# 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. 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 during 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.
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.

## Format

The competition is a single elimination knockout tournament featuring two-legged ties (in the third round onwards). In the first two rounds, the winner is known after a single leg. The first round is played in the lowest ranked team stadium, with the away team having a draw advantage to qualify.
Since the tournament's creation in 1989, the winner of the tournament qualifies for the next year's Copa Libertadores de América.

### Teams

| Round | Clubs remaining | Clubs involved | From previous round | Entries in this round | Teams entering at this round |
| First round | 80 | 80 | 80 | none | 70 best-placed state championships, cups and qualifiers teams (if not qualified for third round) (see below) 10 best-placed teams on the CBF ranking |
| Second round | 40 | 40 | 40 | none | |
| Third round | 32 | 32 | 20 | 12 | Non-random slots Defending champions Last year Série A champions Last year Série A runners-up Last year Série A 3rd place Last year Série A 4th place Last year Série A 5th place Last year Série A 6th place Last year Série B champions Last year Copa do Nordeste champions Last year Copa Verde champions Random slots Last year Brazilian Copa Libertadores champions Last year Brazilian Copa Sudamericana champions Last year Série A 7th place Last year Série A 8th place Last year Série A 9th place |
| Round of 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | none | |
| Quarter-finals | 8 | 8 | 8 | none | |
| Semi-finals | 4 | 4 | 4 | none | |
| Final | 2 | 2 | 2 | none | |

### State championships, cups and qualifiers

| State | Clubs qualified | Teams entering |
| Acre | 2 | Last year Campeonato Acreano champions Last year Campeonato Acreano runners-up |
| Alagoas | 3 | Last year Campeonato Alagoano champions Last year Campeonato Alagoano runners-up Last year Campeonato Alagoano 3rd place |
| Amapá | 2 | Last year Campeonato Amapaense champions Last year Campeonato Amapaense runners-up |
| Amazonas | 2 | Last year Campeonato Amazonense champions Last year Campeonato Amazonense runners-up |
| Bahia | 3 | Last year Campeonato Baiano champions Last year Campeonato Baiano runners-up Last year Campeonato Baiano 3rd place |
| Ceará | 3 | Last year Campeonato Cearense champions Last year Campeonato Cearense runners-up Last year Copa Fares Lopes champions |
| Distrito Federal | 2 | Last year Campeonato Brasiliense champions Last year Campeonato Brasiliense runners-up |
| Espírito Santo | 2 | Last year Campeonato Capixaba champions Last year Copa Espírito Santo champions |
| Goiás | 3 | Last year Campeonato Goiano champions Last year Campeonato Goiano runners-up Last year Campeonato Goiano 3rd place |
| Maranhão | 3 | Last year Campeonato Maranhense champions Last year Campeonato Maranhense runners-up Last year Campeonato Maranhense 3rd place |
| Mato Grosso | 3 | Last year Campeonato Mato-Grossense champions Last year Campeonato Mato-Grossense runners-up Last year Copa FMF champions |
| Mato Grosso do Sul | 2 | Last year Campeonato Sul-Mato-Grossense champions Last year Campeonato Sul-Mato-Grossense runners-up |
| Minas Gerais | 5 | Last year Campeonato Mineiro champions Last year Campeonato Mineiro runners-up Last year Campeonato Mineiro 3rd place Last year Campeonato Mineiro 4th place Last year Troféu Inconfidência champions |
| Pará | 3 | Last year Campeonato Paraense champions Last year Campeonato Paraense runners-up Last year Campeonato Paraense 3rd place |
| Paraíba | 2 | Last year Campeonato Paraibano champions Last year Campeonato Paraibano runners-up |
| Paraná | 5 | Last year Campeonato Paranaense champions Last year Campeonato Paranaense runners-up Last year Campeonato Paranaense 3rd place Last year Campeonato Paranaense 4th place Last year Campeonato Paranaense 5th place |
| Pernambuco | 3 | Last year Campeonato Pernambucano champions Last year Campeonato Pernambucano runners-up Last year Campeonato Pernambucano 3rd place |
| Piauí | 2 | Last year Campeonato Piauiense champions Last year Campeonato Piauiense runners-up |
| Rio de Janeiro | 6 | Non-random slots Last year Campeonato Carioca champions Last year Campeonato Carioca runners-up Last year Campeonato Carioca 3rd place Last year Campeonato Carioca 4th place Last year Taça Rio champions Random slots Last year Copa Rio champions Last year Copa Rio runners-up The champion can choose to compete in the Copa do Brasil or Série D. The runner-up will take the remaining spot.) |
| Rio Grande do Norte | 2 | Last year Campeonato Potiguar champions Last year Campeonato Potiguar runners-up |
| Rio Grande do Sul | 5 | Last year Campeonato Gaúcho champions Last year Campeonato Gaúcho runners-up Last year Campeonato Gaúcho 3rd place Last year Campeonato Gaúcho 4th place Last year Copa FGF champions |
| Rondônia | 2 | Last year Campeonato Rondoniense champions Last year Campeonato Rondoniense runners-up |
| Roraima | 2 | Last year Campeonato Roraimense champions Last year Campeonato Roraimense runners-up |
| Santa Catarina | 3 | Last year Campeonato Catarinense champions Last year Campeonato Catarinense runners-up Last year Copa Santa Catarina champions |
| São Paulo | 6 | Non-random slots Last year Campeonato Paulista champions Last year Campeonato Paulista runners-up Last year Campeonato Paulista 3rd place Last year Campeonato Paulista 4th place Last year Taça Independência champions Random slots Last year Copa Paulista champions Last year Copa Paulista runners-up The champion can choose to compete in the Copa do Brasil or Série D. The runner-up will take the remaining spot.) |
| Sergipe | 2 | Last year Campeonato Sergipano champions Last year Campeonato Sergipano runners-up |
| Tocantins | 2 | Last year Campeonato Tocantinense champions Last year Campeonato Tocantinense runners-up |

### Eligible teams

The eligible teams to compete in the Copa do Brasil are the previous year's Copa do Brasil champion, the 70 best-placed clubs in the state championships (in which the number of spots per state range from one to five clubs), the top six clubs from the previous year's Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the Copa do Nordeste (Northeast Cup) champion, the Copa Verde (Green Cup) champion, the ten highest-ranked clubs in CBF's ranking not already qualified, and two of the following: the Brazilian champion of the most recent Copa Libertadores (if there is one), the Brazilian champion of the most recent Copa Sudamericana (if there is one), the 7th place team of Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, or the champion of Campeonato Brasileiro Série B.
The 7 Brazilians teams in the Copa Libertadores da América, the best placed teams in the previous year's Série A and Série B (or the champion of Copa Libertadores and/or Copa Sudamericana, if it is a Brazilian team) and Copa do Nordeste and Copa Verde's Title Holders will join the Copa do Brasil directly in Round of 16.

## History

Winners Copa do Brasil :
| Season | Winners |
| 1989 | Grêmio |
| 1990 | Flamengo |
| 1991 | Criciúma |
| 1992 | Internacional |
| 1993 | Cruzeiro |
| 1994 | Grêmio (2) |
| 1995 | Corinthians |
| 1996 | Cruzeiro (2) |
| 1997 | Grêmio (3) |
| 1998 | Palmeiras |
| 1999 | Juventude |
| 2000 | Cruzeiro (3) |
| 2001 | Grêmio (4) |
| 2002 | Corinthians (2) |
| 2003 | Cruzeiro (4) |
| 2004 | Santo André |
| 2005 | Paulista |
| 2006 | Flamengo (2) |
| 2007 | Fluminense |
| 2008 | Sport Recife |
| 2009 | Corinthians (3) |
| 2010 | Santos |
| 2011 | Vasco da Gama |
| 2012 | Palmeiras (2) |
| 2013 | Flamengo (3) |
| 2014 | Atlético Mineiro |
| 2015 | Palmeiras (3) |
| 2016 | Grêmio (5) |
| 2017 | Cruzeiro (5) |
| 2018 | Cruzeiro (6) |
| 2019 | Athletico Paranaense |
| 2020 | Palmeiras (4) |
| 2021 | Atlético Mineiro (2) |
| 2022 | Flamengo (4) |
| 2023 | São Paulo |
| 2024 | Flamengo (5) |
The Copa do Brasil was created in 1989 to appease the state soccer federations with fewer large and traditional clubs on the national stage, whose representatives would hardly have the opportunity to face big clubs during the year. This concern arose after a decrease in the number of participants in the 1987 Campeonato Brasileiro, when 13 of the biggest clubs in Brazil broke away to form the Copa União (Union Cup) in response to the CBF's financial difficulties.
The creation of this competition was designed to promote the state championships in the North, Northeast and Central West regions of Brazil, which were no longer represented in the Brazilian Championship. Copa do Brasil is of high importance for the medium and small clubs in these regions who now, at least theoretically, have a path to qualify for the Copa Libertadores.
The first edition of the Copa do Brasil took place in 1989. The first goal in the cup's history was scored by Alcindo Sartori in a 2–0 victory by Flamengo over Paysandu. Gremio were the first champion, qualifying to compete in the 1990 Copa Libertadores.
From 1989 to 1993, the champion of that year took home the trophy. In 1994 it was determined that the club that won the Copa do Brasil three times would have final possession of the cup. This happened in 2001 with Grêmio (after winning in 1994, 1997 and 2001).
Thus, for the 2002 Copa do Brasil a new trophy was contested, which remained until 2007 with no club earning its final possession.
By winning the 2003 Copa do Brasil and the 2003 Campeonato Brasileiro, Cruzeiro won both the domestic cup and domestic league in the same year, a feat that was matched only once in Brazilian football by Atlético Mineiro in 2021. Atlético has also won the 2021 Campeonato Mineiro, their state championship, as Cruzeiro did in 2003, completing the domestic treble (State league, national league and cup).
In 2008, a new trophy was instituted for the Copa do Brasil. In that same year Sport Recife became the first and so far only club from outside the Southeast Region or the South Region to win the competition. The North Region and Center-West regions have had no representative win the cup so far.
Grêmio's victory over Atletico Mineiro in the first leg of the 2016 Copa do Brasil final was the first time ever that a visiting club won the first leg of the Copa do Brasil final, in the 28 editions of the competition.
The number of participating teams has varied during the competition's history, based on the number of teams that qualify through their state federation's league tournament. From 1989 to 1994, 32 teams participated. That number was increased in 1995 to 36 teams, in 1996 to 40 teams, and in 1997 to 45 teams. 42 teams participated in 1998, 65 in 1999 and 69 in 2000.
From 2001 to 2012, the format was consolidated to 64 teams, without teams that participated in the Copa Libertadores that year due to conflict of dates.
In 2013, CBF presented a new cup trophy to replace the trophy in dispute since 2008. The champion gets permanent possession of the trophy and an identical trophy will be produced for the following year. Also in 2013, the tournament format was expanded again to 87 teams, which remained through 2014 and 2015. Under the new format, teams participating in Copa Libertadores again competed in the Copa do Brasil, entering the tournament directly into the Round of 16. In 2016 the number of participants was increased to 86, in 2017 to 91 and in 2021 to 92.

## Sponsorship

| Years | Official Sponsor | Name |
| 2009–2012 | Kia Motors | Copa Kia do Brasil |
| 2013 | Perdigão | Copa Perdigão do Brasil |
| 2014–2015 | Sadia | Copa Sadia do Brasil |
| 2016–2020 | Continental | Copa Continental do Brasil |
| 2021–2022 | Intelbras | Copa Intelbras do Brasil |
| 2023– | Betano | Copa Betano do Brasil |

## Records and statistics
### Finalists

| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
| Cruzeiro | 6 | 2 | 1993, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2017, 2018 | 1998, 2014 |
| Flamengo | 5 | 5 | 1990, 2006, 2013, 2022, 2024 | 1997, 2003, 2004, 2017, 2023 |
| Grêmio | 5 | 4 | 1989, 1994, 1997, 2001, 2016 | 1991, 1993, 1995, 2020 |
| Palmeiras | 4 | 1 | 1998, 2012, 2015, 2020 | 1996 |
| Corinthians | 3 | 4 | 1995, 2002, 2009 | 2001, 2008, 2018, 2022 |
| Atlético Mineiro | 2 | 2 | 2014, 2021 | 2016, 2024 |
| Internacional | 1 | 2 | 1992 | 2009, 2019 |
| Fluminense | 1 | 2 | 2007 | 1992, 2005 |
| Athletico Paranaense | 1 | 2 | 2019 | 2013, 2021 |
| Sport | 1 | 1 | 2008 | 1989 |
| Santos | 1 | 1 | 2010 | 2015 |
| Vasco da Gama | 1 | 1 | 2011 | 2006 |
| São Paulo | 1 | 1 | 2023 | 2000 |
| Criciúma | 1 | 0 | 1991 | — |
| Juventude | 1 | 0 | 1999 | — |
| Santo André | 1 | 0 | 2004 | — |
| Paulista | 1 | 0 | 2005 | — |
| Coritiba | 0 | 2 | — | 2011, 2012 |
| Goiás | 0 | 1 | — | 1990 |
| Ceará | 0 | 1 | — | 1994 |
| Botafogo | 0 | 1 | — | 1999 |
| Brasiliense | 0 | 1 | — | 2002 |
| Figueirense | 0 | 1 | — | 2007 |
| Vitória | 0 | 1 | — | 2010 |

### Performance by State

| State | Won | Runner-up |
| São Paulo | 11 | 7 |
| Minas Gerais | 8 | 4 |
| Rio de Janeiro | 7 | 9 |
| Rio Grande do Sul | 7 | 6 |
| Paraná | 1 | 4 |
| Pernambuco | 1 | 1 |
| Santa Catarina | 1 | 1 |
| Bahia | 0 | 1 |
| Ceará | 0 | 1 |
| Distrito Federal | 0 | 1 |
| Goiás | 0 | 1 |