The Copa Sao Paulo de Futebol Junior starts this Monday, with matches being played in different venues throughout the state of Sao Paulo. The 53rd edition of the base tournament has 128 teams. The grand final will be played on the 25th, on the anniversary of the city of Sao Paulo.
sportv broadcasts the main matches, while ge follows everything in real time, with live transmissions. The grand finale will be broadcast on Globo. In addition, the Cup will feature the Dener Prize, given to the owner of the most beautiful goal in the competition.
Current champions, Palmeiras debuts on Tuesday, against Juazeirense, while Santos, runner-up in the last edition, debuts on Wednesday against Sao Raimundo-RR.
Star of the last competition, Endrick, from Palmeiras, no longer plays in the club’s youth categories. The young striker was promoted to Verdao’s first team at the end of last season. From Copinha to here, a lot has happened, and the kid from Palmeiras was sold to Real Madrid.
It is yet another example of young promises of Brazilian football standing out in the Sao Paulo Cup for the world. Recently, Gabriel Martinelli was one of Brazil’s forwards at the World Cup. The Arsenal player shone in the 2019 Cup.
This edition has many athletes to keep an eye on. In the current champion, Palmeiras, Luis Guilherme, an attacking midfielder, and Estevao, a 15-year-old winger, are the highlights. Pedro, an attacking midfielder for Corinthians who has been called up for the youth team, is another. Ryan, from Flamengo, and Rayan, from Vasco, form almost a pair of namesakes in Rio’s rivals.
Regulation and dates
The competition is played in seven stages. In the first, which runs from the 2nd to the 11th of January, the teams are divided into 32 groups of four teams. The top two from each bracket qualify.
In the second phase, on the 12th and 13th, the clashes are based on the following criteria: the first from Group A faces the second from Group B, and the second from Group A takes on the first from Group B – and so on.
The third phase will be played on the 14th and 15th, with games between the winners of each previous clash. After that, the round of 16 takes place on the 16th and 17th. The quarterfinals take place on the 18th, 19th and 20th, and the semifinals on the 21st and 22nd.
list of champions
Palmeiras is the current Cup champion. In 2022, he won his first title by thrashing Santos in the grand final. See the list of champions below:
See the matches from the first round of the Cup:
Monday – 02/01
- 12h45 – Penapolense x Capivariano (Group 10)
- 3pm – Cruzeiro x Comercial-MS (Group 10)
- 17h15 – Francana vs Guarani (Group 8)
- 7:30 pm – Gremio x Cruzeiro (Group 8)
- 7:30 pm – XV de Jau x Aparecidense (Group 5)
- 21h45 – Flamengo x Floresta (Group 5)
Tuesday – 03/01
- 8h45 – Sao-Carlense vs Sao Carlos (Group 19)
- 11am – Botafogo vs Pinheirense (Group 19)
- 1pm – Guarulhos vs Flamengo-SP (Group 16)
- 1pm – Atletico Guaratingueta vs Gama (Group 13)
- 1pm – Uniao Suzano vs Novorizontino (Group 15)
- 1pm – Sport v Volta Redonda (Group 11)
- 1pm – Tupa vs Velo Clube (Group 9)
- 1pm – Tanabi vs Portuguesa (Group 1)
- 2pm – Ska Brasil vs Parana (Group 23)
- 3pm – Taubate vs Imperatriz (Group 14)
- 3pm – Athletico vs Picos (Group 7)
- 15h15 – Cuiaba x Paraupebas (Group 9)
- 15:15 – Figueirense v Vitoria da Conquista (Group 15)
- 15:15 – Comercial x Inter de Limeira (Group 11)
- 15h15 – Coritiba x Sao Jose-RS (Group 16)
- 15:15 – Goias vs Gremio Pague Menos (Group 13)
- 3:15 pm – Nautico vs Real Ariquemes (Group 1)
- 4:15 pm – Vitoria v Aster (Group 23)
- 5:15 pm – Fluminense vs Porto Vitoria (Group 14)
- 17h15 – Rio Preto x Santana (Group 3)
- 17h15 – Barretos x Sao Bento (Group 7)
- 5:45 pm – Catanduva vs America-RN (Group 6)
- 17h45 – Mirassol x Uniao ABC (Group 2)
- 7:30 pm – Ferroviaria x Fast (Group 12)
- 7:30 pm – Palmeiras vs Juazeirense (Group 3)
- 8pm – Avai vs Ceilândia (Group 6)
- 8pm – Chapecoense vs Inter de Minas (Group 2)
- 21h45 – Corinthians x Zumbi (Group 12)
Wednesday – 04/01
- 11am – Atletico-MG vs Galvez (Group 27)
- 11am – Ibrachina vs Botafogo-PB (Group 30)
- 1pm – Vocem vs Ponte Preta (Group 18)
- 1pm – Mauaense vs Maua (Group 28)
- 11pm – Desportivo Brasil vs Ituano (Group 21)
- 1pm – Sharjah Brazil vs Rio Claro (Group 22)
- 1pm – Bahia vs Operario-PR (Group 25)
- 1pm – Juventus-SP vs Sao Caetano (Group 31)
- 13:15 – Santa Cruz v Canaa (Group 30)
- 13:15 – agua Santa x Mixto-MT (Group 27)
- 3pm – West vs Fluminense-PI (Group 24)
- 3pm – Santos vs Sao Raimundo-RR (Group 26)
- 3:15 pm – America-MG vs. Retro (Group 18)
- 3:15 pm – Vila Nova vs Nova Iguaçu (Group 28)
- 3:15 pm – Fortaleza x Remo (Group 31)
- 15h15 – EC Sao Bernardo x CSA (Group 25)
- 3:15 pm – CRB vs Camboriu (Group 21)
- 15h15 – Ceara vs Madureira (Group 22)
- 4:45 pm – Lemense vs Bragantino (Group 20)
- 17h15 – Santo Andre v Falcon (Group 26)
- 17h15 – Audax-SP x Hercílio Luz (Group 29)
- 17h15 – Internacional x Rosario Central-SE (Group 24)
- 6pm – Atletico-GO vs Botafogo-SP (Group 4)
- 7pm – ABC vs Maringa (Group 20)
- 7:30 pm – Marília vs CSP (Group 17)
- 7:30 pm – Vasco vs Capital-TO (Group 29)
- 20h15 – Sampaio Correa x Itabaiana (Group 4)
- 21:45 – Sao Paulo v Porto Velho (Group 17)
Thursday – 05/01
- 1pm – Nacional-SP x XV de Piracicaba (Group 32)
- 3:15 pm – Youth v Alecrim (Group 32)
