Corinthians to endure break longer than 2026 pre-season after Novorizontino loss | OneFootball

Corinthians' 2026 run of games ended on Saturday with a 1-0 Paulistão semi-final defeat to Novorizontino. The club now faces its longest spell without a match since the season began.

According to Meu Timao, Dorival Júnior's side will not play again until 11 March, when they host Coritiba at 21:30 at Neo Química Arena in Brasileirão round five. With the Paulistão finals set for 4 and 8 March, the gap gives a 10-day window for preparation and rest.

The pause is longer than their build-up before the State Championship opener. Training restarted on 3 January and the team began official duties on 11 January against Ponte Preta, an eight-day gap.

Their off-season was already trimmed by the Copa do Brasil triumph over Vasco da Gama on 21 December at the Maracanã. The squad then paused for only 12 days.

Amid national calendar changes linked to the World Cup, including the Brasileirão starting in January, Corinthians crammed 15 matches into 48 days. The biggest gap between games was four days, between 1 and 5 February. In that run they posted seven wins, four draws and four defeats, and won the Supercopa do Brasil 2-0 against Flamengo in Brasília.

They still have three fronts in 2026, the Brasileirão across 34 rounds, the Copa do Brasil from the fifth phase and the Libertadores group stage. Their domestic cup and continental campaigns begin in April.

Source: Meu Timao