Palmeiras discover their 2026 Campeonato Paulista opponents | OneFootball

The São Paulo Football Federation (FPF) announced on Tuesday night (11th) the new regulations for the Paulista Championship and the opponents of Palmeiras in the first phase of the competition.

Palmeiras will face the following clubs – the order of matches, dates, and venues will be announced later:

Regulations

The format is inspired by the new Champions League. The 16 clubs will face a "league" format, with each playing eight matches – half as the home team, the other half as the away team. The matchups will be determined using criteria similar to UEFA's "pots" to balance the schedule.

Teams from the same pot will face each other (all the classics, ensuring three matches). The other five opponents were chosen by draw.

The top eight teams in the round-robin phase will advance to the knockout stage. The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played in a single match, with the home advantage going to the team with the better campaign.

Only the final will maintain the traditional home-and-away format. According to the CBF's projection, the 2026 Paulista Championship should conclude quickly, with the decision expected in the first half of March – according to a CBF statement to the federations, no state championship final can be held after March 8.

Upcoming Palmeiras Matches

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