O Paulista Championship will have a different format in 2026. Pressured by the new guidelines of Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF)which determined the limit of 11 dates for the statesa São Paulo Football Federation (FPF) needed to reformulate the format of the competition.
The news will be detailed on Tuesday night (11/11), starting at 8pm (Brasília time)during the tournament launch event, which will feature the group draw.
Paulistão 2026: format and rules
The main change in the Paulistão 2026 is not dispute format. With fewer dates available, the FPF opted for a shorter initial phasecom eight rounds in straight pointsbut without all teams facing each other. The model is inspired by European competitions, such as Champions Leagueand seeks to balance the calendar without losing the attractiveness of the classics.
O prize draw will define the direct confrontations, but the FPF guaranteed that the great classics – how Corinthians x Palmeiras, Santos x São Pauloand the Campineiro derby between Ponte Preta and Guarani – will be kept on the calendar.
Os eight best clubs from the initial phase will advance to the spywhich will continue with quarter-finals and semi-finals in a single gamee round-trip final.
Dates and impasse with the CBF
Even with the CBF’s guidance that state companies do not exceed 11 datesthe FPF structured a model with 12 – being eight initial rounds e four knockout games. The president Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos tries to negotiate with the national entity an exception for Paulistão, considered the most competitive state in the country.
An alternative being studied is bring forward the start of the competition to January 8three days before the limit foreseen by the CBF. The national entity, however, reinforced that no state championship can extend beyond March 8.
Paulistão 2026: teams in the competition
Paulistão 2026 will have 16 teamscom Capivarian e Primavera as news. Primavera, founded in 1927, will play the state elite for the first time and carries out renovations at the Ítalo Mário Limongi Stadium, in Indaiatuba. The Capivarian, in turn, will compete for his third participation in history.
O Corinthianschampion in 2025 after beating Palmeiras in the final, will try to defend the title. Timão is the competition’s biggest winner, with 31 titles.
List of clubs for the 2026 Campeonato Paulista
- Botafogo-SP
- Capivarian
- Corinthians
- Guarani
- Mirassol
- Northwest
- Novorizontino
- Palm trees
- Portuguese
- Ponte Preta
- Primavera
- Santos
- Saint Bernard
- São Paulo
- Red Bull Bragantino
- Velo Club
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