CBF mulls new youth tournament, shrinking Copinha, says site

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·20 August 2026

CBF mulls new youth tournament, shrinking Copinha, says site

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) is discussing significant changes to the calendar for youth football in Brazil.

According to reporting by UOL, the organization is considering creating a new national tournament, which would directly affect the space currently occupied by the traditional São Paulo Junior Football Cup (Copinha).

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At present, the Copinha — organized by the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF) — dominates the January calendar.

The CBF does not intend to recommend ending the competition, but it is studying how to build its official calendar while “ignoring” this period reserved for the São Paulo tournament.

Below, check out the information gathered by UOL on the matter.

Why does the CBF want the change?

The idea behind reshaping the calendar is to optimize both the time and the technical level of youth football in Brazil. The main arguments behind the scenes are:

Rescheduling Dates: Using the month of January to guarantee a longer vacation and preseason period, while also spreading out the dates of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship more effectively throughout the year.
Lack of Technical Criteria: The Copinha is criticized for using an invitation system run by the FPF rather than purely sporting criteria. In addition, participation is not mandatory, allowing major clubs to stay out if they wish (as Flamengo recently did).
Making Room for a New Tournament: The CBF wants to fill that space with its own competition, broader in scope and more nationwide.

How would the CBF’s new competition work?

The proposal gaining traction within the organization envisions a different format from the one used by the Copinha:

Qualification by Merit: Spots would be allocated based on a ranking updated annually, taking into account teams’ performances in state and national Under-20 competitions.
Professional Requirements: To take part, clubs would need to meet infrastructure standards, have a qualified coaching staff, and hold the coveted youth development club certification.
Host Cities Across Brazil: While the Copinha holds all of its matches in the state of São Paulo, the CBF’s new tournament would have regional host cities, spreading the games across the country.

Political impact

The move could create behind-the-scenes tension between the CBF and the São Paulo Football Federation.

The FPF defends the Copinha as the “largest youth competition on the planet,” bringing together 128 clubs and mobilizing commercial partners and city halls across the interior of São Paulo state.

So far, the São Paulo Federation has not officially commented on the CBF’s studies, according to UOL.

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

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