G-9 in sight? How BR26 could send a record number to the Libertadores

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·22 September 2026

G-9 in sight? How BR26 could send a record number to the Libertadores

The 2026 Brazilian Championship could see its Libertadores qualification zone expanded from a G-5 to as much as an unprecedented G-9.

This flexibility stems from a combination of the new CBF and Conmebol rules for allocating spots and the performances of Brazilian clubs in the final stages of the Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and Copa do Brasil.

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This season, the basic rules allocate five spots through the Brasileirão (four direct berths to the group stage and one to the preliminary rounds) and two through the Copa do Brasil (the champion goes straight to the group stage and the runner-up goes to the preliminary round).

However, the redistribution of these spots and continental titles could reshape the table.

Here are the main factors that could open up new spots in the round-robin league:

Continental Titles: Flamengo, Palmeiras, and Fluminense are still alive in the Libertadores and currently occupy the G-5. If one of them wins the title and stays near the top of the table, an extra direct spot opens up in the Brasileirão. The same applies to Atlético-MG and Vasco in the Copa Sudamericana.
Copa do Brasil Redistribution: If the finalists of the national knockout tournament (contested by Palmeiras, Atlético-MG, Vasco, and Grêmio) have already secured Libertadores spots through the Brasileirão, the Copa do Brasil spots are handed back to the round-robin league.
The Relegation Rule: The Conmebol handbook now prohibits relegated teams from taking part in the Libertadores. Therefore, if Grêmio or Vasco earn a spot through the Copa do Brasil or Copa Sudamericana but are relegated to Série B, the spot will be compulsorily reassigned to the Brasileirão.

With these variables in play (adding up to 192 possible mathematical combinations), the qualification scenarios vary drastically:

G-5 (Base Scenario): Happens if no Brazilian club wins either the Libertadores or the Copa Sudamericana, and the Copa do Brasil finalists finish outside the championship’s top five.
G-6: Happens if a Brazilian team wins the Libertadores or the Copa Sudamericana and finishes among the top five, opening up one extra direct spot. The format of the spots (direct or preliminary) will depend on who wins the Copa do Brasil.
G-7: A likely scenario if both Copa do Brasil finalists (for example, Atlético-MG and Palmeiras) have already secured direct spots through the Brasileirão. The tournament’s two spots automatically shift to the league.
G-8: Becomes reality if a Brazilian club wins the Libertadores and one of the Copa do Brasil finalists has already secured its spot through the national league table.
G-9: Requires total Brazilian dominance on the continent. It happens if Brazilian clubs win both the Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana (while finishing near the top of the table), and the Copa do Brasil finalists have also already qualified through the top places in the Brasileirão.

With Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras, Atlético-MG, Vasco, and Grêmio still involved in parallel races, the exact Brazilian Championship cutoff line will only be known after the continental and domestic cup finals in November.

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

📸 NORBERTO DUARTE - AFP or licensors