Table coming soon….
This page explains how the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A standings work — the top division of Brazilian football — so the live table below makes sense at a glance. The table updates automatically as each round is played; read on for the format, what every position earns (the title, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana and relegation), how clubs level on points are separated, and the key dates of the current season.
How the Série A table is decided
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A is a 20-team league settled entirely on the table — there is no final and no play-off. Across the season each club plays every other club twice, home and away, over 38 rounds and 380 matches in total; this home-and-away format is called a double round-robin. Clubs earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 for a loss, and the standings run from most points at the top to fewest at the bottom. Whoever leads the table after the 38th round is champion.
The line-up refreshes every year: the four clubs relegated to Série B are replaced by the four promoted from it, keeping the division at 20. If league tables are new to you, our guide on how to read a sports standings table walks through every column, and the standings table abbreviations glossary explains labels such as P, W, D, L, GD and Pts.
Quick Facts
| Competition | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (Brazil’s top division) |
|---|---|
| Teams | 20 |
| Format | Double round-robin — 38 rounds, 380 matches |
| Points | Win 3 · Draw 1 · Loss 0 |
| Title decided by | League table only — no final or play-off |
| Continental places | Top 5 → 2027 Copa Libertadores; next 6 → 2027 Copa Sudamericana |
| Relegation | Bottom 4 (17th–20th) to Série B |
| 2026 season | 28 January – 2 December 2026 |
What each position in the table means
Each place in the Série A standings carries a consequence, from the title at the top to relegation at the foot. The ranges below are the rules set for the current (2026) season — the continental places in particular changed this year.
The champion
First place wins the Campeonato Brasileiro. Because the title is decided on points alone, the top club is confirmed as soon as no one can catch it mathematically; there is no grand final to follow.
Copa Libertadores places
The top five finishers qualify for the 2027 Copa Libertadores, South America’s top club competition. For 2026 the Brazilian federation (CBF) cut the league’s direct allocation from six to five: the top four enter the group stage and the fifth-placed club enters the preliminary (qualifying) round. The Copa do Brasil champion and runner-up take two further Brazilian berths, so the exact league cut-off can shift if a cup finalist also finishes high in the table.
Copa Sudamericana places
The next six best-placed clubs that have not already qualified for the Libertadores go to the 2027 Copa Sudamericana, South America’s second-tier club competition. In practice that is usually sixth to eleventh, but the band moves up or down depending on where the Copa do Brasil finalists land.
Relegation places
The bottom four clubs — 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th — are relegated to Série B for the following season. There is no relegation play-off: the drop is decided purely by final league position, and those four are replaced by the top four from Série B.
Table Places Explained
| Position | What it earns (2026 season) |
|---|---|
| 1st | Champion — plus Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 2nd–4th | Copa Libertadores group stage |
| 5th | Copa Libertadores preliminary (qualifying) round |
| 6th–11th* | Copa Sudamericana |
| 12th–16th | Stay in Série A — no continental place |
| 17th–20th | Relegated to Série B |
*The exact continental bands shift if the Copa do Brasil champion or runner-up finishes inside the top five, as those places pass down the table.
How ties are broken
When two or more clubs finish level on points, the CBF regulation separates them using a fixed order of tiebreakers. For the 2026 season the published criteria are applied in this sequence:
- Most wins
- Best goal difference
- Most goals scored
- Head-to-head record between the tied clubs
- Fewest red cards, then fewest yellow cards (a fair-play count, used mainly when more than two clubs are tied)
- A draw conducted by the CBF, only if every criterion above still leaves clubs level
Goal difference and goals scored do most of the work in practice. The same principle shows up across football, but the exact chain is set per competition and per season — our explainer on how points and tiebreakers work covers why these rules vary.
Key 2026 dates and how the season ends
The 2026 Série A runs from 28 January to 2 December 2026 across its 38 rounds, with a roughly six-week break in the middle of the year for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The schedule is stretched around that pause, so the rounds are not spread evenly month to month.
There is no showpiece finale: the title, the continental places and relegation are all settled on the final matchday by league position. If clubs are level on points when the last round ends, the tiebreakers above decide the order — which is why goal difference can matter right up to the final whistle.
Following the Campeonato Brasileiro from New Zealand
Kick-off times suit NZ mornings. Brazil’s domestic clock (Brasília time) runs 15 hours behind New Zealand during NZ winter (NZST) and 16 hours behind during NZ summer (NZDT). A Sunday-evening kick-off of, say, 18:30 in Brazil lands at roughly 10:30 on Monday in NZ summer, or about 09:30 in NZ winter; a weeknight 21:30 match falls near lunchtime the next day.
We could not confirm a dedicated New Zealand free-to-air or pay-TV deal for the Brasileirão. Internationally (outside Brazil) the league’s live matches are distributed by the subscription streaming service Fanatiz, but coverage and pricing vary by country, so check Fanatiz directly for current New Zealand availability before subscribing. The no-cost way to keep up is the live table on this page and the CBF’s official updates. If you follow European football too, you can compare systems with our Premier League standings page, and our hub of sports standings and results links to every competition we cover.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How many teams are in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A?
Twenty clubs. They play a double round-robin — every team meets every other team home and away — for 38 rounds and 380 matches in a season.
How is the Brasileirão champion decided?
By points. The club with the most points after all 38 rounds is champion; there is no final or play-off. If clubs are level on points, tiebreakers (most wins, then goal difference, then goals scored, then head-to-head) decide the order.
How many teams are relegated from Série A?
Four. The clubs finishing 17th to 20th drop to Série B for the next season, with no relegation play-off, and are replaced by the four promoted from Série B.
Which positions qualify for the Copa Libertadores?
In the 2026 season the top five do: the top four go to the Libertadores group stage and the fifth-placed club to the preliminary round, with the Copa do Brasil champion and runner-up taking two more Brazilian places.
When does the 2026 Campeonato Brasileiro season end?
The final round is scheduled for 2 December 2026. The title, continental spots and relegation are all confirmed on that last matchday from the final table.