Brasileirão in January and new Copa do Brasil: CBF reshapes 2026 calendar | OneFootball

CBF announced changes to the schedule this Wednesday (01)

With the aim of 'deflating' the calendar in 2026, a year that will have a break for the World Cup, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced changes to the schedule. Highlights include the start of the Brasileirão in January, Copa do Brasil with a single final and the introduction of the Copa Sul-Sudeste.

WHAT CHANGES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BRASILEIRÃO?

With the release of dates, the Brazilian Championship will start earlier. The first round will take place on the weekend of January 28 and 29, ending on December 2.

The structure of the competition will be maintained, but the advancement will allow a longer interval for the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 teams. A break of 55 days is estimated for the selected players, with 15 days reserved as a recess.

WHAT WILL BE THE NEW FORMAT OF THE COPA DO BRASIL?

The Copa do Brasil will undergo significant expansion, going from 92 to 126 participants. The first four phases will be held in a single match, with clubs with lower scores in the national ranking.

The 20 teams from Serie A will only enter in the fifth phase, which marks the beginning of the home and away matches. The final will be in a single match, with a venue defined in advance, ending the national calendar on December 6.

HOW WILL THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE COPA DO BRASIL BE DEFINED?

In addition to the clubs from Series A and B, the champions of Series C and D, the winners of the Copa Verde, Copa do Nordeste and the new Copa Sul-Sudeste will also have spots. All of these will enter directly in the third phase.

The interval between the semi-final and final will be approximately one month. In this way, it will facilitate the organization of fans and logistics of displacement.

HOW WILL THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS BE IN 2026?

The state championships will have a reduction in the number of dates, going from 16 to 11, but will still occupy a period of three months. The disputes start on January 11 and end on March 8.

This change meets an old demand from clubs and coaches, who faced difficulties with the tight schedule.

WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE NEW STRUCTURE ON THE INTERCONTINENTAL CUP?

The proximity between the final of the Copa do Brasil and the start of the Intercontinental Cup is a matter of attention. The CBF estimates a difference of only three days between the two events, if the international calendar remains as expected. The entity states that there was no more margin for adjustments in national dates.

HOW WILL THE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS BE?

The regional tournaments will take place after the state ones, between March 25 and June 7. The new structure prevents clubs qualified for Libertadores or South American from participating in these competitions in the same year. The Copa do Nordeste, for example, will be contested by 20 clubs divided into four groups of five.

HOW WILL THE NEW COPA SUL-SUDESTE WORK?

The new Copa Sul-Sudeste will bring together 12 clubs without an international calendar. There will be two representatives from each of the following states: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná.

The teams will be divided into two groups of six. The competition aims to provide a calendar and visibility to smaller teams and clubs from the interior.

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THE NEW CALENDAR PRESENT?

Between January and March, the Brasileirão will be contested alongside the state championships and the initial phases of the Libertadores. This will generate an overlap of competitions, especially for clubs that will also be in the Conmebol knockout stages. In some cases, there will be three simultaneous tournaments, putting pressure on squads and logistics.

WHAT CHANGES IN THE COPA VERDE?

The Copa Verde will be divided into two conferences: North and Midwest. Espírito Santo will play in the Midwest conference. The winners of each conference will secure a spot in the third phase of the Copa do Brasil and will compete for the Copa Verde trophy.

WHAT ARE THE CHANGES IN SERIES C AND D?

Series C will have relegation reduced to two clubs. Six teams will move up from Series D, gradually increasing the number of participants. In 2026, Series C will have 24 clubs, reaching 28 in 2028, according to the CBF plan.

Series D, on the other hand, will have an immediate jump in the number of participants: from 64 to 96. The competition will take place between April 5 and September 13. As a result, the total number of games will increase from 510 to 610, expanding the performance of smaller clubs.

WHEN DOES THE 2026 SEASON START?

The national season will be opened with the Supercopa do Brasil, at a date and place still to be defined. The previous edition took place at Mangueirão, in Belém.

WHAT IS THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW CALENDAR?

The CBF estimates that the implementation of the changes, including new tournaments, support for lower division clubs and structural adaptations, will cost approximately R$ 82 million.

WHAT IS THE REASON FOR THE CHANGES?

According to CBF directors, the new model seeks a balance between the different levels of national football. The goal is to reduce the overload of elite teams, which currently play an average of 67.5 games per season, and to offer an annual calendar to clubs that were previously inactive for long periods.

The expectation is a reduction of up to nine games per season for Serie A teams. In addition, the inclusion of 82 new clubs in the national calendar, an initial growth of 26%.

During the launch event, the president of the CBF, Samir Xaud, stated: "The changes aim at sports justice and competitive balance. The construction of the new calendar involved clubs, federations and experts from various areas. The year 2026 will be a transition, but it represents the first step towards a more sustainable model."

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