matchday they will play away against the Chilean team, which is based in the Coquimbo region, from which it takes its name. Among its nicknames are Pirata or Aurinegro, and they qualified for the top continental tournament after winning the Chilean soccer championship in 2025. This will be their second appearance in the cup after making their debut in 1992. The team coached by Hernán Caputto will play at home at the Francisco Sánchez Rumoroso Municipal Stadium, which has a capacity of about 15,000. Toward the end of 2025, they made a significant investment in the stadium’s lighting to meet CONMEBOL standards and host matches there. The star of their squad is Argentine Lucas Pratto, a 37-year-old forward with a long career who knows what it takes to lift the Copa Libertadores as a game-changer. He achieved this with Argentina’s River Plate during the 2017–2018 season, scoring two goals in the finals against Boca Juniors. Additionally, according to Transfermarkt data, he is the fifth-highest all-time scorer in the Libertadores with 30 goals scored across four clubs. He shares this position with Julio Morales, a former striker for Nacional. Coquimbo currently sits in 11th place in the Chilean league with nine points after the first seven matchdays. The team has one Uruguayan player on its roster: 37-year-old defender Manuel Fernández, who also holds Chilean citizenship. Meanwhile, Deportes Tolima—nicknamed the Vinotinto y Oro—is coming off a runner-up finish in the Colombian league. This will be their eleventh appearance in the Libertadores, and they advanced to the group stage after winning two preliminary rounds against Deportivo Táchira and O'Higgins. They have no Uruguayan players on their roster. However, they do have Brazilian goalkeeper Neto Volpi, who played for Peñarol from July 2021 to January 2023. As for the 2026 Colombian league, Tolima is in sixth place with 19 points after 11 matchdays. They play their home games at the Manuel Murillo Toro Stadium, located in the city of Ibagué, about 1,165 meters above sea level. As for Universitario of Peru, this marks their 36th appearance in the Copa Libertadores. They are coming off a three-peat in Peruvian soccer, having won the two short tournaments they competed in, and do not have any Uruguayan players on their roster. They are currently third in the domestic league with 14 points after the first seven matchdays; they are three points behind the leaders. They play their home games at the Estadio Monumental in Lima, which has a capacity of 80,000 spectators.