The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐ̃pjoˈnatu bɾaziˈlejɾu ˈsɛɾii ˈa]; English: "Brazilian Championship A Series"), commonly referred to as the Brasileirão (pronounced [bɾazilejˈɾãw]; English: "Big Brazilian"), and also known as Brasileirão Assaí due to sponsorship with Assaí Atacadista, is a Brazilian professional league for men's football clubs. At the top of the Brazilian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. In 2021 the competition was chosen by the IFFHS as the strongest national league in South America as well as the strongest in the world.
Due to historical peculiarities and the large geographical size of the country, Brazil has a relatively short history of nationwide football competitions. Only in 1959, with the advancements in civil aviation and air transport and the need to appoint a Brazilian representative to the first edition of the Copa Libertadores was a nationwide tournament created, Taça Brasil. In 1967, the Torneio Rio-São Paulo was expanded to include teams from other states, becoming the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, which was also considered a national tournament. The first tournament downright called a national championship was held in 1971, although it was only referred to as "Campeonato Brasileiro" starting in 1989.
In 2010, the champions of national tournaments from 1959 to 1970—Taça Brasil and Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa—have been declared official winners of the Brazilian championship or champions of Brazil (not winners of Brasileirão or Série A) by the Brazilian Football Confederation. The titles of old tournaments, cited in the Brazilian championship history, are equated to the title of Série A, but the tournaments are cataloging with their original name in the statistics (despite being different competitions, they confer the same title).
The Campeonato Brasileiro is one of the strongest leagues in the world; it contains the second-most club world champions titles, with 10 championships won among six clubs, and the second-most Copa Libertadores titles, with 20 titles won among 10 clubs. The IFFHS ranked the league fourth in strength for the 2001–12 period after the Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), and Serie A (Italy). The Campeonato Brasileiro is the most-watched football league in the Americas and one of the world's most exposed, broadcast in 155 nations. It is also one of the world's richest championships, ranked as the sixth most valuable with a worth of over US$1.43 billion, generating an annual turnover of over US$1.17 billion in 2012.
Since 1959, a total of 156 clubs have played in the Campeonato Brasileiro. Seventeen clubs have been crowned Brazilian football champions, thirteen of which have won the title more than once. Palmeiras is the most successful club of the Campeonato Brasileiro, having won the competition eleven times, followed by Santos with eight titles, and Corinthians and Flamengo with seven titles each. Santos' Os Santásticos won five consecutive titles between 1961 and 1965, a feat that remains unequalled. The state of São Paulo is the most successful, amassing 32 titles among five clubs.
Clubs[]
2023 season teams[]
| Club | Location | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| América Mineiro | Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais | Estádio Independência |
| Athletico Paranaense | Curitiba, Paraná | Arena da Baixada |
| Atlético Mineiro | Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais | Mineirão |
| Bahia | Salvador, Bahia | Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova |
| Botafogo | Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro | Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos |
| Corinthians | São Paulo, São Paulo | Neo Química Arena |
| Coritiba | Curitiba, Paraná | Estádio Couto Pereira |
| Cruzeiro | Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais | Mineirão |
| Cuiabá | Cuiabá, Mato Grosso | Arena Pantanal |
| Flamengo | Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro | Maracanã Stadium |
| Fluminense | ||
| Fortaleza | Fortaleza, Ceará | Castelão |
| Goiás | Goiânia, Goiás | Estádio da Serrinha |
| Grêmio | Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul | Arena do Grêmio |
| Internacional | Estádio Beira-Rio | |
| Palmeiras | São Paulo, São Paulo | Allianz Parque |
| Red Bull Bragantino | Bragança Paulista, São Paulo | Estádio Nabi Abi Chedid |
| Santos | Santos, São Paulo | Vila Belmiro |
| São Paulo | São Paulo, São Paulo | Estádio do Morumbi |
| Vasco de Gama | Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro | Estádio São Januário |
Relegated teams[]
| Club | Location | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| America | Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro | Estádio Giulite Coutinho |
| América de Natal | Natal, Rio Grande do Norte | Arena das Dunas |
| Atlético Goianiense | Goiânia, Goiás | Estádio Antônio Accioly |
| Avaí | Florianópolis, Santa Catarina | Estádio da Ressacada |
| Bangu | Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro | Estádio Moça Bonita |
| Brasília | Brasília, Distrito Federal | Estádio Nacional Mané Garrincha |
| Brasiliense | Taguatinga, Distrito Federal | Serejão |
| Ceará | Fortaleza, Ceará | Castelão |
| CSA | Maceió, Alagoas | Estádio Rei Pelé |
| Chapecoense | Chapecó, Santa Catarina | Arena Condá |
| Criciúma | Criciúma, Santa Catarina | Estádio Heriberto Hülse |
| Desportiva | Cariacica, Espírito Santo | Estádio Engenheiro Alencar Araripe |
| Ferroviário | Fortaleza, Ceará | Estádio Presidente Vargas |
| Figueirense | Florianópolis, Santa Catarina | Estádio Orlando Scarpelli |
| Galícia | Salvador, Bahia | Estádio Parque Santiago |
| Gama | Gama, Distrito Federal | Bezerrão |
| Grêmio Barueri | Barueri, São Paulo | Arena Barueri |
| Guarini | Campinas, São Paulo | Estádio Brinco de Ouro |
| Inter de Limeira | Limeira, São Paulo | Estádio Major José Levy Sobrinho |
| Ipatinga | Ipatinga, Minas Gerais | Estádio Municipal João Lamego Netto |
| Itabaiana | Itabaiana, Sergipe | Estádio Etelvino Mendonça |
| Joinville | Joinville, Santa Catarina | Arena Joinville |
| Juventude | Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul | Estádio Alfredo Jaconi |
| Juventus | Mooca, São Paulo | Estádio Rua Javari |
| Mixto | Cuiabá, Mato Grosso | Arena Pantanal |
| Moto Club | São Luís, Maranhão | Castelão |
| Nacional | Manaus, Amazonas | Arena da Amazônia |
| Náutico | Recife, Pernambuco | Estádio dos Aflitos |
| Paraná | Curitiba, Paraná | Estádio Vila Capanema |
| Paysandu | Belém, Pará | Estádio da Curuzu |
| Ponte Preta | Campinas, São Paulo | Estádio Moisés Lucarelli |
| Portuguesa | Pari, São Paulo | Estádio do Canindé |
| Remo | Belém, Pará | Baenão |
| Rio Blanco | Vitória, Espírito Santo | Estádio Kléber Andrade |
| River | Teresina, Piauí | Albertão |
| Santa Cruz | Recife, Pernambuco | Estádio do Arruda |
| Santo André | Santo André, São Paulo | Estádio Bruno José Daniel |
| São Caetano | São Caetano, São Paulo | Estádio Anacleto Campanella |
| São José | São José dos Campos, São Paulo | Estádio Martins Pereira |
| Sport | Recife, Pernambuco | Estádio Ilha do Retiro |
| Taguatinga | Taguatinga, Distrito Federal | Serejão |
| Treze | Campina Grande, Paraíba | Estádio Presidente Vargas |
| Amigão | ||
| União São João | Araras, São Paulo | Estádio Hermínio Ometto |
| Vitória | Salvador, Bahia | Barradão |
Broadcasters[]
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Brazil | |
| Brazil | TV Globo, SporTV, Premiere, Cazé TV |
| International | |
| International | Fanatiz |
| Americas | |
| Caribbean | Flow Sports |
| Latin America | Star+, ESPN |
| Argentina | Fox Sports |
| United States | Paramount+, Vix+ |
| Asia | |
| China | PP Sports |
| Hong Kong Macau |
M Plus |
| Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan |
Q Sport |
| Europe | |
| Austria Germany Liechtenstein Luxembourg Switzerland |
Sportdigital |
| Cyprus | Cablenet Sports |
| Finland | Veikkaus |
| Italy San Marino |
Sportitalia |
| Poland | Polsat Sport |
| Portugal | Canal 11 |
| Russia | Match TV |
| Turkey | D-Smart |
| Middle East and North Africa | |
| Middle East and North Africa | SSC Channels & Shahid |
| Israel | Sport 1 |
| Africa | |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | Startimes Sports |