# 1961 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A

The 1961 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (officially the 1961 Taça Brasil) was the 4th edition of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. It began on July 12, 1961, and ended on December 27, 1961. Santos were crowned champions after beating Bahia in the final, drawing 1–1 in the home leg before winning 5–1 in the away leg.

## Format

The competition was a single elimination knockout tournament featuring two-legged ties, with a Tie-Break (play-off) if the sides were tied on points (however, if the tie-break was a draw, the aggregate score of the first two legs was used to determine the winner).

## Teams

Eighteen state champions qualified, along with the 1960 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A champions, Palmeiras.
| Team | Home city |
| ABC | Natal |
| América-RJ | Rio de Janeiro |
| Bahia | Salvador |
| Campinense | Campina Grande |
| Coritiba | Curitiba |
| Cruzeiro | Belo Horizonte |
| CSA | Maceió |
| Fonseca | Niterói |
| Fortaleza | Fortaleza |
| Grêmio | Porto Alegre |
| Metropol | Criciúma |
| Moto Club | São Luís |
| Náutico | Recife |
| Palmeiras | São Paulo |
| Remo | Belém |
| Santa Cruz-SE | Estância |
| Santo Antônio | Vitória |
| Santos | Santos |

## Northern Zone
### Northeastern Group

| Semi-Final | Semi-Final | Semi-Final | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Santa Cruz-SE | 0 : 4 | Bahia | 1 - 3 | 0 - 2 |
| CSA | 0 : 4 | Campinense | 2 - 3 | 1 - 2 |
| Final | Final | Final | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Campinense | 0 : 4 | Bahia | 0 - 3 | 0 - 1 |

### Northern Group

| 1st Round | 1st Round | 1st Round | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Fortaleza | 3 : 1 | ABC | 3 - 1 | 1 - 1 |
| Remo | 3 : 1 | Moto Club | 4 - 0 | 3 - 3 |
| Final | Final | Final | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Tie-break |
| Remo | 2 : 2 | Fortaleza | 1 - 0 | 1 - 2 | 0 - 2 |

### Northern Zone Final

| | | | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Bahia | 4 : 0 | Fortaleza | 2 - 0 | 3 - 2 |

## Southern Zone
### Southern Group

| Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Tie-break |
| Palmeiras | 2 : 2 | Coritiba | 2 - 0 | 1 - 3 | 4 - 1 |
| Metropol | 2 : 2 | Grêmio | 1 - 6 | 3 - 2 | 1 - 3 |
| Final | Final | Final | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Grêmio | 1 : 3 | Palmeiras | 0 - 3 | 1 - 1 |

### Eastern Group

| Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Semi-Finals | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Santo Antônio | 0 : 4 | Cruzeiro | 1 - 2 | 1 - 3 |
| Fonseca | 1 : 3 | América-RJ | 0 - 0 | 0 - 3 |
| Final | Final | Final | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| América-RJ | 3 : 1 | Cruzeiro | 2 - 1 | 1 - 1 |

### Southern Zone Final

| | | | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Palmeiras | 1 : 3 | América-RJ | 1 - 1 | 1 - 2 |

## National Semi-Finals

Santos and Náutico entered at this stage.
| | | | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg | Tie-break |
| América-RJ | 2 : 2 | Santos | 2 - 6 | 1 - 0 | 1 - 6 |
| Náutico | 1 : 3 | Bahia | 0 - 0 | 0 - 1 | — |

## National Final

| | | | Scores | Scores | Scores |
| | Points | | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Bahia | 1 : 3 | Santos | 1 - 5 | 1 - 1 |