Fewer foreign players, kick-off times scrapped: 5 changes in Brazil

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·21 September 2026

Fewer foreign players, kick-off times scrapped: 5 changes in Brazil

CBF announced some changes to football this Monday (21)

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) held its fourth meeting this Monday (21) in Rio de Janeiro with representatives from Série A and Série B clubs to discuss changes to Brazilian football. The meeting brought together all 40 teams from the country’s top two divisions, as well as the state federations. Among the main decisions, clubs and federations approved five changes for Brazilian football:

– Gradual reduction in the limit of foreign players available for each match – Creation of two player registration lists – Change in the split of spots between players over and under 23 years old – New standardization of kickoff times in Série A and Série B – Elimination of some match time slots, such as Sunday night and 7 p.m. on weekdays

FEWER FOREIGN PLAYERS IN THE BRASILEIRÃO

CBF also approved a gradual reduction in the number of foreign players each club may include in its matchday squad. The current limit is nine players, but that number will gradually fall until it reaches five in 2030.

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The change will happen as follows: eight foreign players in 2027, seven in 2028, six in 2029, and five in 2030. The measure is part of a package aimed at creating more space for younger Brazilian players.

REGISTERED PLAYER LIST WILL BE SPLIT BETWEEN YOUNGER AND MORE EXPERIENCED PLAYERS

In addition, CBF approved a change to the format of the registered player list. The total limit will remain at 50 players per club, but the players will be divided into two categories. List A will be for players over 23 years old. List B, meanwhile, will include Under-23 players. The proportion between the two groups will be gradually adjusted through 2030.

In 2027, each club may have 30 players on List A and 20 on List B. Then, the split will change to 29/21 in 2028 and 27/23 in 2029. Finally, in 2030, each list will have 25 spots. In this way, CBF intends to gradually increase the space for younger players without reducing the total number of athletes each team may register.

SUNDAY BECOMES MORE IMPORTANT IN SÉRIE A

The change also directly affects the Brazilian Championship calendar. CBF approved a new schedule of kickoff times in an effort to reduce the number of different combinations used in recent seasons. Between 2023 and 2025, Série A used 51 kickoff-time combinations. In Série B, the number reached 81. Therefore, the governing body intends to establish a clearer identity for each competition.

In Série A, Sunday will now host most of the weekend matches. The 4 p.m. slot will be the main window, while Wednesday will take center stage during the week. Wednesday’s schedule will be called Super Wednesday, with six matches concentrated on the same day.

SÉRIE B WILL HAVE SATURDAY AS ITS MAIN DAY

Meanwhile, Série B will have Saturday as its main matchday. The new schedule will feature three matches at 6 p.m. as the anchor slot. In addition, the competition will have four exclusive windows compared to Série A. In this way, CBF intends to reduce direct overlap between matches in the two divisions.

During the week, Série B will have matches concentrated in two time slots: 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., between Tuesday and Thursday. The governing body therefore expects to create a more predictable schedule for fans, clubs, and broadcast rights holders.

7 P.M. AND SUNDAY NIGHT KICKOFFS WILL BE ELIMINATED

Finally, the new schedule removes some time slots currently used in Brazilian football. Weekday 7 p.m. matches will no longer be part of the schedule. In addition, CBF will remove Sunday night matches.

The proposal also seeks to reduce overlap between Série A and Série B matches. With more clearly defined kickoff times, the governing body aims to make the competitions easier to follow and create a more organized schedule for the public.

According to CBF, the changes were developed based on studies of audience behavior, consultations with clubs and federations, and comparisons with other major leagues. Brazilian football will now, therefore, undergo a gradual transition to the new model. The roster-related changes begin in 2027 and continue through 2030, while the new scheduling structure will be implemented according to competition planning.

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