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The CBF held the draw for the 2026 Copa Verde groups this Tuesday (3) in the auditorium of its headquarters in Barra da Tijuca (RJ). The regional competition will start on March 25 and end on June 7, with a new format: it will be divided in the first phase into Copa Norte and Copa Centro-Oeste, whose champions will secure direct access to the third phase of the 2027 Copa do Brasil.
This edition maintains the 24 participating clubs, but the number of games increases from 30 to 70, with at least five matches guaranteed for each confirmed team and a maximum of ten games for the finalists. The competition will have four phases: group stage (single round), quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals (with home and away games).
CBF President, Samix Xaud, during the draw for the regional cups groupsCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF
CBF President, Samir Xaud, highlighted that the enhancement of the competition is part of the current administration's policy, which seeks to expand growth opportunities for clubs at the base of the national football pyramid. For this reason, all regional competitions will have guaranteed broadcasts by television stations or streaming platforms. The Copa Verde, for example, will have its games broadcast by Canal do Benja and SportyNet.
“The CBF listened to clubs, federations, market representatives, and relied on the dedication of various internal areas to present a more rational calendar, respecting two fundamental premises: reducing the number of matches played by Serie A clubs and offering more games for the base of the Brazilian football pyramid," said Xaud.
"Today's event is precisely about this second point. We will invigorate our sport in all corners of the country, providing opportunities for clubs to remain active and creating a sustainable environment, which will consequently strengthen the regional cups themselves,” the president added.
Ronei Freitas (center), president of the Goiana Football Federation, will be the regional coordinator of the Copa VerdeCredits: Rafael Ribeiro / CBF
During the draw, Ronei Freitas, president of the Goiana Football Federation (FGF), was also announced as the regional coordinator of the competition.
"It is important to congratulate the CBF for the initiative, for the trust especially from our president Samir, from the new CBF administration, regarding the appreciation of these regional competitions. We must praise this work. And in the draw, we could see that there will be great rivalry, as we saw strong groups, teams with tradition in their states, and consequently, this will enhance the competition," he said.
The draw for the regional cups took place in the CBF auditoriumCredits: Rafael Ribeiro / CBF
Created by the CBF in 2014, this year the competition reaches its 13th edition. This will be the largest Copa Verde in history, with 24 clubs from the North, Central-West regions, and Espírito Santo, divided into two blocks with 12 clubs each: the Copa Norte and the Copa Centro-Oeste. The champion of each will secure a spot in the third phase of the 2027 Copa do Brasil.
Groups
Copa Norte:
Group A
Nacional (AM)
Paysandu (PA)
Independência (AC)
Guaporé (RO)
Trem (AP)
Grêmio Sampaio (RR)
Group B
Amazonas (AM)
Remo (PA)
Galvez (AC)
Gazin Porto Velho (RO)
Águia de Marabá (PA)
Monte Roraima (RR)
Copa Centro-Oeste
Group A
Primavera (MT)
Vila Nova (GO)
Capital (DF)
Rio Branco (ES)
Araguaína (TO)
Operário (MS)
Group B
Cuiabá (MT)
Atlético-GO (GO)
Gama (DF)
Porto Vitória (ES)
Tocantinópolis (TO)
Anápolis (GO)
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.