Final spot could earn Corinthians millions and 2027 Libertadores place | OneFootball

Corinthians begin a semifinal this Tuesday (15) that means more than just staying alive in the race for an eighth title in the Brazilian Women’s Championship. If they get past Bahia and reach the final, the club will also secure prize money of at least R$ 1 million and a place in the 2027 Women’s Libertadores.

The first chapter of the matchup takes place at 9:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador. The spot in the final will be decided next Monday (21), also at 9:30 p.m., this time at Neo Química Arena. Having finished the first phase ahead of the Mulheres de Aço, Corinthians have the right to decide the tie at home.

Photo: Cris Mattos/Corinthians

As Brabas reach the semifinal after eliminating Cruzeiro with two wins in the quarterfinals. Timão won 1-0 in Belo Horizonte and sealed qualification with a 3-1 victory in the return leg. Now, another qualification could bring sporting and financial impacts for the club.

Prize money could reach R$ 2 million

Qualification would already guarantee an important amount for the club’s coffers. The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has set prize money of R$ 1 million for the runner-up and R$ 2 million for the champion of the 2026 edition.

That means just reaching the final guarantees Corinthians at least R$ 1 million. If they win the Brazilian Women’s Championship again, the amount doubles.

This amount is separate from the funds previously distributed for participation in the competition. Each of the 18 Série A1 clubs received a quota of R$ 720,000 for the first phase. An additional payment of R$ 20,000 per match selected as a priority by the holder of the national broadcast rights was also established.

This possible financial boost comes at a time when Corinthians are dealing with pending issues involving the women’s squad. According to information published by Meu Timão, one month of the players’ image rights payments, referring to July, remains overdue.

The final also means a place in the 2027 Libertadores

The sporting benefit does not end with the fight for the trophy. Under the criteria established by the CBF, the champion and runner-up of the Brazilian Women’s Championship earn places in the following season’s Women’s Libertadores.

So, eliminating Bahia would also guarantee Corinthians a spot in the 2027 edition of South America’s top club competition, regardless of the result of a possible final.

The regulations also establish a mechanism to avoid duplicate qualification spots. If one of the teams qualified through the league has already secured a place in the 2027 Libertadores by winning the previous continental title, the national spot passes to the next team in the overall standings.

A similar situation happened when defining Brazil’s representatives for the 2026 edition. Since Corinthians won the 2025 Libertadores and were also Brazilian champions, one of the spots was redistributed.

Before thinking about next year’s continental competition, however, As Brabas still have the 2026 edition ahead of them. The tournament will be held between October 15 and 31 in Quito, Ecuador, with Corinthians defending the title won last season.

Copa do Brasil does not depend on the semifinal

Unlike the Libertadores, qualification against Bahia is not necessary to secure a place in the 2027 Women’s Copa do Brasil.

That is because the clubs in the national first division have guaranteed spots in the tournament. In the 2026 edition, the Copa do Brasil featured 66 teams from Séries A1, A2, and A3, with top-flight clubs entering directly from the third round onward.

Therefore, regardless of the outcome of the Brasileirão semifinal, Corinthians already meet the requirement needed to return to the Copa do Brasil next season.

Corinthians aim to extend national dominance

Beyond the financial consequences and the places in the 2027 calendar, getting past Bahia would put Corinthians once again just two games away from lifting the main national trophy.

A place among the top four already keeps an impressive streak alive. This is the tenth consecutive semifinal reached by As Brabas in the Brazilian Women’s Championship.

Since the women’s department was reactivated in 2016, Corinthians have won the tournament in 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, totaling seven titles. The goal in 2026 is to claim an eighth trophy and extend the streak that began in 2020.

To do that, the first obstacle will be a Bahia side enjoying the best campaign in its history in the competition. The Mulheres de Aço reached the semifinal after eliminating Palmeiras on penalties. After this Tuesday’s clash at Fonte Nova, the place in the final will be decided in front of the Corinthians fans at Neo Química Arena.

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