Brazil
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Brazil is the largest country in both South America and the Latin America region. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Brazil is bordered to the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana; to the northwest by Colombia; to the west by Bolivia and Peru; to the southwest by Argentina and Paraguay and to the south by Uruguay. Brazil has a population of 193 million people and is the world's fifth largest country. Brasilia is the federal capital.
The history of football in Brazil started in the late 19th century following the introduction of the sport by Scottish expatriates, Thomas Donohue and Charles William Miller. Football is now the most popular sport in the country and over 10,000 Brazilians play professionally all over the world. The Brazilian Football Confederation (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol) is the governing body of football in Brazil and is based in Barra da Tijuca neighborhood, Rio de Janeiro. The CBF oversees all aspects of football in the country including the Brazilian national competitions, like Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol (all four levels) and Copa do Brasil, as well as the regional competition Copa do Nordeste. The CBF also administers the Brazil national football team and the Brazil women's national football team The organisation was founded on 8 June 1914 and became affiliated to CONMEBOL in 1916 and to FIFA in 1923. The Copa do Brasil (Brazil Cup) is an annual football competition administered by the CBF. It has been held since 1989 and is currently played by 64 teams, representing all 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. The most successul clubs in the competition are Grêmio and Cruzeiro, followed by Corinthians, Flamengo and Palmeiras. There is a four tier league system, the highest-ranked national league club competition in Brazilian football being the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. It is contested by 20 clubs and operates a system of promotion and relegation with Série B. Due to historical peculiarities and the large geographical size of the country, Brazil has a relatively short history of nation-wide football competitions. The modern Campeonato Brasileiro only began in 1971, supported by the military regime of the time and made easier by advancements in civil aviation. Most Brazilian championships have been won by the Santos and Palmeiras clubs, closely followed by São Paulo, Flamengo, Corinthians, Vasco da Gama and Fluminense. |
The Campeonato Brasileiro Série B is the second tier of 20 clubs and was first introduced in 1971, although in some years it has not been played at all. Campeonato Brasileiro Série C is the third tier and also has 20 clubs. The competition was founded in 1981 and for many years 64 clubs were organised into regional groups reflecting the fact that many participating teams lacked the financial means to travel long distances. Campeonato Brasileiro Série D is the fourth tier of the Brazilian football and was established as recently as 2009. Some 40 clubs compete on a regional basis. There is a system of promotion and relegation between the tiers. Before the establishment of a national league, the most prestigious football competitions in Brazil were the state leagues, notably the Campeonato Paulista and Campeonato Carioca state championships (the tournaments of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states). Most state competitions have a much longer history than the national competition. The state championships are not hierarchically below the national league, however, they are used for the purposes of promoting clubs to the National Leagues. Details of the 27 Brazilian states are provided below: |
Main league tables & results
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