The São Paulo Junior Football Cup begins this Friday, January 2nd, and ends on January 25th this year. The biggest grassroots competition in Brazil, which is in its 56th edition, will have 128 participating clubs, distributed across 32 venues.
What age group must athletes be in to participate in Copinha 2026? THE Sporting News explains.
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How old are players to play in the 2026 Copinha?
The São Paulo Football Federation defined the criteria for registration and participation of athletes for the competition. The tournament will be aimed at players born between 2005 (21 years old) and 2010 (16 years old).
Furthermore, only professionals or non-professionals in this age group who are previously registered by the clubs with the administration entity to which they are affiliated will be eligible to play.
Other criteria for athletes in the 2026 Copinha
For players to be released, the record must have been published in the CBF Daily Newsletter (BID) by October 6, 2025.
In the case of clubs affiliated to the São Paulo Football Federation (FPF), registrations could be filed until September 29, 2025, as long as there were no pending issues in the documentation submitted to the Registration Department. After this date, the FPF does not guarantee the publication of the athlete in the IDB within the stipulated period.
The entity also warned clubs in Series A, B and C of the Brazilian Championship about the closing of the transfer window on September 2, 2025. Athletes who are on loan to other teams will be able to participate in the competition, as long as they have returned to their original club by December 1, 2025.
Each club can register a maximum of 30 athletes, with a deadline of December 1, 2025. Substitution of registered players will not be permitted under any circumstances. The fixed numbering of the shirts must be defined and adjusted by the clubs by January 2, 2026.
