FM26 CONMEBOL Conference League

CONMEBOL REIMAGINED: The New Continental Order
This project transforms the South American football ecosystem by breaking the traditional monopoly of certain powers. It introduces a three-tier system based on meritocracy, competitive fairness, and the successful European model.

1. Competition Structure
CONMEBOL Libertadores (Tier 1): The ultimate goal. 32 teams, 8 groups of 4.

Qualification: 1st and 2nd place advance to the Round of 16.

Second Chance: 3rd place drops into the Sudamericana Play-offs.

CONMEBOL Sudamericana (Tier 2): 32 teams, 8 groups of 4.

Qualification: 1st place advances to the Round of 16; 2nd place advances to the Play-offs against Libertadores 3rd-place teams.

Second Chance: 3rd place drops into the Copa Continental Round of 16.

Promotion: The champion earns a direct spot in the next Libertadores.

CONMEBOL Copa Continental (Tier 3): The new "South American Conference League."

Designed to showcase clubs from emerging leagues.

Promotion: The champion earns a direct spot in the next Sudamericana.

2. Format: CONMEBOL Copa Continental
A dynamic knockout tournament designed to ensure visibility for all nations:

Phase 1: Knockout matches between 12 teams from Venezuela, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Phase 2: The 6 winners face qualified teams from Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay.

Round of 16: The 6 winners from Phase 2 are joined by:

8 teams dropping down from the Sudamericana (3rd place finishers).

1 representative from Brazil and 1 representative from Argentina.

3. Slot Distribution
Placements have been rebalanced to prevent group stage saturation by a single country:

Argentina and Brazil: 4 Lib / 4 Sud / 1 Conm (9 Total)

Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru: 3 Lib / 3 Sud / 2 Conm (8 Total)

Bolivia: 2 Lib / 3 Sud / 3 Conm (8 Total)

Venezuela: 2 Lib / 2 Sud / 3 Conm (7 Total)

Defending Champions: Direct qualification based on their respective tier.

4. New Challenges and Recopa
New Recopa Sudamericana: A tiered elimination format.

Semi-final: Continental Champion vs. Sudamericana Champion.

Grand Final: The winner faces the Libertadores Champion.

Intercontinental Club Challenge: Unique finals against UEFA winners:

Europa League vs. Sudamericana.

Conference League vs. Copa Continental.

5. Technical Features
Meritocracy: A true hierarchical system with promotion between cups.

Diversity: Eliminated early-round matches between teams from the same country to ensure diverse group stages.

Integrity: Schedules tested to avoid fixture congestion and ensure a smooth gameplay experience.

Legacy: Based on the original Tapia database with modern adjustments for current Football Manager versions.