The Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, commonly known as the Série C or the Brazilian Série C to distinguish it from the Italian Serie 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, and the tournament is organized in a different format.

From 1981 to 2008, it was the lowest national division of the country. However, beginning in 2009, the Série C was reduced from 64 teams to 20 and the new Campeonato Brasileiro Série D was introduced. In its current format, the first phase is played in a single round, with 19 matches. The top eight teams qualify for a second stage and the top two of each 4-team group are promoted to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, and the group winners decide the title. The four lowest-placed teams are relegated to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série D.

History Until 2008, the Série C was the lowest national division of Brazil. The teams that had been relegated from the Série B in the previous year were joined by teams qualified through each state championship, with those being the best teams not in the Série A, Série B or the four relegated to Série C. Qualification rules varied from state to state, with some federations using the state tournaments as qualification tournaments, and others organizing state cups, which served as qualification tournaments to the Série C.

From 2009 onwards, the competition was reduced to 20 teams. In the first format, the first stage was played in four groups of five teams each, and a 8-team knockout phase. 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, with an 8-team knockout stage. This format was maintained until 2020, 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 2022, 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.

There are calls to introduce the same format as the Série A and Série B, however this format hasn't yet been introduced to the competition.

2026 Série C teams TeamHome cityStateStadiumCapacity Amazonas Manaus Municipal Carlos Zamith 5,000 Arena da Amazônia 44,000 Anápolis Anápolis Jonas Duarte 14,000 Barra Itajaí Arena Barra FC 5,500 Botafogo-PB João Pessoa Almeidão 25,770 Brusque Brusque Augusto Bauer 5,000 Caxias Caxias do Sul Centenário 22,132 Confiança Aracaju Batistão 15,575 Ferroviária Araraquara Fonte Luminosa 20,000 Figueirense Florianópolis Orlando Scarpelli 19,584 Floresta Fortaleza Presidente Vargas 20,262 Guarani Campinas Brinco de Ouro 29,130 Inter de Limeira Limeira Major José Levy Sobrinho 23,475 Itabaiana Itabaiana Etelvino Mendonça 12,000 Ituano Itu Novelli Júnior 18,560 Maranhão São Luís Castelão 40,149 Maringá Maringá Willie Davids 16,226 Paysandu Belém Curuzu 16,200 Mangueirão 53,635 Santa Cruz Recife Arruda 60,044 Volta Redonda Volta Redonda Raulino de Oliveira 20,255 Ypiranga Erechim Colosso da Lagoa 22,000

Champions

Official champions 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"Brazil 2nd Level 1989 Divisão Especial" . Rssf.). The following table shows the winners and runners-up of the Série C tournaments played from 1981, according to the Brazilian Football Confederation:

SeasonChampion Runner-up 1981 Olaria Santo Amaro 1982–1987 Not held 1988 União São João Esportivo 1989 Not held 1990 Atlético Goianiense América Mineiro 1991 Not held 1992 Tuna Luso Fluminense de Feira 1993 Not held 1994 Novorizontino Ferroviária 1995 XV de Piracicaba Volta Redonda 1996 Vila Nova Botafogo 1997 Sampaio Corrêa Juventus 1998 Avaí São Caetano 1999 Fluminense São Raimundo 2000 Not held See Copa João Havelange Group Green and White 2001 Etti Jundiaí Mogi Mirim 2002 Brasiliense Marília 2003 Ituano Santo André 2004 União Barbarense Gama 2005 Remo América de Natal 2006 Criciúma Vitória 2007 Bragantino Bahia 2008 Atlético Goianiense Guarani 2009 América Mineiro ASA 2010 ABC Ituiutaba 2011 Joinville CRB 2012 Oeste Icasa 2013 Santa Cruz Sampaio Corrêa 2014 Macaé Paysandu 2015 Vila Nova Londrina 2016 Boa Esporte Guarani 2017 CSA Fortaleza 2018 2019 Náutico Sampaio Corrêa 2020 Vila Nova Remo 2021 Ituano Tombense 2022 Mirassol ABC 2023 Amazonas Brusque 2024 Volta Redonda Athletic 2025 Ponte Preta Londrina

Unofficial champions

The following season is the part corresponding to the third level of the Copa João Havelange, a competition organized by the Clube dos 13, and is not officially recognized by the CBF:

SeasonChampion Runner-upComments2000 Malutrom UberlândiaIt was the Green and White modules of the Copa João Havelange.

Titles by team

Rank Club Winners Winning years1 Vila Nova31996, 2015, 20202 Atlético Goianiense21990, 2008 Ituano2003, 20214 ABC12010 Amazonas2023 América Mineiro2009 Avaí1998 Boa Esporte2016 Brasiliense2002 Criciúma2006 CSA2017 Fluminense1999 Joinville2011 Macaé2014 Mirassol2022 Náutico2019 Novorizontino1994 Oeste2012 Olaria1981 Operário Ferroviário2018 Paulista2001 Ponte Preta2025 Red Bull Bragantino2007 Remo2005 Sampaio Corrêa1997 Santa Cruz2013 Tuna Luso1992 União Barbarense2004 União São João1988 Volta Redonda2024 XV de Piracicaba1995

Titles by state StateNº of titles11 5 43 2 22 1 1 1 1 1 1

Participations Most appearances

Below is the list of clubs that have more appearances in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C.

Club App First Last Confiança 25 1988 2026 Botafogo (PB) 23 1988 2026 Caxias 19 1990 2026 Volta Redonda 18 1988 2026 Ferroviário 17 1988 2024 CSA 16 1990 2025 Tupi 16 1988 2018 Brasil de Pelotas 15 1995 2022 Treze 15 1992 2020 ABC 14 1988 2025 Figueirense 14 1981 2026 Fortaleza 14 1990 2017 Paysandu 14 1990 2026 ASA 13 1992 2017 Madureira 13 1981 2015 Sampaio Corrêa 13 1992 2024 Atlético Goianiense 12 1990 2008 Itabaiana 12 1994 2026 Rio Branco (SP) 12 1994 2006 Ypiranga de Erechim 12 1995 2026

Clubs promoted to Série B

YearClubs1981Olaria1988None1990None1992None1994Novorizontino, Ferroviária1995XV de Piracicaba, Volta Redonda, Gama, Atlético Goianiense, ABC, Joinville1996Vila Nova, Botafogo (SP)1997Sampaio Corrêa, Juventus1998Avaí, São Caetano1999–2000See Copa João Havelange2001Etti Jundiaí, Mogi Mirim, Guarany de Sobral2002Brasiliense, Marília2003Ituano, Santo André2004União Barbarense, Gama2005Remo, América de Natal2006Criciúma, Vitória, Ipatinga, Grêmio Barueri2007Bragantino, Bahia, Vila Nova, ABC2008Atlético Goianiense, Guarani, Campinense, Duque de Caxias2009América Mineiro, ASA, Guaratinguetá, Icasa2010ABC, Ituiutaba, Criciúma, Salgueiro2011Joinville, CRB, Ipatinga, América de Natal2012Oeste, Icasa, Chapecoense, Paysandu2013Santa Cruz, Sampaio Corrêa, Luverdense, Vila Nova2014Macaé, Paysandu, Mogi Mirim, CRB2015Vila Nova, Londrina, Tupi, Brasil de Pelotas2016Boa Esporte, Guarani, ABC, Juventude2017CSA, Fortaleza, Sampaio Corrêa, São Bento2018Operário Ferroviário, Cuiabá, Botafogo (SP), Bragantino2019Náutico, Sampaio Corrêa, Juventude, Confiança2020Vila Nova, Remo, Brusque, Londrina2021Ituano, Tombense, Novorizontino, Criciúma2022Mirassol, ABC, Botafogo (SP), Vitória2023Amazonas, Brusque, Operário Ferroviário, Paysandu2024Volta Redonda, Athletic, Ferroviária, Remo2025Ponte Preta, Londrina, Náutico, São Bernardo

Clubs relegated to Série D

YearClubs2010Alecrim, Juventude, Gama, São Raimundo (PA)2011Campinense, Marília, Brasil de Pelotas, Araguaína2012Salgueiro, Santo André, Guarany de Sobral, Tupi2013Betim, Brasiliense, Grêmio Barueri, Baraúnas, Rio Branco (AC)2014São Caetano, Treze, CRAC, Duque de Caxias2015Águia de Marabá, Madureira, Icasa, Caxias2016América de Natal, Portuguesa, Ríver, Guaratinguetá2017Moto Club, Macaé, ASA, Mogi Mirim2018Tupi, Juazeirense, Salgueiro, Joinville2019ABC, Globo, Luverdense, Atlético Acreano2020Treze, São Bento, Boa Esporte, Imperatriz2021Jacuipense, Paraná, Santa Cruz, Oeste2022Atlético Cearense, Brasil de Pelotas, Ferroviário, Campinense2023Manaus, América de Natal, Altos, Pouso Alegre2024Sampaio Corrêa, Aparecidense, Ferroviário, São José (RS)2025CSA, ABC, Retrô, Tombense2026Itabaiana, Confiança

Topscorers

YearPlayer (team)Goals1981Fabinho (Santo Amaro) Pedro Müller (São Borja)51988Kel (União São João)91990Júlio César (Atlético Goianiense)101992Jorge Veras (Ferroviário-CE)91994Rogerinho (Caldas)51995Serginho (XV de Piracicaba)61996Marcelinho (Rio Branco-SP)161997Marcelo Baron (Sampaio Corrêa)91998Fabrício (Anapolina)141999Aldrovani (Figueirense)142000Murilo (Tuna Luso)102001Edmilson (Brasiliense) Jean Carlos (Etti Jundiaí) Rodrigo Ayres (Atlético Goianiense)142002Túlio Maravilha (Brasiliense) Wellington Dias (Brasiliense)112003Nílson Sergipano (Botafogo-PB)112004Frontini (União Barbarense) Marciano (Limoeiro) Vítor (Gama)102005Paulinho Marília (América-RN)102006Sorato (Bahia)162007Túlio Maravilha (Vila Nova)272008Marcão (Atlético Goianiense)252009Marciano (Icasa) Nena (ASA)82010Bruno Rangel (Paysandu)82011Ronaldo Capixaba (Joinville)112012Dênis Marques (Santa Cruz)112013Assisinho (Fortaleza)122014Ytalo (Guaratinguetá)122015Guilherme Queiróz (Portuguesa)122016Jones Carioca (ABC)122017Rafael Grampola (Joinville)132018Caio Dantas (Botafogo-SP)112019Eduardo (Treze) Luiz Eduardo (São José-RS) Negueba (Globo) Salatiel (Sampaio Corrêa)82020Thiago Alagoano (Brusque)122021Diego Quirino (Ypiranga de Erechim)102022Alex Henrique (Aparecidense)122023Sassá (Amazonas)182024Kayke (São Bernardo) Paulo Sérgio (Náutico)102025Iago Teles (Londrina) Jonas Toró (Ponte Preta)8

Winning managers YearManagerClub1981DuqueOlaria1988José DuarteUnião São João1990Homero CavalheiroAtlético Goianiense1992Nélio PereiraTuna Luso1994José TeixeiraNovorizotino1995VadãoXV de Piracicaba1996Roberval DavinoVila Nova1997PinhoSampaio Corrêa1998Roberto CavaloAvaí1999Carlos Alberto ParreiraFluminense2000Amauri KnevitzMalutron2001GibaEtti Jundiaí2002Gérson AndreottiBrasiliense2003Ruy ScarpinoItuano2004Sérgio FariasUnião Barbarense2005Roberval Davino (2)Remo2006Guilherme MacugliaCriciúma2007Marcelo VeigaBragantino2008Mauro FernandesAtlético Goianiense2009Givanildo OliveiraAmérica Mineiro2010Leandro CamposABC2011ArturzinhoJoinville2012Luís Carlos MartinsOeste2013VicaSanta Cruz2014Josué TeixeiraMacaé2015Márcio FernandesVila Nova2016Ney da MattaBoa Esporte2017Flávio AraújoCSA2018Gerson GusmãoOperário Ferroviário2019Gilmar Dal PozzoNáutico2020Márcio Fernandes (2)Vila Nova2021Mazola JúniorItuano2022Ricardo CataláMirassol2023Luizinho VieiraAmazonas2024Rogério CorrêaVolta Redonda2025Marcelo FernandesPonte Preta

See also Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the main division of Brazilian football Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, the second division of Brazilian football Campeonato Brasileiro Série D, the fourth division of Brazilian football

References

External links CBF - Brazilian Football Confederation RSSSF Brazil links