Not to be confused with Serie C
Football league
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série C is the
third tier of the Brazilian football league system.
Unlike the first and second
divisions, the Série C is not played in a double round robin system, arguably because
many participating teams lack the financial conditions to travel long distances. Thus,
the tournament is organized in regional groups and the table prevents teams from
distant states from playing each other in the initial rounds.
Beginning in 2009, the
Série C was reduced from 64 teams to 20 and the new Campeonato Brasileiro Série D is
the qualifier for Brazilian league football. In its current format the first phase was
then played in a single round, with 19 matches. The top eight teams qualify for a knock
out stage and the four semi-finalists are promoted to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série
B. The four lowest-placed teams are relegated to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série
D.
Format history [ edit ]
Until 2008, any professional team could apply, but only 64
teams would take part in the tournament. The teams that had been relegated from the
Série B in the previous year were joined by teams qualified for each federation state.
Qualification rules varied, some federations used the state tournaments as
qualification tournaments, others organized exclusive qualification tournaments to the
Série C.
From 2009 onwards, the qualifiers were played in four groups of five teams
each. In 2011, the final round was played in two groups of four. From 2012, the
competition was played in two groups of ten teams in the first phase, increasing the
number of dates. This format was maintained until 2024, when the competition's
Technical Council decided to make a change in the second phase, reintroducing two
groups of four to determine the promoted teams and finalists, as in 2011. In 2024, in
turn, the first phase was then played in a single round, with 19 matches instead of 18.
The eight best teams qualify for the second phase, which is played in the same format
as before, while the four lowest-placed teams are relegated.
2024 Série C teams [ edit
]
Champions [ edit ]
Official champions [ edit ]
The Campeonato Brasileiro has existed
since 1971. However, there have been many years when no third division tournament took
place. In most cases it was because the two elite divisions had too many clubs (in
1989, for instance, 96 teams contested the second division[1]). The following table
shows the winners and runners-up of the Série C tournaments played from 1981, according
to the Brazilian Football Confederation:[2]
Unofficial champions [ edit ]
The following
season is not officially recognized by the CBF:[2][3]
Titles by team [ edit ]
Titles by
state [ edit ]
Participations [ edit ]
Most appearances [ edit ]
As of 2024
season
Below is the list of clubs that have more appearances in the Campeonato
Brasileiro Série C.
Clubs promoted from Série C [ edit ]
Clubs relegated from Série C [
edit ]
^ [7] Expelled by the sports court. CRAC is spared from relegation.
Topscorers [
edit ]
Winning managers [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
