Copinha 2026 starts today with record number of debutant clubs

The 56th edition of the São Paulo Junior Football Cup, affectionately known as Copinha, will begin this Friday with six matches. The most traditional grassroots competition in Brazilian football, known for revealing talents, it will have 22 beginner teams and one major absentee: Flamengo. For seven years, no club from Rio has won the tournament. La Copinha 2026 takes place from January 2 to 25.

The red-black team chose to use the Campeonato Carioca youth team, due to the format of the 2026 calendar. The team has four titles. The current champion, São Paulo, has five, while Corinthians, with 11 titles, are the biggest winners.

Even with the increase in the number of teams, the competition pattern follows the pattern of recent years. The 128 teams were divided into 32 groups, with four teams in each group. After three rounds of the group stage, the top two advance to the knockout stage. All matches will take place in cities in the state of São Paulo.

The knockout stage will be a single match, with five stages until the big decision. The final is scheduled for January 25, the anniversary of the city of São Paulo, at the Pacaembu Arena.

One of the newcomers will play the opening match of the Copinha, at 8:45 a.m. (Brasília time), Meia-Noite will face Real-RR, at the Patrocínio Paulista, kicking off the duels of the competition.

Kadir celebrates the equalizing goal — Photo: Vitor Silva/Botafogo

The club is the only one among the four big clubs in Rio to aim for its first title. To achieve this, the team has players who trained with the main team, such as Panamanian striker Kadir Barría, goalkeeper Cristhian Loor, attacking midfielder Zapellini, defender Marquinhos and striker Kayan Toledo. The team will start on Sunday, at 11 a.m., against Águia de Maraba.

Riquelme was Fluminense's best player during the team's debut at Carioca 2025 — Photo: Lucas Merçon/Fluminense — Riquelme was Fluminense’s best player during the team’s debut at Carioca 2025 — Photo: Lucas Merçon/Fluminense

In tricolor the logic will be similar. Other promising names in the competition are right-back Júlio Fidélis and midfielders Riquelme Felipe and Wallace Davi. All three are already competing in matches with professionals, but are only expected to enter more important stages of the tournament. Like São Paulo and Internacional, the team has five titles. The team will face Água Santa on Monday, at 9:30 p.m.

Luiz Lócio, highest point of the Vasco base — Photo: Vinicius Gentil/ Vasco

Cruz-Maltino starts this Saturday (3/1) against Velo Clube, at 7:30 p.m. (Brasilia time). And one of the strong points of the team is the striker Luiz Lócio, the player originally from Resende who was signed by Vasco for more than 3.7 million reais, or 60% of the economic rights of the athlete. It is nevertheless possible that he will be absent from the team during some matches, just as it is also likely that he will be tested in the professional championship.