Keep track of which clubs will be competing in each tournament.
After a two-month layoff in December and January, Brazilian football fans are eager to learn when matches will return. With the start of the state championships in January, it won’t be long until some games start.
Sambafoot will go through the national football calendar for 2022, highlighting the most crucial elements such as when the big events start and finish, and which teams are the favorites to win them all.
Championships at the state level
The traditional state championships, which have been conducted in Brazil for over a century, now serve as the official start to the football season. The most powerful tournaments, as well as the oldest and most popular, are in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Rio Grande do Sul. In the sections below, you may learn more about each of these events, which will take place between January 26 and April 3.
Paulista
The Campeonato Paulista will commemorate its 120th anniversary in 2022. With 30 victories, Corinthians holds the record for most wins in the competition’s history. This year’s “Paulisto,” regarded as the most difficult state championship, is expected to be a tough struggle between the state’s four big clubs: Corinthians, Palmeiras, Sao Paulo (current champion), and Santos. Verdao have an edge since it has won the Copa Libertadores da América twice in a row. Bragantino, who finished second in the Copa Sudamericana in 2021, expects to be surprised. In 2022, the Paulista Championship Clubs will be:
Club |
City |
State titles |
| Água Santa | Diadema | 0 |
| Botafogo | Ribeirão Preto | 0 |
| Corinthians | São Paulo | 30 (último em 2019) |
| Ferroviária | Araraquara | 0 |
| Guarani | Campinas | 0 |
| Internacional | Limeira | 1 (em 1986) |
| Ituano | Itu | 2 (último em 2014) |
| Mirassol | Mirassol | 0 |
| Novorizontino | Novo Horizonte | 0 |
| Palmeiras | São Paulo | 23 (último em 2020) |
| Ponte Preta | Campinas | 0 |
| Red Bull Bragantino | Bragança Paulista | 1 (em 1990) |
| Santo André | Santo André | 0 |
| Santos | Santos | 22 (último em 2016) |
| São Bernardo | São Bernardo do Campo | 0 |
| São Paulo | São Paulo | 21 (último em 2021) |
Carioca
Flamengo are the clear favorite, as well as the competition’s current and greatest champion. The red-black carioca is going for his 38th state title, and his fourth in a row. Fluminense, Vasco do Gama, and Botafogo all want to “ruin” another Urubu celebration. The first time the event was held was in 1906. In 2022, there will be 12 clubs competing. In 2022, the following clubs will play in the Carioca Championship:
Club |
City |
State titles |
| Audax | Miguel Pereira | 0 |
| Bangu | Rio de Janeiro | 2 (último em 1966) |
| Boavista | Saquarema | 0 |
| Botafogo | Rio de Janeiro | 21 (último em 2018) |
| Flamengo | Rio de Janeiro | 37 (último em 2021) |
| Fluminense | Rio de Janeiro | 31 (último em 2012) |
| Madureira | Rio de Janeiro | 0 |
| Nova Iguaçu | Nova Iguaçu | 0 |
| Portuguesa | Rio de Janeiro | 0 |
| Resende | Resende | 0 |
| Vasco | Rio de Janeiro | 24 (último em 2016) |
| Volta Redonda | Volta Redonda | 0 |
Mineiro
The Mineiro Campeonato has been held since 1915. Atlético, the current two-time champion and favorite in the event, is also the current winner of the Brasileirão and the Copa do Brasil. Galo is the most successful champion in the tournament’s history, with 46 victories. Cruzeiro and América are attempting to destabilize the alvinegro club, as are the other nine clubs playing in the state championship in 2022. The following are the clubs that will compete in the Campeonato Mineiro 2022:
Club |
City |
State titles |
| América | Belo Horizonte | 16 (último em 2016) |
| Atlético | Belo Horizonte | 46 (último em 2021) |
| Athletic | São João del-Rei | 0 |
| Caldense | Poços de Caldas | 1 (em 2002) |
| Cruzeiro | Belo Horizonte | 38 (último em 2019) |
| Democrata | Governador Valadares | 0 |
| Patrocinense | Patrocínio | 0 |
| Pouso Alegre | Pouso Alegre | 0 |
| Tombense | Tombos | 0 |
| Uberlândia | Uberlândia | 0 |
| URT | Patos de Minas | 0 |
| Villa Nova | Nova Lima | 5 (último em 1951) |
Gaúcho
Since their biggest opponent – and current state champion – Grêmio was dropped to the second division of the Brasileirão last year, Internacional will be a strong favorite in the 2022 Gaucho. Juventude, a top-tier national football squad, aspires to surprise. The tournament has been going on since 1919, and Inter is the most successful side in the history of the competition, with 45 victories. In 2022, the Gaucho Championship Clubs will be:
Club |
City |
State titles |
| Aimoré | São Leopoldo | 0 |
| Brasil | Pelotas | 1 (em 1919) |
| Caxias | Caxias do Sul | 1 (em 2000) |
| Grêmio | Porto Alegre | 40 (último em 2021) |
| Guarany | Bagé | 2 (último em 1938) |
| Internacional | Porto Alegre | 45 (último em 2016) |
| Juventude | Caxias do Sul | 1 (em 1998) |
| Novo Hamburgo | Novo Hamburgo | 1 (em 2017) |
| São José | Porto Alegre | 0 |
| São Luiz | Ijuí | 0 |
| União Frederiquense | Frederico Westphalen | 0 |
| Ypiranga | Erechim | 0 |
Campeonatos Nacionais
The Campeonato Brasileiro and the Copa do Brasil are the two most important competitions in Brazilian football. The first will be held from April 10 to November 13, while the second will be held from February 23 to October 19. A total of 92 teams from all throughout Brazil will compete in the Copa do Brasil. Check out who will be competing for the Brasileiro’s elite:
Club |
City |
State titles |
| América | Belo Horizonte | 0 |
| Athletico | Curitiba | 1 (em 2001) |
| Atlético | Goiânia | 0 |
| Atlético | Belo Horizonte | 2 (último em 2021) |
| Avaí | Florianópolis | 0 |
| Botafogo | Rio de Janeiro | 2 (último em 1995) |
| Ceará | Fortaleza | 0 |
| Corinthians | São Paulo | 7 (último em 2017) |
| Coritiba | Curitiba | 1 (em 1985) |
| Cuiabá | Cuiabá | 0 |
| Flamengo | Rio de Janeiro | 8 (último em 2020) |
| Fluminense | Rio de Janeiro | 4 (último em 2012) |
| Fortaleza | Fortaleza | 0 |
| Goiás | Goiânia | 0 |
| Internacional | Porto Alegre | 3 (último em 1979) |
| Juventude | Caxias do Sul | 0 |
| Palmeiras | São Paulo | 10 (último em 2018) |
| Red Bull Bragantino | Bragança Paulista | 0 |
| Santos | Santos | 8 (último em 2004) |
| São Paulo | São Paulo | 6 (último em 2008) |
Campeonatos Internacionais
The Copa Libertadores de América and the Copa Sudamericana are the two most important events in South America. The inaugural tournament will be held between February 8 and October 29. The second will take place between March 8 and October 1 of the following year. The Brazilian teams competing for the championship in these significant events are listed below. Libertadores 2022: Brazilian clubs
Club |
How did you rank |
Libertadores titles |
| América-MG | 8º colocado do Brasileiro | 0 |
| Athletico-PR | Campeão da Sul-Americana | 0 |
| Atlético-MG | Campeão Brasileiro e da Copa do Brasil | 1 (em 2013) |
| Corinthians | 5º colocado do Brasileiro | 1 (em 2012) |
| Flamengo | Vice-campeão Brasileiro | 2 (último em 2019) |
| Fluminense | 7º colocado do Brasileiro | 0 |
| Fortaleza | 4º colocado do Brasileiro | 0 |
| Palmeiras | Campeão da Libertadores | 3 (último em 2021) |
| Red Bull Bragantino | 6º colocado do Brasileiro | 0 |
Guaranteed in the group stage of the competition
Check now the Brazilian clubs in the Copa Sudamericana 2022:
Club |
Ranking |
South American titles |
| Atlético-GO | 9º colocado do Brasileiro | 0 |
| Ceará | 11º colocado do Brasileiro | 0 |
| Cuiabá | 15º colocado do Brasileiro | 0 |
| Internacional | 12º colocado do Brasileiro | 1 (em 2008) |
| Santos | 10º colocado do Brasileiro | 0 |
| São Paulo | 13º colocado do Brasileiro | 1 (em 2012) |
Expectations for the season
In the preceding season of the Brasileiro, Atlético-MG, Flamengo, and Palmeiras were the three most financially powerful clubs in the country. They are big favorites to compete in the main championships of the nation and the South American region in 2022.
Athletico-PR, victor of the Copa Sudamericana in 2021, might be a surprise. Corinthians, who already had a star-studded roster with players like Willian and Renato Augusto, is seeking for a new home after adding Paulinho.
In 2022, whose teams do you believe will be champions? Sambafoot brings you up to speed on all of Brazil’s and South America’s key competitions.
