Santos’ 2027 Copa do Brasil route remains open despite Paulistão exit | OneFootball

Santos missed a state-route berth for the 2027 Copa do Brasil after a Paulistão quarter-final loss to Novorizontino, but paths remain open under new rules, according to Diario Do Peixe.

Paulistão offers five direct places, taken by Novorizontino, Palmeiras, Portuguesa, São Paulo and Corinthians. Santos finished eighth, behind Red Bull Bragantino and Capivariano.

The sixth São Paulo berth will go to the Copa Paulista winners. Santos have a guaranteed spot but have not entered in recent years, and their former under-23 side no longer exists.

Under revised rules, the 20 clubs in the 2026 Série A will enter the Copa do Brasil at the fifth phase, the first two-legged stage.

If Santos avoid relegation in 2026, they will automatically take a fifth-phase place regardless of their state campaign.

If they drop to Série B, they could still qualify if at least two of Palmeiras, Corinthians, São Paulo and Red Bull Bragantino stay in Série A, with vacancies reassigned by priority. They would only miss out if relegated alongside three of those four, an unlikely but possible scenario.

Overall, the 126 places follow a priority order: 2026 Série A entrants, then 2025 winners of Copa do Nordeste, Copa Verde, Série C and Série D, then 102 state qualifiers. Duplicated berths pass down within the same state.

Source: Diario Do Peixe