 | |
| Founded | 1989 |
|---|---|
| Region | Brazil |
| Number of teams | 92 |
| Qualifier for | Copa Libertadores Supercopa do Brasil |
| Current champions | Flamengo (5th title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Cruzeiro (6 titles) |
| Television broadcasters | Domestic Rede Globo SporTV Premiere Amazon Prime Video International OneFootball |
| Website | cbf.com.br |
 2024 Copa do Brasil | |
The Copa do Brasil (English: Brazil Cup) is a knockout football competition played by 92 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. It is the Brazilian domestic cup and it is the Brazilian equivalent of the FA Cup, Taça de Portugal, Copa del Rey, Scottish Cup and Copa Argentina, even though it has much more prestige and is considered almost as important as the Brazilian League, as the prize money is higher than the Brasileirão's.[1] The Copa do Brasil is an opportunity for teams from smaller states to play against the big teams. The winner of the cup automatically qualifies for the following edition of the Copa Libertadores de América, the most prestigious continental football tournament contested by top clubs in South America organized by CONMEBOL.
Initially the Copa do Brasil was contested by 32 clubs. The field increased to 40 in 1996, increased to 69 by the year of 2000, and stabilized at 64 after 2001 which it remained at until 2012. Clubs from all 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District participate.
From 2001 to 2012, the Copa do Brasil was played in the first half of the year and in those seasons, due to busy scheduling, teams playing in the Copa Libertadores did not participate in the Copa do Brasil in the same year. Thus, the Copa do Brasil champion never defended their title in the next edition, since they would be qualified for the Copa Libertadores that year.
From 2013 to 2015, 87 teams participate in the cup and the teams that compete in the Copa Libertadores join the Copa do Brasil directly in the Round of 16. Also, the best 8 teams from the previous year's Campeonato Brasileiro Série A eliminated up to the third round qualify for Copa Sudamericana. In 2016, the competition was played by 86 clubs. From 2017 to 2020 the cup was contested by 91 teams but in 2021 the number of participants was increased to 92.
Since the 2023 edition, the tournament has been sponsored by Betano and is thus known as the Copa Betano do Brasil for sponsorship reasons.[2]
Cruzeiro is the most successful club, having won the competition six times, followed by Flamengo and Grêmio with 5 titles, Palmeiras with 4, Corinthians with 3, and Atlético Mineiro with 2. Another 11 clubs have won one edition of the competition, resulting in a total of 17 champions. The state with the highest number of titles is São Paulo, with 11. Only two states have champions from more than one city: São Paulo (Jundiaí, Santo André, Santos and São Paulo) and Rio Grande do Sul (Caxias do Sul and Porto Alegre). Rio de Janeiro (Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama) and São Paulo (Palmeiras, Corinthians and São Paulo) are the only cities with more than two champion clubs.
- ^ "Por que a premiação da Copa do Brasil é maior que a do Brasileiro?". UOL (in Brazilian Portuguese). September 25, 2023. Retrieved March 27, 2024.
- ^ Esporte, Redação Máquina do (December 6, 2022). "Copa do Brasil oficializa Betano como dona do title sponsor da competição a partir de 2023 - Futebol". Máquina do Esporte. Retrieved February 8, 2023.