Copa do Brasil 2026 to feature the Americas' first vegan club 🍀 | OneFootball

Laguna SAF has secured its spot in the 2026 Copa do Brasil and will begin its pre-season next Monday (17).

The club from Rio Grande do Norte, known as the first vegan team in the Americas, will be the third representative from Rio Grande do Norte in the tournament, which will have a new format starting next season.

The qualification came thanks to their campaign in the Campeonato Potiguar, in which the experienced striker Bill was one of the club’s standouts. Founded in 2022, the club will also compete in Série D in 2026.

CEO Rafael Fernandes celebrated the team’s rapid progress in an interview with ge, when their spot was confirmed in October.

This spot confirms that the project is on the right track. In a short time, we have reached important national competitions, reinforcing the credibility of our management model and the commitment of our athletes and coaching staff. It’s just one step within a much bigger plan.

Laguna was founded with the goal of combining sports performance, sustainability, and governance, with a strong commitment to professional practices and ESG values—becoming one of the first SAFs in the country to fully follow this model.

ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance.

This is a concept in the corporate world used to evaluate companies and projects not only by financial performance, but also by their impact on society, the environment, and how they are managed.

In three years, the team has achieved two state runner-up finishes, a Second Division title, and an impressive 3rd place in their debut in the elite in 2025, finishing behind only América-RN and ABC.

This year, between the professional and under-20 squads, there were 18 matches and only one loss.

One of the founders and the team’s coach, Gustavo Nabinger, highlighted the accelerated growth, also in an interview with ge.

We achieved very impressive results with a lean budget and an innovative startup model. We debuted in the first division undefeated until the second match of the semifinals, he said.

Player development is also a pillar of the project. In three years, 14 youth players have debuted in the professional team—including striker Kaiky, who was sold to Botafogo in 2024 in the biggest transfer of a homegrown player from RN.

The young players also work alongside experienced names like Bill, who remains at the club and served as assistant coach for the under-20s in the second half of the year.

To ge, Fernandes projected a new leap for Laguna FC in 2026.

We want to grow in structure and performance without losing our essence: developing players, shaping people, and competing at a high level. We will maintain the recipe of combining young players hungry for victory with experienced athletes who provide leadership and balance.

Featured photo: Laguna FC/Raphafotografias84/Instagram/Reproduction

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