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The team has been experiencing one of those rare moments that break the logic of Brazilian football. In its debut season in the elite, the team from the interior of São Paulo challenges millionaire budgets and statistics by being among the most consistent teams in the Brazilian Championship. The unexpected rise awakens memories of other campaigns that, although they did not end with titles, immortalized clubs in the history of the Brasileirão.
Pioneers of the unlikely
In 1985, Bangu and Brasil de Pelotas shared the spotlight in an edition that was marked by the balance and boldness of the little ones. Moça Bonita’s team, driven by the financial power of Castor de Andrade, won difficult groups, eliminated Brazil and only stopped in the final against Coritiba, in a penalty shootout that still haunts the fans’ memories. Xavante, in turn, experienced its greatest glory by defeating Zico’s Flamengo 2-0 in Pelotas, eliminating the favorite and ending the campaign in an honorable third place.
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The following year, América-RJ would surprise by reaching the semi-finals of the 1986 Brasileirão, after defeating giants such as Corinthians and Grêmio. With fierce and technical football, the Rio team was eliminated only by São Paulo de Careca, ending its journey with the respect of the entire country.
The forces within
It is not new that clubs from the interior, formed in cities far from the capitals, gain space on the national scene. Cases such as Bragantino, from Bragança Paulista, Ituano, from Itu, Tupi, from Juiz de Fora, Chapecoense, from Chapecó, and now Mirassol, from the northwest of São Paulo, symbolize the advance of these regional forces that challenge the traditional dominance of large urban centers.
In 1977, Londrina challenged Flamengo, Vasco and Santos to finish among the four best in Brazil, being the best campaign in Paraná so far. That same year, Operário-MS won third place, beating Palmeiras and drawing with Botafogo in Rio. These were feats that placed regions outside the Rio–São Paulo axis under the spotlight of national football.
In the following years, the leading role would be played by Náutico in 1967, who reached the final of the Taça Brasil, and Bragantino in 1991, national runner-up under the command of Carlos Alberto Parreira, in a São Paulo final against São Paulo. Portuguesa in 1996 and São Caetano in the Copa João Havelange in 2000 had campaigns that bordered on the impossible, and still today represent the apex of the audacity of medium-sized clubs among the giants.
The forgotten exploits
Between the years 2000 and 2010, Brazilian football once again witnessed memorable campaigns from clubs that challenged the big cities. Paulista de Jundiaí, for example, immortalized its name by winning the 2005 Copa do Brasil, beating Fluminense in the decision and guaranteeing an unprecedented place in the Libertadores. A year earlier, Santo André had accomplished a similar feat, beating Flamengo at Maracanã and lifting the same trophy.
These titles, won by teams from the interior of São Paulo, not only changed the country’s competitive geography, but proved that regional strength could be translated into national achievements. Ituano’s success, with its two São Paulo titles (in 2002 and 2014), reinforced this thesis, by demonstrating that a solid structure and a committed squad are enough to break historical barriers.
The power of interior management
While many clubs on the Rio–São Paulo axis faced administrative crises, some projects in the interior showed the value of the organization. Bragantino, from Bragança Paulista, became a symbol of modernization. Champion of Series B in 2019 and driven by an innovative business model, the club reinvented itself without losing its local identity. Oeste, from Itápolis, experienced a similar trajectory: they left the lower divisions, reached Series B and showed how the interior of São Paulo could compete in planning and professionalism.
Voices from the South and Midwest
The interior was also heard in other regions of the country. Juventude, from Caxias do Sul, carried out consistent campaigns in the late 1990s and early 2000s, reaching the semi-finals of the Copa do Brasil and winning the title in 1999. Criciúma, another from Santa Catarina, lifted the same trophy in 1991 and consolidated the strength of the South. In the Central-West, Goiás remained a constant representative in international competitions, while Operário de Ponta Grossa and Vila Nova, in different periods, showed that interior resistance is not limited to one state.
The heritage of the bold
From time to time, these clubs return to the national scene to reaffirm that Brazilian football is made up of cycles. Each generation finds a new “intruder” among the greats — from Paulista in 2005 to Fortaleza in 2021, from Bragantino de Parreira in 1991 to Mirassol in 2025. What unites them is the same spirit of overcoming, the same belief that collectivity, work and fidelity to an idea can transform the improbable into history.
The new times
In the era of running points, which began in 2003, financial balance reduced the gaps for surprises. Still, Coritiba in 2003 and Goiás in 2005 defied logic and reached the Libertadores. Shortly afterwards, Paraná would repeat the feat in 2006, showing that football could still be a territory for improvement.
In 2009, Avaí enchanted the country by finishing sixth and winning a place in the South American Championship. Two years later, Figueirense came close to the Libertadores, being just two points away from the classification. In the Northeast, Vitória in 2013 and Sport in 2015 represented the regional strength by reaching fifth and sixth place, respectively.
More recently, Fortaleza in 2021, with just three years of returning to Série A, made history by qualifying for the Libertadores for the first time, while América-MG crowned the season with the same feat, where both re-edited the old tradition of “intruders” among the greats.
The new chapter
The 2025 Mirassol is heir to this lineage. Without the weight of the shirt of the big cities, but with organization and boldness, the club from the interior of São Paulo has challenged the economic determinism of the Brasileirão. Each point won is a reminder that, in football, as in sport, greatness does not always fit into the budget. The little ones, from time to time, come back to remember that the essence of the game is the ability to challenge the obvious with commitment, unity and faith in an idea. When there is collective purpose, conviction and dedication, even those who seem fragile in the face of the structure of giants can transform what seems unfeasible into achievements.
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