Copa Norte
| Organiser(s) | Brazilian Football Confederation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 |
| Region | Brazil's North |
| Teams | 12 |
| Qualifier for | Copa do Brasil (third round) Copa Verde |
| Current champions | Paysandu (1st title) |
| Most championships | São Raimundo (3 titles) |
| 2026 Copa Norte | |
The Copa Norte (English: North Cup) is a Brazilian football competition contested between North region teams, with the exception of Tocantins. The champion secures a place in the third round of the following year's Copa do Brasil, as well as competing for the Copa Verde trophy against the winner of the Copa Centro-Oeste.
History
At the end of the 1960s and beginning of the 1970s, the first regional tournaments began to emerge in Brazilian football. However, it was in 1997 that the Copa Norte came into being. Teams from the northern region of Brazil participated, with the exception of Tocantins, along with teams from Maranhão and Piauí, in the northeast region. From 1997 to 1999, the winner of the Copa Norte qualified for the Copa CONMEBOL. From 2000 to 2002, the champion went on to compete in the Copa dos Campeões.[1]
Following changes to the Brazilian football calendar, the tournament was discontinued in 2003. However, in October 2025, the CBF announced the return of the competition after 24 years.[2]
Format
The twelve clubs are divided into two groups of six clubs each. The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage. The semi-finals will be single matches, while the finals will be two-legged ties.[3]
List of champions
| Year | Finals | Losing semi-finalists1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winners | Score | Runners-up | ||||
| 1997 | Rio Branco |
0–0 2–1 Aggregate 2–1 |
Remo |
Imperatriz and Ji-Paraná | ||
| 1998 | Sampaio Corrêa |
0–1 2–1 Aggregate 2–2 (3–0 p) |
São Raimundo |
Rio Branco and Ypiranga | ||
| 1999 | São Raimundo |
0–1 2–1 Aggregate 2–2 (3–1 p) |
Sampaio Corrêa |
Cruzeiro and Flamengo | ||
| 2000 | São Raimundo |
2–3 2–0 Aggregate 4–3 |
Maranhão |
Remo and River | ||
| 2001 | São Raimundo |
0–1 1–0 Aggregate 1–12 |
Paysandu |
Genus and River | ||
| 2002 | Paysandu |
1–0 3–0 Aggregate 4–0 |
São Raimundo |
Ji-Paraná and Remo | ||
| Tournament was not held between 2003 and 2025. | ||||||
| 2026 | ||||||
Note 1: Losing semi-finalists are listed in alphabetical order.
Note 2: São Raimundo won for having made the best campaign.
Records and statistics
Finalists
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| São Raimundo | 3 | 2 | 1999, 2000, 2001 | 1998, 2002 |
| Sampaio Corrêa | 1 | 1 | 1998 | 1999 |
| Paysandu | 1 | 1 | 2002 | 2001 |
| Rio Branco | 1 | 0 | 1997 | — |
| Remo | 0 | 1 | — | 1997 |
| Maranhão | 0 | 1 | — | 2000 |
Performance by State
| State | Won | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| Amazonas | 3 | 2 |
| Maranhão | 1 | 2 |
| Pará | 1 | 2 |
| Acre | 1 | 0 |
References
- ^ "História da Copa Norte" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Bola Amarela Futebol Clube. May 12, 2024.
- ^ "CBF oficializa retorno da Copa Norte como classificatória para Copa Verde" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Roma News. October 1, 2025.
- ^ "CBF anuncia novo calendário do futebol profissional masculino" (in Brazilian Portuguese). CBF. October 1, 2025.