Fortaleza closes women’s team after men’s relegation to Serie B

A historic year on the pitch ended with a melancholic result behind the scenes for the Fortaleza ‘Leoas’. The club officially announced, Monday evening (29), the closure of the activities of its women’s team for the 2026 season. The radical decision by Sociedade Anônima do Futebol (SAF) is a direct consequence of the relegation of the men’s team to Serie B of the Brazilian Championship. This condition imposed on the institution a new reality of budgetary restrictions.

In an official note, the Tricolor board of directors justified this measure by invoking the need to guarantee the “financial responsibility” and “overall sustainability” of the club in the face of declining revenues. He also stated that he was looking for alternatives and ways to keep this modality active, but the lack of specific resources made the operation unfeasible within the required parameters.

The Club was experiencing a historic moment in the category

The selection takes place precisely at the time of the greatest rise in the history of women’s football in Fortaleza. The 2025 season was marked by significant achievements. First, the team became champions of Ceará by defeating Ceará, its biggest rival. Shortly after, he won the title of the first edition of the Copa Maria Bonita, a tournament which brought together clubs from all over the North East. The “Lioens” beat Sport in the final. But the most important achievement was the unprecedented access to the Brazilian A1 Championship, placing the club in the elite of the national sport.

Initially, the withdrawal will lead to serious sporting consequences in addition to the dismantling of the team. CBF regulations provide that in the event of withdrawal from the Brasileirão A1 competition, Fortaleza is automatically suspended for two years from any competition organized by the entity. This measure also ends a cycle in which the club fulfilled Conmebol’s obligation to maintain a women’s team by participating in tournaments such as Libertadores and Sul-Americana. The men’s team has been participating in these tournaments for six years.

Finally, in the farewell statement, the SAF described the decision as “extremely difficult” and recognized the legacy left by the athletes and coaching staff. Fortaleza ends the note by thanking professionals for their commitment and reinforcing the commitment to transparency, even in the face of unpopular choices.

Official note from Fortaleza:

“With responsibility, transparency and respect for all professionals involved, we communicate that Fortaleza Esporte Clube SAF will not continue the women’s football project in 2026.

We emphasize that the management has made every possible effort to maintain the modality, seeking alternatives, solutions and paths that would allow the project to continue in a sustainable manner. However, as determined by the SAF, given the current scenario of budgetary restrictions, lack of specific resources and financial inability to maintain the modality within the required parameters, it decided to interrupt the activities.

This is an extremely difficult decision, which recognizes the importance of women’s football, the commitment of the professionals involved and the history built so far. However, it is necessary to guarantee the financial responsibility, operational balance and overall sustainability of the club at this time.

We deeply thank everyone who was part of this project, such as the athletes, technical committee, collaborators and staff, for the dedication, professionalism and commitment demonstrated throughout the process. The work carried out leaves an important legacy and deserves our respect and recognition.

We remain committed to transparency, dialogue and respect for the people who build Fortaleza every day, certain that difficult decisions are also part of responsible management.

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