Corinthians set World Cup break plans, eye mid-season friendly

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Central do Timão

·13. Mai 2026

Corinthians set World Cup break plans, eye mid-season friendly

By Mirella Ramos / Central do Timão Editorial Team

Corinthians have already set their plan for the period when Brazilian football will be paused during the World Cup. After their run of matches at the end of May, the black-and-white squad will go on vacation and will only return to activities at CT Joaquim Grava on June 25.

According to GE, Timão’s last match before the break will be against Grêmio in Porto Alegre, scheduled for May 30 in the Brazilian Championship. After that, the players will be released for a rest period of approximately 25 days.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

The break will also allow the club to regularize the squad’s vacation period. That is because, between the 2025 and 2026 seasons, Corinthians were unable to grant the traditional 30 days of rest due to the Copa do Brasil final and the early start of preseason.

In addition to resuming training at the end of June, the board, together with Fernando Diniz’s coaching staff, is considering holding at least one friendly before the official return of the national calendar. The expectation is that the match will take place outside the state of São Paulo.

Before the calendar break, Corinthians still have an important run of matches in three different competitions. The club is still alive in the Copa do Brasil, the Libertadores, and the Brasileirão.

Check out Timão’s upcoming matches before the break:

Corinthians vs. Barra – May 14, at 7:30 p.m., at Neo Química Arena, in the Copa do Brasil;
Botafogo vs. Corinthians – May 17, at 4 p.m., at Nilton Santos, in the Brasileirão;
Peñarol vs. Corinthians – May 21, at 9:30 p.m., in Montevideo, in the Libertadores;
Corinthians vs. Atlético-MG – May 24, at Neo Química Arena, in the Brasileirão;
Corinthians vs. Platense – May 27, at Neo Química Arena, in the Libertadores;
Grêmio vs. Corinthians – May 30, in Porto Alegre, in the Brasileirão.

The expectation is that Corinthians’ first official match after the World Cup will be against Remo in Itaquera, in the Brazilian Championship. The match is tentatively scheduled for July 22, but it is still awaiting official confirmation from the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

During the international tournament, Timão may also have players called up by their national teams. Hugo Souza is among the names being monitored by the Brazilian national team and is on Carlo Ancelotti’s preliminary list. Memphis Depay, meanwhile, appears as a possible call-up for the Netherlands for the competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.