AVANTE MEU TRICOLOR
·9 February 2026
São Paulo extend 27-year unbeaten run vs Paulistão debutants

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Yahoo sportsAVANTE MEU TRICOLOR
·9 February 2026

It had been ten years since a team made its debut in the Campeonato Paulista, and due to the tournament's new format, there was a strong possibility that São Paulo would not face them. However, the schedule set up a match against Primavera, which became the first debutant to face Tricolor in the state championship since the second version of Novorizontino in 2016 — Capivariano, who was promoted alongside Primavera, had already been in the top division in 2015, but in any case, can only be an opponent if they qualify for the knockout stage along with Tricolor and meet in an elimination match.
By coming from behind to defeat the team from Indaiatuba, São Paulo maintained a streak of 17 victories over debutants in the Paulistão, a run that has continued since 1999, when the team was defeated 2-0 by Matonense in Matão (SP).
At Morumbi, Tricolor has not lost to any team making its first appearance in the state tournament since 1987, when they lost to Bandeirante de Birigui, also by 2-0, at their own stadium.
Since the Access Law was implemented in São Paulo football in 1949, São Paulo has faced a new opponent in the Paulistão on 51 occasions, and the record is excellent: 36 wins, seven draws, and eight losses, or 75.2% of the points, considering three points per win, a rule in effect since 1995. At home, there have been 26 matches, with 21 wins, one draw, and four losses (82.1% success rate).
For São Paulo to have the chance to face a debutant again in the 2027 Campeonato Paulista, Votuporanguense or Grêmio Prudente would need to be promoted. They are the only two among the 16 current participants in Série A-2 who have never been in the first division.
Even in the current Série A-3, there aren’t many clubs whose participation would be unprecedented at the top level: only Catanduva, EC São Bernardo, Itapirense, Desportivo Brasil, and União Suzano have never competed in it.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.








































