The 2026 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C is a football competition held in Brazil, equivalent to the third division. It began on 4 April and will end on 25 October 2026.

Twenty teams will compete in the tournament, twelve returning from the 2025 season, four promoted from the 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D (Barra, Inter de Limeira, Maranhão and Santa Cruz) and four relegated from the 2025 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (Amazonas, Ferroviária, Paysandu and Volta Redonda).

Format The first stage will have one group where each team played the other teams in a single round-robin tournament. The top eight teams advance to the second stage, while the bottom two are relegated, as a part of the expansion planned for the division. In the second stage, the teams are divided into two groups of four teams each. Each group will be played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The top two teams of each group will be promoted to the Série B, while the group winners will advance to the finals.

Teams

Pos.Relegated from 2025 Série B17thFerroviária18thAmazonas19thVolta Redonda20thPaysanduPos.Promoted from 2025 Série D1stBarra2ndSanta Cruz3rdInter de Limeira4thMaranhão

Number of teams by state Numberof teams State Team(s)4 Ferroviária, Guarani, Inter de Limeira and Ituano3 Barra, Brusque and Figueirense2 Caxias and Ypiranga Confiança and Itabaiana1 Amazonas Floresta Anápolis Maranhão Paysandu Botafogo-PB Maringá Santa Cruz Volta Redonda

Stadiums and locations Team Home city State Stadium Capacity 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 Arena de Pernambuco 45,500 Volta Redonda Volta Redonda Raulino de Oliveira 20,255 Ypiranga Erechim Colosso da Lagoa 22,000

Personnel and kits TeamHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerKit main sponsorAmazonas Rodrigo Santana Diego IvoOnçaAmazonas Shopping, MOTO FIVEAnápolis Luan Carlos Matheus LagoaKelmeBrejeiroBarra Evaristo Piza Jean PierrePescadorKNN IdiomasBotafogo-PB Victor Ferraz (caretaker) NenêKappaSetai, Pix do Milhão, GirosBETBrusque Higo Magalhães BernardoJunpe UniformesHAVANCaxias William de Mattia Marcelo FreitasCATÊBanrisul, Postos SIMConfiança Ricardo Resende ÍcaroTolledo SportsBanese CardFerroviária Rogério Corrêa RicardinhoLupo SportEsportes da Sorte, BaladAPP, GB TicketsFigueirense Raul Cabral Lucas DiasVolt SportGrupo Liderança, Dominik & DomitekFloresta Leston Júnior DheimisonGolaçoGuarani Umberto Louzer Caíque FrançaReebokÚnica Saúde, ASA Alumínio, RIO Investidora e Construtora, FuracãoInter de Limeira Matheus Costa Miguel BianconiDubal EsportesConstrujá, Xbri Pneus, Lukma ElectricItabaiana Marcelo Chamusca Gustavo CrecciRobracLotese, Banese CardItuano Mazola Júnior Guilherme XavierTolledo SportsADGM Sports, HARAS Coração de CavaloMaranhão Jerson Testoni André RadijaGolkiper Franklin Tendas, Lojas Shartom, Granorte, Estrelas InternetMaringá Ivan Campanari Wendel LomarMaringáCRESOL, Aposta Tudo Bet, UniCesumarPaysandu Júnior Rocha MarcinhoLoboBet dá Sorte, BanparáSanta Cruz Cristian de Souza William AlvesReebokBet dá Sorte, Nord PharmaVolta Redonda Neto Colucci (caretaker) Bruno BarraPratic SportBETesporte, CINBALYpiranga Gabardo Júnior Willian GomesPiensaBanrisul, Aurora, Cavaletti Notes

Coaching changes TeamOutgoing head coachManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming head coachDate of appointmentRefBotafogo-PB Evaristo PizaSigned by Campinense22 September 2025Pre-season Bernardo Franco20 October 2025Itabaiana Gilson KleinaEnd of contract23 September 2025 Roberto Fonseca27 September 2025Anápolis Gabardo Júnior29 September 2025 Ângelo Luiz16 December 2025Inter de Limeira Ademir Fesan7 October 2025 Alberto Félix10 November 2025Caxias Júnior Rocha18 October 2025 Fernando Marchiori29 October 2025Brusque Bernardo FrancoSigned by Botafogo-PB20 October 2025 Higo Magalhães11 November 2025Volta Redonda Neto ColucciEnd of caretaker spell19 November 2025 Rodrigo Santana8 December 2025Paysandu Ignácio Neto23 November 2025 Júnior Rocha24 November 2025Ferroviária Daniel Azambuja Rogério Corrêa5 December 2025Amazonas Aderbal LanaBack to coordinator role30 November 2025 Márcio Fernandes5 January 2026Figueirense Waguinho DiasSacked22 January 2026State leagues Henrique Lima (caretaker)22 January 2026Inter de Limeira Alberto Félix24 January 2026 Waguinho Dias26 January 2026Figueirense Henrique LimaEnd of caretaker spell25 January 2026 Márcio Zanardi25 January 2026Santa Cruz Marcelo CaboSacked26 January 2026 Fábio Cortez (caretaker)27 January 2026Caxias Fernando MarchioriResigned31 January 2026 Marcelo Cabo31 January 2026Botafogo-PB Bernardo FrancoSacked1 February 2026 Lisca2 February 2026Confiança Luizinho Vieira2 February 2026 Ricardo Resende (caretaker)Itabaiana Roberto FonsecaSacked9 February 2026 Ferreira (caretaker)10 February 2026Maringá Rodrigo ChippMutual agreement11 February 2026 Moisés Egert13 February 2026Volta Redonda Rodrigo SantanaSigned by Ponte Preta22 February 2026 Neto Colucci (caretaker)24 February 2026Confiança Ricardo ResendeEnd of caretaker spell25 February 2026 Cláudio CaçapaSanta Cruz Fábio Cortez24 February 2026 Claudinei OliveiraGuarani Matheus Costa26 February 2026Sacked Elio Sizenando11 March 2026Inter de Limeira Waguinho Dias9 March 2026 Matheus CostaBarra Eduardo SouzaSigned by Atlético Goianiense10 March 2026 Rafael Piccinin (caretaker)12 March 2026Amazonas Márcio FernandesSacked13 March 2026 Cristian de Souza14 March 2026Itabaiana FerreiraEnd of caretaker spell16 March 2026 Gilson Kleina16 March 2026Volta Redonda Neto Colucci William de MattiaBarra Rafael Piccinin20 March 2026 Bernardo Franco20 March 2026Anápolis Ângelo LuizSacked12 April 202619th Caio Lucas (caretaker)15 April 2026Figueirense Márcio Zanardi14 April 202614th Raul Cabral16 April 2026Maranhão Marcinho GuerreiroMutual agreement16 April 202615th Jerson TestoniYpiranga Raul CabralSigned by Figueirense5th Téo Chrysosthemos (caretaker)Anápolis Caio LucasEnd of caretaker spell16 April 202620th Evaristo Piza16 April 2026Ypiranga Téo Chrysosthemos21 April 20262nd Gabardo Júnior21 April 2026Volta Redonda William de MattiaSacked27 April 202617th Mário Jorge28 April 2026Botafogo-PB Lisca28 April 20267th Marcelo FernandesSanta Cruz Claudinei Oliveira3 May 202614th Cristian de Souza6 May 2026Itabaiana Gilson KleinaMutual consent4 May 202620th Marcelo ChamuscaAmazonas Cristian de SouzaSigned by Santa Cruz6 May 20261st Lecheva (caretaker)8 May 2026Confiança Cláudio CaçapaSacked10 May 202618th Ricardo Resende (caretaker)10 May 2026Amazonas LechevaEnd of caretaker spell13 May 20263rd Bebeto Sauthier (caretaker)13 May 2026Confiança Ricardo Resende18 May 202616th Thiago Gomes18 May 2026Amazonas Bebeto Sauthier26 May 20265th Rodrigo Santana26 May 2026Anápolis Evaristo PizaMutual agreement16 June 202620th Roberto Fernandes17 June 2026Barra Bernardo FrancoSacked28 June 202617th Evaristo Piza28 June 2026Anápolis Roberto FernandesMutual agreement13 July 202620th Luan Carlos13 July 2026Confiança Thiago GomesSacked15 July 202619th Ricardo Resende15 July 2026Volta Redonda Mário Jorge10 August 202616th Neto Colucci (caretaker)10 August 2026Maringá Moisés Egert11th Ivan Campanari13 August 2026Caxias Marcelo Cabo17 August 20269th William de Mattia17 August 2026Guarani Elio Sizenando23 August 20266th Umberto Louzer24 August 2026Paysandu Júnior Rocha13 September 20264th (Group C) Mazola Júnior14 September 2026Botafogo-PB Marcelo Fernandes26 September 20264th (Group D) Victor Ferraz (caretaker)27 September 2026 Notes

First stage In the first stage, each team played the other nineteen teams in a single round-robin tournament. The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, the following criteria would be used to determine the ranking: 1. Wins; 2. Goal difference; 3. Goals scored; 4. Fewest red cards; 5. Fewest yellow cards; 6. Draw in the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (Regulations Article 16).

The top eight teams advanced to the second stage, while the bottom two were relegated to Série D.

Group A

Results

Second stage In the second stage, each group will be played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The teams will be ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, the following criteria will be used to determine the ranking: 1. Wins; 2. Goal difference; 3. Goals scored; 4. Head-to-head (if the tie was only between two teams); 5. Fewest red cards; 6. Fewest yellow cards; 7. Draw in the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (Regulations Article 20).

The top two teams of each group will be promoted to the Série B. Group winners will advance to the finals.

Group B

Results

Group C

Results

References