Overview

• From 2026, the Brasileirão will run January 28 to December 2 with a June–July pause for the World Cup, keeping the round-robin format.
• State championships are capped at 11 dates from January 11 to March 8, with a dedicated week reserved for local finals.
• The Copa do Brasil expands to 126 clubs in 2026 (128 in 2027), with Serie A sides entering in the fifth phase and a single-match neutral-site final set for December 6.
• New or revised regional cups include a 12-team Copa Sul–Sudeste, an expanded 20-team Copa do Nordeste, and a split Copa Verde into Norte and Centro-Oeste, restricted to teams not in CONMEBOL tournaments.
• Serie C and D will enlarge in stages through 2028, semi-automated offside will debut in 2026, a financial fair play model will be introduced, and the CBF projects up to 16% fewer matches for Serie A clubs plus R$1.3 billion in added investment starting in 2026.