Santos open their Conmebol Sudamericana Group D campaign against Deportivo Cuenca on Wednesday evening in Ecuador, where the visitors will have to manage the altitude as well as an opponent that has already found its rhythm in 2026.
Deportivo Cuenca arrive after a 2-0 away win over Emelec, sealed by late goals from Matias Klimowicz and German Ariel Rivero, a result that lifted them to fifth in the LigaPro table. The Ecuadorian side also reached the group stage with a 3-0 victory over Libertad de Loja in the preliminary round, and they have taken four victories, two draws and two defeats from eight competitive matches this year.
For Santos, the trip comes at a difficult moment. The Brazilian club qualified for the competition on the final day of the 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro and are taking part in the Conmebol Sudamericana for the 10th time in their history, but they have never gone beyond the quarter-finals, with exits in 2003, 2004 and 2021. They are also struggling in domestic play, sitting 15th in the Brasileiro table after collecting five wins, seven draws and seven defeats from 19 matches.
There is no shortage of pressure around their start in the tournament. Santos have scored 26 goals and conceded 25 in 2026, a record that shows how often they have been dragged into open games rather than controlling them. Their most recent outing was a 3-1 loss to Flamengo, a match in which they led before being overrun. That result only sharpened the importance of making a clean start in Ecuador, where early points could help settle a group that begins with little margin for error.
Team news leaves both sides with questions. Deportivo Cuenca may be without Andres Lopez and Ariel Mosquera after both missed the trip to Emelec because of thigh muscle strains, while Eddie Guevara is set for a late fitness test after going off after 58 minutes in that match. Santos, meanwhile, will be without Neymar as a precaution, with Cuca saying the forward is following a tailored programme focused on speed and endurance. Gabigol, Vinicius Lira and Mayke are also unavailable.
That leaves Santos needing a result built on discipline rather than reputation. Deportivo Cuenca have only once progressed beyond the opening rounds in their previous four campaigns, but their recent away win and their home preliminary-round form suggest they are not arriving as a background act. Santos have the bigger continental name, yet Wednesday is about whether they can turn that history into points in conditions that have already complicated the assignment.
