The 2-2 draw in normal time and the 5-4 victory on penalties over Palmeiras, in the quarter-finals of the 2026 São Paulo Junior Football Cup, not only represent a historic classification for the Ibrachina. The result symbolizes the consolidation of a young, ambitious and increasingly respected project in Brazilian grassroots football.
In just a few years of existence, the Mooca club, a neighborhood in the East Zone of São Paulo, went from being seen as a novelty to establishing itself as a training power, capable of toppling traditional giants and reaching, for the first time, the semi-finals of the country’s main youth competition.
Ibrachina: foundation and history
Founded on September 16, 2020, Ibrachina Futebol Clube was born as a sporting arm of the Brazil-China Sociocultural Institute, created two years earlier with the aim of promoting cultural, educational and economic integration between Brazil, China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Under the leadership of brothers Henrique and Thomas Law, Chinese-Brazilian businessmen with a strong presence in popular commerce in São Paulo, the project was designed to go beyond football, using sport as a tool for human development, cultural exchange and social development.
Sons of Law Kin Chong and Miriam Law, responsible for a conglomerate of popular shopping malls in the 25 de Março and Brás regions, Henrique and Thomas brought to football a business mentality focused on structure, planning and long-term investment. From the beginning, the idea was not to create a traditional club with a massive fan base, but rather a center of excellence in athlete training, aligned with international standards and with a strong institutional identity.
In the first years, Ibrachina played exclusively in the youth categories, competing in alternative tournaments and competitions organized by independent leagues. In June 2021, affiliation with the São Paulo Football Federation came, a fundamental step towards official entry into the state calendar. Shortly afterwards, the club debuted in the Campeonato Paulista Sub-20, still in a modest way, but already attracting attention due to its organization and game proposal.
The turning point came with participation in the São Paulo Junior Football Cup. In 2022, playing as the host team at the newly opened Ibrachina Arena, the club won all group stage games with 100% success, eliminating traditional teams and arousing national curiosity. Despite the early elimination in the knockout stage, on penalties, that campaign put the name Ibrachina on the map of Brazilian grassroots football.
Since then, growth has been constant. The club expanded its categories, invested in schools, established national and international partnerships — including collaboration with Orlando City, from Major League Soccer — and structured a social project aimed at young people in Vila Carioca and Heliópolis, one of the largest communities in São Paulo. The Ibrachina base came to be seen as a storehouse of talent, with its own methodology, focus on technical development and educational support.
The 2026 Cup represents the highest point of this trajectory. After leading his group with authority, Ibrachina started the knockout stage by taking down giants. They eliminated Atlético-MG, got past Internacional and, in the quarter-finals, staged one of the biggest surprises in the recent history of the tournament by holding off Palmeiras – until then undefeated and possessing the best attack in the competition – in normal time and winning on penalties, in front of a packed arena.
The feat gains even more weight due to the context. On the other side was one of the most successful clubs in the Brazilian base, with a consolidated structure and a popular squad. Ibrachina, in turn, entered the field representing a young project, without historical tradition, but with a clear identity, tactical organization and competitive mentality. Qualifying for the semi-final, unprecedented, crowned years of silent investment and continuous work.
Hosting its games at the Ibrachina Arena, a 12 thousand square meter multi-sports complex located in Mooca and approved by FIFA, the club built a symbolic relationship with the traditional neighborhood in the East Zone of São Paulo. Nicknamed Dragões da Mooca, the players carry a shield that mixes oriental and Brazilian elements, reinforced by the Dragol mascot, a constant presence in games and actions with children.
More than a sporting result, the Copinha 2026 campaign reinforces Ibrachina as a new model of training club in Brazil: private, structured, with strong investment in grassroots and without the immediate pressure for results in professional football. The semi-final achieved against all odds is not an end point, but another chapter in a story that is short in time but intense in meaning.
By eliminating centuries-old clubs and reaching the most advanced stage of its trajectory in the Copinha, Ibrachina confirms that its growth is not the result of chance. It is the result of planning, investment and a vision that understands football as a bridge between cultures, opportunities and possible futures.
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