Paulistão 2026 – Instagram
The São Paulo Football Federation announced this Tuesday, November 11, 2025, the new regulations for the 2026 São Paulo Championship, adapted to the CBF’s reduced calendar. The tournament will preserve direct clashes between the big clubs, such as Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo and Santos, in the first phase. This change occurs in São Paulo, during an event at Arena Mercado Livre Pacaembu, to balance the number of available dates, limited to 11 by the national calendar.
The 16 participating teams were divided into four pots, with each team playing eight opening games in straight points.
- All teams from Pot A will face each other, guaranteeing the state classics.
- Two opponents will be drawn from Pot B and Pot C.
- A rival will come from Pot D, made up of recent promoted and relegated teams.
The eight best campaigns advance to the knockout stage, with quarter-finals and semi-finals in a single match.
Composition of pots at Paulistão 2026
The division into pots follows performance criteria in the 2025 Paulistão and recent accesses. Pot A includes the big four: Corinthians, Palmeiras, São Paulo and Santos. These clubs will face each other, totaling three games per team in this bracket.
Pot B brings together São Bernardo, Novorizontino, Red Bull Bragantino and Mirassol, teams with good recent performance. Each team in this group will play against the other three in the pot, plus crossover clashes with the others.
Opponents of the big clubs in the first phase
Corinthians will face Santos, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Bragantino, São Bernardo, Velo Clube, Ponte Preta and Capivariano in the initial eight games. Palmeiras will face Santos, São Paulo, Corinthians, Novorizontino, Mirassol, Guarani, Portuguesa and Botafogo-SP.
São Paulo will play against Santos, Palmeiras, Corinthians, Mirassol, São Bernardo, Portuguesa, Ponte Preta and Primavera. Santos faces Palmeiras, São Paulo, Corinthians, Bragantino, Novorizontino, Velo Clube, Guarani and Noroeste.
These clashes were defined by draw, prioritizing balance and commercial attractiveness. The order of the rounds will still be announced by the FPF.
Interior teams and their opportunities
São Bernardo will face Bragantino, Novorizontino, Mirassol, São Paulo, Corinthians, Ponte Preta, Noroeste and Capivariano. Novorizontino will take Santos, Palmeiras, Bragantino, Mirassol, São Bernardo, Guarani, Botafogo-SP and Primavera.
Mirassol will face Palmeiras, São Paulo, Bragantino, Novorizontino, São Bernardo, Portuguesa, Primavera and Capivariano. Velo Clube will have Guarani, Portuguesa, Ponte Preta, Santos, Corinthians, Bragantino, Noroeste and Botafogo-SP.
Guarani will play against Velo Clube, Portuguesa, Ponte Preta, Santos, Palmeiras, Novorizontino, Botafogo-SP and Primavera. Portuguese faces Velo Clube, Guarani, Ponte Preta, Palmeiras, São Paulo, Mirassol, Primavera and Capivariano.
Knockout details and schedule
Ponte Preta will compete against Velo Clube, Guarani, Portuguesa, São Paulo, Corinthians, São Bernardo, Capivariano and Noroeste. The two worst placed in the initial phase go down to Series A-2 in 2027.
The start of the tournament is scheduled for January 11, 2026, with an end date of March 8. The FPF negotiates a 12th date for the round-trip decision, depending on adjustments with the CBF or classifications in continental competitions.
Northwest will have Botafogo-SP, Primavera, Capivariano, Santos, Bragantino, São Bernardo, Velo Clube and Ponte Preta. Botafogo-SP will face Noroeste, Primavera, Capivariano, Palmeiras, Bragantino, Novorizontino, Velo Clube and Guarani.
Primavera, debutant in the elite, will play against Noroeste, Botafogo-SP, Capivariano, São Paulo, Novorizontino, Mirassol, Guarani and Portuguesa. Capivariano will face Noroeste, Botafogo-SP, Primavera, Corinthians, Mirassol, São Bernardo, Portuguesa and Ponte Preta.
The new format eliminates traditional groups, adopting partial running points to optimize time and maintain the appeal of classic duels, which historically attract large audiences on broadcasts such as TNT Sports, Record and CazéTV. The official ball will be from Penalty, and the referee uniforms will be from Diadora, from 2026. The semi-automatic offside will come into use in the knockout stages, provided by Genius Sports.
