.svg) | |
| Organising body | Brazilian Football Confederation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1937; 88 years ago (1937)(first iteration)1971; 54 years ago (1971)(modern iteration) |
| Country | Brazil |
| Confederation | CONMEBOL |
| Number of clubs | 20 (since2006) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Série B |
| Domestic cups | |
| International cups | |
| Current champions | Botafogo (3rd title) (2024) |
| Most championships | Palmeiras (12 titles) |
| Most appearances | Fábio (740) |
| Top scorer | Roberto Dinamite (190) |
| Broadcaster(s) | LIBRA teams TV Globo SporTV Premiere LFU teams TV Globo SporTV Premiere Record CazéTV Amazon Prime Video |
| Website | brasileiraobetano |
| Current:2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A | |
TheCampeonato Brasileiro Série A (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation:[kɐ̃pi.oˈnatubɾaziˈlejɾuˈsɛɾiˈa,kɐ̃pjo-]; English: "Brazilian Championship A Series"), commonly referred to as theBrasileirão (pronounced[bɾazilejˈɾɐ̃w]; English: "Big Brazilian" or "Great Brazilian"), theSérie A or theBrazilian Série A (to distinguish it from Italy'sSerie A), is a professionalassociation football league inBrazil and the highest level of theBrazilian football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system ofpromotion and relegation with theCampeonato Brasileiro Série B. In 2021, the competition was chosen by theIFFHS as the strongest national league in the world.[1]
Due to historical peculiarities and the large geographical size of the country, Brazil has a relatively short history of nationwide football competitions. The main and most prestigious competitions were thestate championships, run in each of theBrazilian states,[2] with occasional inter-state tournaments, such as theTorneio Rio–São Paulo.[3] In 1959, advancements incivil aviation and air transport and the need to appoint a Brazilian representative to the first edition of theCopa Libertadores, led to the creation of a regular nationwide tournament, theTaça Brasil, aknockout tournament tournament. In 1967, theTorneio Rio-São Paulo was expanded to include teams from other states, becoming theTorneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa. The first tournament explicitly organized to be a national championship and league by theCBF was only in 1971, won byAtlético Mineiro, although it was only referred to as "Campeonato Brasileiro" starting in 1989.
One of the historical characteristics of the Brazilian Championship was the lack of standardization in the competition system, the rules and the number of participants, which changed almost every season. Because of this, in several seasons there was nopromotion and relegation system to the Second Division, and sometimes there were not different tiers. Number of clubs also fluctuated, with the1979 edition reached its peak, with 92 participants. The various formats already adopted include aknockout tournament system (1959–1968) and a mixed system with a group stage followed byplayoffs (1967–2002). In2003, the league transitioned into adouble round-robin system, initially with 24 teams and 46 matches for 2003 and2004, and 22 teams and 42 matches in2005. Since2006, the format has been one with 20 clubs and 38 matches, with all teams facing each other in home and away games.[4]
In 2010, the champions of national tournaments from 1959 to 1970—Taça Brasil and Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa—have been declared official winners of the Brazilian championship orchampions of Brazil (not winners ofBrasileirão orSérie A) by theBrazilian Football Confederation.[5] In August 2023, the CBF declared the1937 Torneio dos Campeões retroactively a Brazilian championship as well.[6] The titles of old tournaments, cited in the Brazilian championship history, are equated to the title ofSérie A, but the tournaments are cataloging with their original name in the statistics[7] (despite being different competitions, they confer the same title).[8][9]
The Campeonato Brasileiro is one of the strongest leagues in the world; it contains the second-mostclub world champions titles, with 10 championships won among six clubs, and the second-mostCopa Libertadores titles, with 24 titles won among 12 clubs. The IFFHS ranked the league fourth in strength for the 2001–12 period after thePremier League (England),La Liga (Spain), andSerie A (Italy).[10] The Campeonato Brasileiro is the most-watched football league in theAmericas and one of the world's most exposed, broadcast in 155 nations. It is also one of the world's richest championships, ranked as the sixth most valuable with a worth of over US$1.43 billion, generating an annual turnover of over US$1.17 billion in 2012.
Since 1959, a total of 156 clubs have played in the Campeonato Brasileiro.[11] Seventeen clubs have been crownedBrazilian football champions, thirteen of which have won the title more than once.Palmeiras is the most successful club of the Campeonato Brasileiro, having won the competition twelve times, followed bySantos with eight titles, andCorinthians andFlamengo with seven titles each. Santos'Os Santásticos won five consecutive titles between 1961 and 1965, a feat that remains unequalled. Thestate of São Paulo is the most successful, amassing 34 titles among five clubs.
Anglo-BrazilianCharles Miller introduced Brazil to football association rules to Brazil in 1894 upon his return from England, where he attended college and discovered the sport, and it soon became popular in the country. In 1902, Miller helped to organize theLiga Paulista de Foot-Ball, currently theCampeonato Paulista, Brazil's first football league and oldest-running competition in the country. This league only consists of teams based in thestate of São Paulo.[12] Due the size of Brazil, economic and geographical challenges, and lack of transport infrastructure, the creation of a fully national league or championship was almost impossible. Instead, the rest of Brazil followed São Paulo's example and foundedstate football leagues for each of theBrazilian states and thethen Federal District,Rio de Janeiro,whose state championship started in 1906.[13] The state leagues remained the main and most prestigious championships for decades, and were therefore considered the equivalent of national leagues in other countries.
As the sport grew in popularity, the local state federations and the recently createdConfederação Brasileira de Desportos, aka CBD, which became CBF in 1979, started to organize a number of different interstate and regional tournaments.[14] The most popular form of competition in a national level was theCampeonato Brasileiro de Seleções Estaduais (Brazilian Championship of State Teams), a tournament formed bySeleções, teams formed by the best representatives from each state of Brazil (a concept similar tonational teams). Originally the nomenclature "Brazilian Championship" belonged to this tournament.[15] While the most prestigious club tournament outside the state championships was theTorneio Rio–São Paulo, organized jointly by theFederação Paulista de Futebol (FPF) and Federação Carioca de Futebol (FCF, currentFERJ) and competed between clubs from theCampeonato Paulista andCampeonato Carioca.[3] Since the two championships had the best teams of Brazil at the time, this tournament was considered sometimes ade facto Brazilian championship,[3][16] for example, in 1951 the Spanish newspaperEl Mundo Deportivo called the Rio-São Paulo Tournament the "unofficial Brazilian championship", stating that the two states had the best teams in Brazil.[16]
One of the first experiences of organizing a club championship at national level was theTorneio dos Campeões de 1920 [pt], competed between the winners of theCampeonato Paulista (Paulistano),Campeonato Carioca (Fluminense) andCampeonato Gaúcho (Brasil de Pelotas).[17] A second edition was done in the1937 Torneios dos Campeões, won byAtlético Mineiro. It was the first with fullyprofessional clubs. In August 2023, theBrazilian Football Confederation (CBF) officially recognized the tournament as a Brazilian championship, thus conferring to Atlético Mineiro the status of first national champions of Brazil.[6][18]
TheTaça Brasil (Brazil Cup) was introduced in 1959,[19] and ran until 1968.[20] The Taça Brasil was created to select a representative for the newly createdCopa Libertadores de América, and it was intended to become Brazil's new national competition, replacing theCampeonato Brasileiro de Seleções Estaduais.[19] The Taça Brasil was a pureknockout tournament, with the participants selected from the champions of the state championships.[19] The first champion wasBahia which defeatedPelé'sSantos in a remarkableunderdog victory, breaking theRio de Janeiro-São Paulo hegemony in national football.[21]
In 1967, theFederação Paulista de Futebol andFederação Carioca de Futebol decided to expand theTorneio Rio–São Paulo to include teams from other states of Brazil. Thus becoming theTorneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, nicknamed theRobertão by fans and media.[14] Differently from the Taça Brasil, the Robertão was competed with around-robin system, with two groups in the first stage, and a quadrangular with the two best teams of each group on the final stage.[14] It was competed between 1967 and 1970.
In 1968, the delay in closing the1968 Taça Brasil made CBD use the Robertão to determine the Libertadores representatives. The Confederation took over the organization of the Robertão, officially renaming it to the "Taça de Prata" (Silver Cup), and extinguished the Taça Brasil after the end of that year's edition. The Robertão remained the top Brazilian championship the following two years.[22]
Because the Robertão and the Taça Brasil ran at the same time for two years (1967 and 1968), the 1968 season has two separate simultaneous Brazilian champions: the1968 Taça Brasil was won byBotafogo and the1968 Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa was won by Santos. In contrast, the 1967 season sawPalmeiras champion of both competitions.[23]
Both the Taça Brasil and the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa were recognized as Brazilian national championships retroactively on 22 December 2010,[24] creating some controversy as there was a two-year period when both tournaments were held, thus Palmeiras had both 1967 titles recognized as separate editions of the Brazilian championship, and both Santos and Botafogo were recognized as champions in 1968 as each tournament was won by one of them.[8]
The titles of old tournaments, cited in the Brazilian championship history, are equated to the title ofSérie A, but the tournaments are catalogued with their original name in the statistics[7] (despite being different competitions, they confer the same title).[8][9]
Following Brazil's third world title at the1970 FIFA World Cup, presidentEmílio Médici decided to better organize Brazilian football. TheBrazilian military government had become heavily involved in football as a way to promote the legitimization of the military regime, national unity and patriotism, as well as part of thePrograma de Integração Nacional [pt], which sought the geographical integration of Brazil.[25][26] In a meeting with the CBD and the club presidents in October 1970, it was decided to create the following year a Brazilian championship contested by twenty teams, inspired by the national tournaments in the European nations. The first edition was named "Campeonato Nacional de Clubes" ("National Championship of Clubs"), was held in1971 and won byAtlético Mineiro.[27] The top division was named "Divisão Extra" (Extra Division), while a newly createdsecond division earned the "Primeira Divisão" (First Division) name. The second division was a fusion of the already existingTorneio Centro-Sul and theCopa Norte-Nordeste, with teams from regions with less expression in national football and weaker teams from the main footballing states of Brazil. The first champion wasVilla Nova Atlético Clube, from the town ofNova Lima,Minas Gerais.[28] There was not, however, a system ofpromotion and relegation. The clubs were instead selected to participate in either division according to their performances at their respectivestate championships.[27]
In the next few years, due to the influence of the military regime, the number of clubs that participated in the competition steadily increased.[25] Each subsequent edition added teams to garner support to the military government, specially from regions were ruling partyARENA had less support. This was epitomized by a common aphorism at the time: "Onde aARENA vai mal, mais um time no Nacional" ("Where ARENA is doing badly, another team in the National [championship]").[25][30] Theinaugural edition had 20 teams, thesecond edition in 1972 expanded to 26 clubs, and the1973 edition saw thesecond division dissolved and its clubs were now participating in an unified national championship with 40 clubs. From 1975 onwards, the competition was officially namedCopa Brasil (Brazil Cup). By the1979 edition, won byInternacional (so far the only team to win the Brazilian championship undefeated) the number of clubs participating peaked, with a total of 92 teams.
On 24 September 1979, the CBD was replaced by theBrazilian Football Confederation (CBF). This coincided with the1980s financial crisis in Brazil, which together with theprevious decade's oil crisis and thegradual end of the military dictatorship, led to major reorganization of Brazilian football.[26] The Championship was downsized and a new format was introduced. The1980 edition was named "Taça de Ouro" (Gold Cup). The second division was also reintroduced, now with the name "Taça de Prata" (Silver Cup).[31] A mechanism ofpromotion also first appeared in this edition: the four best-ranked teams in the first phase of the "Taça Prata" would go on to compete in the second phase of the "Taça Ouro". TheTaça de Bronze (Bronze Cup) was also created as a third division in 1981, with the inaugural champion beingOlaria Atlético Clube, a club from the neighbourhood ofOlaria in thecity of Rio de Janeiro. But citing financial issues, the CBF announced, shortly after the end of the first edition, that the tournament would be discontinued.[32] The third division would later return in one-off editions in1988,1990,1992 until it became regularly competed from1994 onwards.
In 1987, CBF announced it was not financially able to organize the Brazilian football championship, a mere few weeks before it was scheduled to begin. As a result, the thirteen most popular football clubs in Brazil created an association, calledClube dos 13, to organize a championship of their own. This tournament was calledCopa União and was run by the 16 clubs that eventually took part in it (Santa Cruz,Coritiba andGoiás were invited to join). CBF initially stood by the Club of the 13 decision. However, weeks later, with the competition already underway, and under pressure from football clubs excluded from the Copa União, CBF adopted a new set of rules, which considered the Copa União part of a larger tournament, comprising another 16 teams. According to that new set of rules, the Copa União would be dubbed theGreen Module of the CBF championship, whereas the other 16 teams would play the Yellow Module. In the end, the first two teams of each Module would play each other to define the national champions and the two teams that would represent Brazil in the Copa Libertadores in 1988. However, that new set of rules was never recognized by the Club of the 13 and largely ignored by most of the Brazilian media, who concentrated their attention in the independent league, which was eventually won by Flamengo. The eventual final tourney was set to haveSport andGuarani, from the yellow module, and Flamengo and Internacional from the green one. It never materialized, however, as Flamengo and Internacional refused to partake in it. As a result, Sport and Guarani played each other, with the first one winning the Championship for 1987 and both going on to represent Brazil in the1988 Copa Libertadores. Although Flamengo has attempted to gain recognition of its title of the Green Module as a Brazilian championship title multiple times through the justice system, Sport remains recognized by both CBF and FIFA as 1987 champions.[33][34] Some football fans in Brazil still consider Flamengo as the Brazilian Champion of 1987, or at least co-champions.[35]
After the chaos caused by the 1987 edition, the CBF and Club of the 13 reached an agreement on how to organize the next year's edition of the Copa União. The1988 Campeonato Brasileiro reduced the number of participants, to hold a more competitive championship with just 24 teams. Furthermore, for the first time, the competition had a truepromotion and relegation system, as required by FIFA. The last four placed in the first division (Bangu, Santa Cruz,Criciúma andAmerica) were relegated to the second division in 1989, being replaced byInter de Limeira andNáutico, respectively champion and runner-up of the1988 Special Division.[36] The 1989 edition was the first to use the terminology "Série A", inspired by theItalian league system.
On 16 January 1989,Ricardo Teixeira took over the presidency of the CBF. He came to command the Confederation at a time when it was facing serious financial problems. Teixeira managed to turn it into a profitable operation through millionaire contracts involving theBrazilian national team. During his management, the Brazilian Championship became more reorganized and the revenue generated by the clubs was increased, both in television quotas and sponsorships. However, since the first decade of his administration, Ricardo Teixeira has been involved in several allegations of corruption.[37]
The Brazilian Championship had already been tested with countless different formulas and names, being quite bloated and confusing in several editions. However, from 1987 onwards, with the creation of theCopa União, there was a decrease in the number of participants in the championship. As a result, several clubs from less popular regions that entered the national competition because they were state champions no longer faced clubs considered "big" and traditional, and as a result, some associations were even at risk of becoming extinct. To calm the discontent of these clubs and smaller federations, the CBF was forced to create anational "cup" along the lines of the European ones. In 1989, the entity created a secondary national competition, theCopa do Brasil, which allowed clubs from all states to enter. Thefirst champion of the Copa do Brasil wasGrêmio.[38] With the creation of this new tournament, the CBF decided, for the first time, to officially name the country's main national football tournament the "Campeonato Brasileiro", to make it clear which was the national tournament in Brazil that would give its winner the title of Brazilian champion and, also, to avoid confusion between "Copa do Brasil" and "Copa Brasil", one of the old names used by theBrasileirão between 1975 and 1980.[38][39]
In the1999 edition, a new relegation system was adopted, similar to that used in theArgentine football league. The two clubs with the worst average campaigns in the first phase and in the previous season were relegated. However, this system only lasted a single season. During the first phase of the competition, it was discovered that the playerSandro Hiroshi ofSão Paulo was registered irregularly.Botafogo, at the risk of being relegated to Série B, requested a 6-1 loss to São Paulo to be annulled. LaterInternacional also successfully appealed to have a match result voided (a 2-2 draw) on the same grounds.[40] The Supreme Court of Sporting Justice (STJD) ruled in favor of Internacional and Botafogo, and they both gained the points from the match. This meant that Botafogo was spared from relegation, and the change ledSE Gama, from theFederal District, to be relegated instead.[40] Seeing the situation, Gama, along with theDistrito Federal Football Coaches Union and political partyPFL immediately sued the CBF to return Gama to the Série A. The ordinary courts decided in favor of Gama, going against the STJD's decision.[4] By June 2000, the trial had not been solved, and therefore the CBF could not organize the 2000 edition of the Brasileirão.[4][41]
Without the CBF, theClube dos 13 decided to organize the Brazilian championship for the year 2000, and this edition became known as theCopa João Havelange. To avoid further legal problems, the championship would encompass all divisions. This edition became controversial for its organization: 116 clubs from all the three divisions, divided in four "modules" organized as the championships before the Sandro Hiroshi case. TheBlue Module, equivalent to the Série A,Yellow Module, equivalent to the Série B with some Série C clubs, and theGreen and White Modules from Série C clubs, the former from theNorth,Northeast andCentral-West regions of Brazil and the latter fromSouth andSoutheast of Brazil. Although equivalents to different tiers, the best placed teams from the all modules would qualify for theplay-offs.[4] Another controversy was the choice of clubs for the Blue Module: Fluminense, which had played in1999 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C and obtained promotion to Série B, was included in the Blue Module of the new competition, where the elite of Brazilian football was, without having to go through the second division. Similarly, Bahia, who was playing at the1999 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B and failed to get promoted back to the top division, was included in the Blue Module.[4] The Copa João Havelange was won by Vasco da Gama.
One of the historical characteristics of the Brazilian Championship was the lack of standardization and constant change in the competition system, as well as the rules and the number of participants. Changes to the format started being discussed in favor of a regular and stable form of competition ever sinceRicardo Teixeira's election in 1989, but the chaos of the 2000 edition made it even more apparent that change was necessary.[4][42] In 2002, theClube dos 13 voted in favor of adopting a European-styleround-robin format: The teams play each other once at home and once away, and the team that scores the most points is declared champion. The tiebreaker criteria vary, from number of wins to goal difference.Rede Globo, the Brasileirão's main broadcasting partner was against the removal of playoffs, arguing the new format would lead to a loss of revenue and audience without decisive games.[42] Thelast edition of the old format was won by Santos.
In the2003 tournament, the first one with the round-robin system, 24 clubs competed and it had 46 matchdays. This edition was won byCruzeiro, who also won Brazil's firstdomestic treble (State championship, Copa do Brasil, and Campeonato Brasileiro) that year. In Cruzeiro's case, that meant the Série A, Copa do Brasil andCampeonato Mineiro, and this feat would later be repeated by arch-rivals Atlético Mineiro in 2021. The league was also played with 24 teams and 46 matches in2004, an edition won by Santos.
In the2005 edition, the number of teams was reduced to 22 and the number of matchdays reduced to 42. This edition, won by Corinthians, was also notablefor a match fixing scandal, resulting in the voiding and replaying of 11 matches.
For the2006 tournament, the number of teams fell to 20 and the number of matches per team also fell to 38. That tournament was won by São Paulo. The CBF itself said this format would be a "definitive format", with the four best teams qualifying for theCopa Libertadores (which was later increased byCONMEBOL), and the four worst teams being relegated to Série B with the season being between May and December. This was the last change to the competition's format, which has remained stable ever since.[43] Also,in that year, theSérie B adopted the same format, with 20 teams and 38 matches, with the top 4 being promoted to Série A, and the bottom 4 being relegated to Série C.
In 2008, the CBF announced the creation theSérie D as a fourth division. In 2009, the number of clubs in theSérie C was downsized from 63 to 20 teams. The2009 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D had 39 teams and its first champion wasSão Raimundo fromSantarém, Pará.[44] Currently the Série D has 64 teams and serves as the lowest national tier.
Since 2003, when the league adopted the double round-robin system, 45 teams have participated in at least one edition of the Brasileirão as a double round-robin tournament and 9 teams have won it:Corinthians andPalmeiras (4 times each);Cruzeiro,Flamengo andSão Paulo (3 times each);Fluminense (2 times);Santos,Atlético Mineiro andBotafogo (1 time each). Only Cruzeiro in 2003 and Atlético Mineiro in 2021 were able to win the Brasileirão and the Copa do Brasil in the same season. Similarly, only Santos in 1962 and 1963, Flamengo in 2019 and Botafogo in 2024 were able to win the Brasileirão and the Copa Libertadores in the same season. No team has ever achieved a continental treble of Campeonato Brasileiro,Copa do Brasil andCopa Libertadores since the Copa do Brasil was created in 1989.
There are 20 clubs in theBrasileirão. During the course of a season (from March to December) each club plays the others twice (a doubleround-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, wins,goal difference, and goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champions. A system ofpromotion and relegation exists between theBrasileirão and theSérie B. The four lowest placed teams in theBrasileirão are relegated toSérie B, and the top four teams from theSérie B are promoted to theBrasileirão.
If there's a tie in points between two or more clubs, the rules are:[45]
If the tie is between three or more teams, head to head results are not considered.[46]
Since 2016, the top six clubs in theBrasileirão qualify for the followingCopa Libertadores. The top four clubs directly enter the group stage whilst the fifth and sixth-placed clubs enter in the second round. The number of teams qualifying for the Libertadores may increase depending on who wins theCopa do Brasil,Copa Sudamericana or Copa Libertadores.
Clubs from seventh to twelfth place qualify for the followingCopa Sudamericana, although as above the numbers can depend on other competitions.
Seventeen clubs are officially recognized to have been the Brazilian football champions. The teams who are competing in the2025 season are marked inbold. And the teams whohave never been relegated to any lower division are marked initalic.
Note: Although some consider Flamengo's title of the Green Module of the 1987 Copa União as a Brazilian championship title, Sport is officially the only champion of this competition.
The Campeonato Brasileiro had its official name changed often before settling on Campeonato Brasileiro in 1989.[47]
| Identity | English name | Years | Official Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copa dos Campeões Estaduais | State Champions Cup | 1937 | None |
| Taça Brasil | Brazil Cup | 1959–1968 | |
| Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa | Roberto Gomes Pedrosa Tournament | 1967–1970 | |
| Campeonato Nacional | National Championship | 1971–1974 | |
| Copa Brasil | Brazil Cup | 1975–1979, 1984, 1986 | |
| Taça de Ouro | Golden Cup | 1980–1983, 1985 | |
| Copa Brasil | Brazil Cup[a] | 1987–88 | |
| Copa João Havelange | João Havelange Cup | 2000 | |
| Campeonato Brasileiro | Brazilian Championship | 1989–1999, 2001– | 2001:LATAM (Brasileirão TAM) |
TheBrasileirão had total club revenues of US$1.17 billion in 2012. This makes theBrasileirão the highest revenue football league in the Americas, and the highest outside of Europe's "big five."[54]
TheBrasileirão is also one of the world's most valuable football leagues, having a marketing value and worth over US$1.24 billion in 2013.[55] The total worth of every club in the 2013Brasileirão is US$1.07 billion.[56]
TheBrasileirão's television rights were worth over US$610 million in 2012; that accounts for over 57% ofLatin America as a whole.[57]
In 2013 Corinthians was the 16th most valuable club in the world, worth over US$358 million.[58] As of 2021, no Brazilian club enters thelist of the most valuable football clubs.[59]
The following 20 clubs are competing in the Série A during the2025 season.
| Club | Position in2024 | First season in top division | Number of seasons in top division | First season of current spell | Number of seasons of current spell | Top division titles | Last top division title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlético Mineiro | 12th | 1959 | 63 | 2007 | 19 | 3 | 2021 |
| Bahia | 8th | 1959 | 52 | 2023 | 3 | 2 | 1988 |
| Botafogo | 1st | 1962 | 60 | 2022 | 4 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ceará | 4th (Série B) | 1962 | 27 | 2025 | 1 | 0 | N/A |
| Corinthians | 7th | 1967 | 57 | 2009 | 17 | 7 | 2017 |
| Cruzeiro | 9th | 1960 | 62 | 2023 | 3 | 4 | 2014 |
| Flamengoa,b | 3rd | 1964 | 60 | 1967 | 58 | 7 | 2020 |
| Fluminense | 13th | 1960 | 60 | 2000 | 26 | 4 | 2012 |
| Fortaleza | 4th | 1959 | 27 | 2019 | 7 | 0 | N/A |
| Grêmio | 14th | 1959 | 65 | 2023 | 3 | 2 | 1996 |
| Internacional | 5th | 1962 | 59 | 2018 | 8 | 3 | 1979 |
| Juventude | 15th | 1977 | 20 | 2024 | 2 | 0 | N/A |
| Mirassola | 2nd (Série B) | 2025 | 1 | 2025 | 1 | 0 | N/A |
| Palmeiras | 2nd | 1960 | 62 | 2014 | 12 | 12 | 2023 |
| Red Bull Bragantino | 16th | 1990 | 15 | 2020 | 6 | 0 | N/A |
| Santos | 1st (Série B) | 1959 | 64 | 2025 | 1 | 8 | 2004 |
| São Pauloa,b | 6th | 1967 | 58 | 1980 | 46 | 6 | 2008 |
| Sport Recife | 3rd (Série B) | 1959 | 43 | 2025 | 1 | 1 | 1987 |
| Vasco da Gama | 10th | 1959 | 56 | 2023 | 3 | 4 | 2000 |
| Vitória | 11th | 1965 | 41 | 2024 | 2 | 0 | N/A |
a:Unrelegated clubs
b: Clubs that never played outside the top division
Below is the list of clubs that have more appearances in the Campeonato Brasileiro. There are 159 teams that have taken part in 1Copa dos Campeões Estaduais, 10Taça Brasil, 4Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa and 54 Campeonato Brasileiro editions. The teams in bold compete in Série A currently. The year in parentheses represents the most recent year of participation at this level.
Considers the green and yellow modules of the Copa União, the blue group of the Copa João Havelange and the participants of the knockout stage (Paraná, São Caetano, Remo and J. Malucelli)
Clubs are relegated fromTaça de Ouro toTaça de Prata of the same year, likewise happens today in international club competitions (3rd place ofCopa Libertadores toCopa Sudamericana knock-out playoff). The last place of each group and the four clubs that lost in the repechage play-off were sent to the dispute of Taça de Prata.[60][61]
| Year | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Nacional (AM) (Group A),Ríver (Group B),Ferroviário (Group C),Itabaiana (Group D),Mixto (Group E),Vitória (Group F),Taguatinga (Group G),Joinville (Group H) América de Natal (Play-off loser),CSA (Play-off loser),Goiás (Play-off loser),Desportiva (Play-off loser) |
| 1983 | Moto Club (Group A),Joinville (Group B),Galícia (Group C),Fortaleza (Group D),Mixto (Group E),Rio Branco (ES) (Group F),Brasília (Group G),Treze (Group H) Paysandu (Play-off loser),CSA (Play-off loser),Juventus (Play-off loser),Ferroviário (Play-off loser) |
| Year | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 1987 |
According to the regulation, The 15th (Santos) and 16th (Corinthians) placed teams would play the 1988 Second Level.[62] However, theClube dos 13, organizer of the Copa União, and theConfederação Brasileira de Futebol, put an end to the litigation between the associations, and the 1988 championship was again organized entirely by the CBF, making the relegations invalid.[63]
| Year | Clubs |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Bangu,Santa Cruz,Criciúma,America (RJ) |
| 1989 | Atlético Paranaense,Guarani,Sport |
| 1990 | São José (SP),Inter de Limeira |
| 1991 | Grêmio,Vitória |
| 1992 | None |
| 1993 | América Mineiro[a],Ceará,Coritiba,Atlético Paranaense,Santa Cruz,Goiás,Fortaleza,Desportiva |
| 1994 | Remo,Náutico |
| 1995 | Paysandu,União São João |
| 1996 | Canceled[b] |
| 1997 | Bahia,Criciúma,Fluminense,União São João |
| 1998 | América Mineiro,Goiás,Bragantino,América de Natal |
| 1999 | SeeCopa João Havelange |
| 2000 | None |
| 2001 | Santa Cruz,América Mineiro,Botafogo (SP),Sport |
| 2002 | Portuguesa,Palmeiras,Gama,Botafogo |
The All-time Campeonato Brasileiro table is an overall record of all match results, points, and goals of every team that has played in the Brazilian League. The table is accurate as of the end of the2024 season, and includes the recently recognized1937 Copa dos Campeões Estaduais, and all editions since 1959. Teams in bold will take part in the top division in 2025.[71][72]
| Team | Pts | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Paulo | 2427 | 1652 | 720 | 486 | 446 | 2376 | 1710 | +666 |
| 2 | Internacional | 2373 | 1633 | 713 | 459 | 461 | 2209 | 1669 | +540 |
| 3 | Palmeiras | 2367 | 1579 | 730 | 431 | 418 | 2346 | 1673 | +673 |
| 4 | Flamengo | 2351 | 1660 | 708 | 461 | 491 | 2328 | 1874 | +454 |
| 5 | Atlético Mineiro | 2342 | 1654 | 708 | 457 | 489 | 2394 | 1927 | +467 |
| 6 | Corinthians | 2323 | 1635 | 693 | 482 | 460 | 2139 | 1704 | +435 |
| 7 | Santos | 2278 | 1630 | 681 | 461 | 488 | 2368 | 1850 | +518 |
| 8 | Grêmio | 2268 | 1627 | 691 | 442 | 494 | 2178 | 1747 | +431 |
| 9 | Cruzeiro | 2185 | 1557 | 661 | 427 | 469 | 2209 | 1751 | +458 |
| 10 | Fluminense | 2097 | 1593 | 621 | 432 | 540 | 2110 | 1905 | +205 |
| 11 | Vasco da Gama | 1902 | 1485 | 557 | 444 | 484 | 2010 | 1819 | +191 |
| 12 | Botafogo | 1898 | 1500 | 554 | 428 | 518 | 1901 | 1813 | +88 |
| 13 | Athletico Paranaense | 1757 | 1329 | 499 | 350 | 480 | 1716 | 1624 | +92 |
| 14 | Goiás | 1428 | 1169 | 401 | 325 | 443 | 1477 | 1523 | -46 |
| 15 | Bahia | 1390 | 1206 | 401 | 367 | 438 | 1367 | 1472 | -105 |
| 16 | Coritiba | 1351 | 1145 | 396 | 303 | 446 | 1329 | 1413 | -84 |
| 17 | Sport Recife | 1161 | 1010 | 335 | 277 | 398 | 1133 | 1252 | -119 |
| 18 | Vitória | 1154 | 1010 | 332 | 267 | 411 | 1210 | 1412 | -202 |
| 19 | Portuguesa | 900 | 787 | 260 | 249 | 278 | 961 | 973 | -12 |
| 20 | Guarani | 889 | 709 | 269 | 215 | 225 | 898 | 797 | +101 |
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Internacional | 122 | 66 | 38 | 18 | 188 |
| 2 | Grêmio | 122 | 63 | 38 | 21 | 176 |
| 3 | Palmeiras | 120 | 61 | 41 | 18 | 174 |
| 4 | Corinthians | 121 | 58 | 46 | 17 | 173 |
| 5 | Cruzeiro | 56 | 47 | 18 | 171 | |
| 6 | Atlético Mineiro | 58 | 36 | 27 | 168 | |
| 7 | Flamengo | 122 | 59 | 32 | 31 | 164 |
| 8 | São Paulo | 121 | 54 | 43 | 24 | 163 |
| 9 | Vasco da Gama | 41 | 27 | 158 | 750 | |
| 10 | Botafogo | 120 | 44 | 49 | 27 | 147 |
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flamengo | 228 | 112 | 70 | 46 | 308 |
| 2 | Vasco da Gama | 214 | 101 | 64 | 49 | 287 |
| 3 | Atlético Mineiro | 209 | 100 | 67 | 42 | 281 |
| 4 | São Paulo | 206 | 98 | 65 | 43 | 274 |
| 5 | Grêmio | 216 | 95 | 65 | 56 | 267 |
| 6 | Fluminense | 203 | 203 | 87 | 61 | 248 |
| 7 | Santos | 201 | 82 | 67 | 52 | 241 |
| 8 | Internacional | 199 | 77 | 65 | 57 | 237 |
| 9 | Corinthians | 201 | 79 | 234 | ||
| 10 | Cruzeiro | 179 | 67 | 62 | 50 | 205 |
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palmeiras | 235 | 123 | 59 | 53 | 368 |
| 2 | Corinthians | 235 | 106 | 65 | 64 | 329 |
| 3 | Santos | 99 | 67 | 69 | 320 | |
| 4 | São Paulo | 98 | 64 | 73 | 305 | |
| 5 | Atlético Mineiro | 224 | 90 | 63 | 71 | 300 |
| 6 | Vasco da Gama | 225 | 86 | 70 | 69 | 297 |
| 7 | Cruzeiro | 218 | 57 | 75 | 282 | |
| 8 | Flamengo | 231 | 85 | 64 | 82 | 280 |
| 9 | Botafogo | 225 | 87 | 58 | 80 | 276 |
| 10 | Internacional | 217 | 80 | 62 | 75 | 274 |
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | São Paulo | 365 | 185 | 95 | 85 | 650 |
| 2 | Santos | 368 | 162 | 92 | 114 | 578 |
| 3 | Cruzeiro | 362 | 167 | 73 | 122 | 574 |
| 4 | Internacional | 161 | 81 | 120 | 564 | |
| 5 | Athletico Paranaense | 366 | 151 | 85 | 130 | 538 |
| 6 | Fluminense | 368 | 140 | 104 | 124 | 524 |
| 7 | Flamengo | 362 | 139 | 94 | 129 | 511 |
| 8 | Palmeiras | 316 | 134 | 78 | 104 | 480 |
| 9 | Grêmio | 325 | 132 | 77 | 116 | 473 |
| 10 | Corinthians | 330 | 126 | 85 | 119 | 463 |
| Pos | Team | GP | W | D | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corinthians | 380 | 170 | 113 | 97 | 623 |
| 2 | Grêmio | 380 | 174 | 100 | 106 | 622 |
| 3 | Flamengo | 161 | 111 | 108 | 594 | |
| 4 | São Paulo | 163 | 101 | 116 | 590 | |
| 5 | Santos | 99 | 118 | 588 | ||
| 6 | Atlético Mineiro | 160 | 93 | 127 | 573 | |
| 7 | Cruzeiro | 158 | 98 | 124 | 572 | |
| 8 | Fluminense | 153 | 94 | 133 | 553 | |
| 9 | Palmeiras | 342 | 145 | 89 | 108 | 524 |
| 10 | Internacional | 342 | 140 | 96 | 106 | 516 |
 | This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(March 2025) |
| Season(s) | Price | TV |
|---|---|---|
| 1987–89 | $3.4 million | Globo |
| 1990–94 | not available | |
| 1994–96 | $31.4 million | |
| 1997–2003 | $50 million | |
| 2003–05 | $390 million | |
| 2005–08 | $900 million | |
| 2009–11 | R$1.9 billion | |
| 2012–15 | R$2.96 billion[73] | |
| 2016–19 | R$4.11 billion[74] |
Currently, the money of television represent a significant share in the finances of clubs in Brazil. The league broadcasting rights are total exclusivity ofGrupo Globo, which distributes the live matches for its television stations:TV Globo (terrestrial and satellite),SporTV (pay), andPremiere (through the systempay-per-view), where subscribers have the privilege to follow all 380 annual league matches. Globo, first cited, displays the League first time in 1987, when was created theClube dos 13, trading tool of clubs with the television. The first television contract was negotiated in 1987, with only conveying theGreen Module of theCopa União, organized by the Clube dos 13, the television rights were sold for $3.4 million to Rede Globo.[75][76] And only with the conveying of the championship final,SBT broadcast the game instead,[77] a blow to the Rede Globo, who says today that theGreen Module would be the league itself, and then was prevented from entering theIlha do Retiro.[78][79][80] In 1990, only Rede Bandeirantes acquired the broadcast rights. This edition marked the first national title of Corinthians, second most popular team in the country. Both the final transmission, as the other games, attracted the attention of the public, causing the network to acquire anIbope Rating of 53 points in the deciding game.[81] This led to the Rede Globo prioritize the League from the next edition, in 1991.[81]
In 1997, live boardcast of matches began to be restricted in cities where the matches are held (except finals). The Clube dos 13 closed the contract with Rede Globo's television rights as the holder of the Brasileirão for $50 million (including editions of1998 and1999), and resolves itself split the rights with Rede Bandeirantes during this period. It was the first edition to be shown on pay-per-view (via Premiere).[82] In addition, the first games shown on pay television were courtesy of SporTV, after a controversial signing contract of Clube dos 13 withGlobosat. Previously, in 1993, the Club of the 13 an CBF had signed a contract with TVA, a company in whichESPN Brazil was part. However, that decision was declined.[83]
In 2000, the broadcasting rights of the Copa João Havelange, organized by the Clube dos 13, were sold to Rede Globo for $50 million. However, the final of this competition in 2001, was marked by an unusual situation.Vasco da Gama, a finalist againstSão Caetano, graced the logo of SBT, the second largest television station of Brazil, a direct rival to Globo. This situation was somewhat embarrassing for Globo, which transmitted the final exclusively, and which was seen by an estimated audience of 60 million people.[84] Despite the large number of spectators in the final match, this edition was marked by low ratings, what did the Rede Globo to cancel the broadcast of a few matches.[85]
In 2001, Clube dos 13 defines four divisions of transmission quota, withCorinthians,São Paulo,Palmeiras,Flamengo andVasco in group 1,Santos in group 2,Fluminense,Botafogo,Atlético Mineiro,Cruzeiro,Internacional andGrêmio in group 3, andBahia,Goiás,Sport Recife,Portuguesa,Coritiba,Athletico Paranaense, andVitória in group 4.[86] In 2003, the value was expanded by a considerable amount, for the first time surpassing the three digits, after the adoption of the new format of accrued points. The contract of $130 million per year was signed again by TV Globo.[87] In 2005, C13 renews with Globo for the 2006–09 period in a deal worth $300 million.[88]
In 2009, for the first time, the sale of broadcasting rights of the Brazilian Championship were made via open bidding. Media organisations were invited to bid for TV packages open, closed, PPV, internet and broadcast abroad.[89] Rede Globo subsequently won the largest TV contract in the history of Brazilian football; $1.4 billion for 2009–2011.[90]
In the early part of 2011, the majority of Clube dos 13 indicated they would be negotiating the 2012–2014 league rights independently.[91][92][93][94][95]
In 2012, the final league rights amounts are uncertain. However, it is known that the clubs were divided into four groups: Group 1: Flamengo and Corinthians receiving 84 to 120 million reals; Group 2: São Paulo, Palmeiras, Santos and Vasco receiving 70 to 80 million reais; Group 3: Gremio, Cruzeiro, Atlético Mineiro VAR, Fluminense and Botafogo (45 to 55 million reais); Group 4: other first division clubs (18 to 30 million reais).[96]
In 2013, SporTV made a deal withFox Sports, giving up the rights of Campeonato Brasileiro in exchange for live coverage of theCopa Libertadores.[97]
In 2016, Bandeirantes ended the partnership with Globo and ceased showing league matches, leaving Globo with exclusive rights.[98] However, the channel ofTurner Group,Esporte Interativo made a deal withAtlético-PR,Bahia,Ceará,Coritiba,Internacional,Joinville,Paysandu,Sampaio Corrêa,Santos,Criciúma,Fortaleza,Paraná,Ponte Preta andSanta Cruz for the broadcasting rights on cable television between 2019 and 2024, opposing Globo's SporTV channel. A decision on whether Palmeiras will be joining these teams is awaited.[99]
In February 2021 the streaming serviceParamount+ announced it will broadcast 350 matches[100]
Flamengo and Corinthians, the two most supported teams in Brazil, receive approximately 25% (1/4) of all revenue from television.[101] Flamengo has the biggest budget, (R$115.1 million), and Figueirense the smallest (R$18.5 million).[102]
In Japan,Abema broadcast the all compeleted 380 matches via partnership withOneFootball starts2023 season.
Since 1999, the Brazilian league's official ball has been manufactured byNike. Before this exclusive supply of balls, some brands likeUmbro andTopper had supplied balls for the championship. The most recent ball is called CBF Nike Brasil Flight 2025, being based on Nike's Flight model.
The audience of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A is low if put into consideration thepopularity of football in the country. Since the first data record, in 1967, each year the average attendance has fluctuated, having the season of 2023 as the largest, averaging 26,502, and 2004 as the smallest, with a very low average of 7,556.[103][104]
In comparison toother football leagues attendance figures, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A ranked in at seventh place worldwide in 2023.[105] The smallest attendance ever was a game betweenJuventude andPortuguesa in 1997 with 55 fans, the largest wasFlamengo andSantos in 1983 with 155,523.[106]
The attendance of 2014 season was 16,337 with average occupation of 40%.[107] In this same year, the average price of the ticket was $12.82, taking the games with an average income of $204,799.[108]
The spectator figures for the league since 2009:
| Season | Overall | Average | Best supported club | Average | Highest attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 6,764,380 | 17,801 | Flamengo | 41,553[109] | 78,639 (Flamengo 2–1Grêmio) |
| 2010 | 5,638,806 | 14,839 | Corinthians | 27,446 | 76,205 (Vasco da Gama 2–2Fluminense) |
| 2011 | 5,572,673 | 14,664 | 29,328 | 63,871 (São Paulo 1–2 Flamengo) | |
| 2012 | 4,928,827 | 13,148 | 25,222 | 62,207 (São Paulo 2–1Náutico) | |
| 2013 | 5,681,551 | 14,951 | Cruzeiro | 28,911 | 63,501 (Santos 0–0 Flamengo) |
| 2014 | 6,208,190 | 16,337 | 29,678 | 58,627 (São Paulo 2–0 Cruzeiro) | |
| 2015 | 6,376,693 | 17,050 | Corinthians | 34,150 | 67,011 (Flamengo 0–2Coritiba) |
| 2016 | 5,975,926 | 15,809 | Palmeiras | 32,684 | 54,996 (São Paulo 2–2 Chapecoense) |
| 2017 | 6,238,797 | 16,418 | Corinthians | 40,043 | 50,116 (Grêmio 0–1 Corinthians) |
| 2018 | 7,584,444 | 19,959 | Flamengo | 50,965 | 62,994 (Flamengo 1–2 Athletico Paranaense) |
| 2019 | 8,067,663 | 21,230 | 55,025 | 65,649 (Flamengo 1–0CSA) |
| Rank | Player | Pos. | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fábio | GK | 740[110] |
| 2 | Rogério Ceni | GK | 575 |
| 3 | Leonardo Moura | DF | 497 |
| 4 | Diego Souza | FW | 472 |
| 5 | Fábio Santos | MF | 444 |
| 6 | Wellington Paulista | FW | 442 |
| 7 | Cássio | GK | 436 |
| 8 | Thiago Heleno | DF | 429 |
| 9 | Fagner | DF | 415 |
| 10 | Weverton | GK | 411 |
| Rank | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roberto Dinamite[111] | 190 |
| 2 | Fred | 158 |
| 3 | Romário | 154 |
| 4 | Edmundo | 153 |
| 5 | Zico | 135 |
| 6 | Diego Souza | 131 |
| 7 | Túlio | 129 |
| 8 | Serginho Chulapa | 127 |
| 9 | Washington | 126 |
| 10 | Luis Fabiano | 117 |
Notes:
 | Some of this section'slisted sourcesmay not bereliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed.(September 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Rank | Country | Goalkeeper | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Fábio | 230 |
| 2 | | Cássio | 168 |
| 3 | | Weverton | 157 |
| 4 | | Rogerio Ceni | 146 |
| 5 | | Victor | 120 |
| 6 | | Vanderlei | 119 |
| 7 | | Marcelo Lomba | 106 |
| 8 | | Everson | 102 |
| 9 | | Marcelo Grohe | 99 |
| 10 | | Fernando Prass | 98 |
| Some of this section'slisted sourcesmay not bereliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed.(September 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Rank | Country | Player | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Giorgian de Arrascaeta | 82 |
| 2 | | Marcelinho Carioca | 77 |
| 3 | | Edmundo | 73 |
| 4 | | Everton Ribeiro | 71 |
| 5 | | Dudu | 68 |
| 6 | | Gustavo Scarpa | 66 |
| 7 | | Pele | 63 |
| 8 | | Zico | 62 |
| 9 | | Diego Souza | 60 |
| 10 |  | Petković | 59 |
Dario Conca (Fluminense) – (2010) | Some of this section'slisted sourcesmay not bereliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed.(September 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Rank | Country | Player | Hat-tricks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Fred | 4 |
| 2 | | Bruno Henrique | 3 |
| Gabriel Barbosa | ||
| Neymar | ||
| Yuri Alberto | ||
| 6 | | Pedro | 2 |
| Pele | ||
| 8 | Several players | 1 | |
Prêmio Craque do Brasileirão is the league's official award.Placar magazine'sBola de Ouro is the oldest award, while theTroféu Osmar Santos and theTroféu João Saldanha are awards given by the newspaperLance!.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
