Vasco and other clubs could face a unique fixture list in 2026 | OneFootball

Brazilian football may undergo a revolution in its calendar from 2026, and Vasco, along with the other Serie A clubs, is expected to be directly impacted. According to information released by the DataFut profile, based on the findings of journalist Rodrigo Mattos, the Brazilian Championship is expected to start earlier and may be played simultaneously with the State Championships.

+ Vasco gets another stadium option to use during the renovation of São Januário

The change is part of a plan by the CBF to align the national calendar with the European model, reduce the accumulation of games in the second half of the year, and give more visibility to the Brasileirão from the start of the season.

For this to happen, the state championships will be reduced — and this part is already confirmed. From 2026, the State Championships will go from 16 to a maximum of 11 dates, which will force the federations to cut phases and reformulate competition formulas.

How does this affect Vasco?

If the novelty is approved, Vasco may have to divide its attention between two competitions at the same time right at the start of the season. The trend is for clubs to use alternative teams in the State Championships, prioritizing the Brasileirão, especially those with a tighter schedule, such as those competing in the Copa do Brasil, South American or Libertadores.

With this, the Cruzmaltino would have to define a clear squad strategy, mixing starters and reserves to avoid fatigue. The base and less used players may gain even more prominence in the first months of the year.

+ With novelties, check out Vasco's probable lineup against Palmeiras

Next steps

The proposal will still be officially debated among CBF, federations, and clubs, but the scenario points to a significant change in the way Brazilian football is organized. If confirmed, the 2026 season will mark the beginning of a new era — with Vasco needing to adapt to a new model of parallel competition between the State Championship and the Brasileirão.

+ Follow Papo na Colina's social media: Thread, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Tiktok and Google News

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