CBF Brasileiro U20 (Brazil) 2026/27

The Campeonato Brasileiro Sub-20 serves as the premier national league for under-20 football in Brazil. Organized by the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF), the competition sits at the apex of the national youth structure. It was established in 2015 following the end of a partnership with the Federação Gaúcha de Futebol (FGF), though the CBF acknowledges the lineage of the earlier Campeonato Nacional Sub-20 which ran from 2006 to 2014.

The tournament operates on a league format rather than a knockout cup system. Twenty clubs participate, selected according to the CBF National Club Ranking. During the group stage, teams play a single round-robin fixture list. The eight highest-finishing sides progress to a two-legged knockout phase comprising quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final. Conversely, the four lowest-ranked teams face relegation. This structure distinguishes it from the Copa do Brasil Sub-20, which remains an open knockout event involving state champions and lower-division entrants.

Palmeiras holds the record for the most titles since the 2015 rebranding, having won the competition five times. Their victories came in 2018, 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026. Flamengo sits second with two wins, while Cruzeiro, Internacional, Fluminense, Atlético Mineiro and Botafogo have each claimed one title in the modern era. The previous iteration saw Internacional and Cruzeiro as dominant forces, with Internacional securing back-to-back honours in 2008 and 2009 before Grêmio took the next two editions. América Mineiro won in 2011, and Corinthians closed out the pre-2015 period with a victory in 2014. The current champion is Palmeiras, who defeated Vasco da Gama in the 2026 final.

Success in the league carries significant reward. The winner earns qualification for the Copa Libertadores Sub-20, providing a pathway to continental competition for the best young talent in the country. The competition ensures that only Série A clubs can compete, maintaining a high standard of play compared to open tournaments.