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Discover the São Paulo Junior Football Cup

See what the São Paulo Junior Football Cup (or Copinha) is, and find out why it is important for the future of Brazilian football.

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Find out how Copinha works and don't miss any details

Jogadores da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Junior entrando em campo.
Players entering the field. Source: Adobe Stock.

The São Paulo Junior Football Cup will begin, where young Brazilian talents will begin to take their first steps.

But if you don't know where to watch the games, stay with us and check out our article to find out the best websites and apps for watching football online.

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We have prepared an article to explain what the biggest youth competition in Brazil is and how it works.

So, stay with us and check out all the details about this competition, how it works, the main teams, and game dates

What is the São Paulo Junior Football Cup?

Jogadores em uma disputa de bola.
Players competing for ball. Source: Adobe Stock.

The Copinha is a professional youth football tournament held in Brazil since 1969.

It takes place every year in the city of São Paulo, where teams from all over Brazil come together to compete in this competition,

But after all, what happens in the São Paulo Junior Football Cup?

The Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior, also called the Copinha, has a long history of attracting some of the most talented young football players in Brazil. 

For these prodigies to have a competitive space where they can show their skills, and the clubs' training capacity.

Furthermore, it is one of the biggest and most prestigious youth tournaments in the country, several world football idols had their first appearance in this competition. 

Hundreds of players come to compete every year, while professional clubs come to look for the best talent.

Its objective is to give a spotlight so that promising players have the chance to showcase their talent, in addition to encouraging clubs to train athletes at their club level.

This is a great opportunity to enjoy good football at the beginning of the year.

Why is it interesting to watch Copinha?

The São Paulo Junior Football Cup is an extremely important event, both in Brazil and throughout South America. 

In addition to providing a platform for young players to showcase their talent and gain exposure, it also helps to shape the next generation of great Brazilian football players.

In fact, it's not just about talent, teams are often judged on their sportsmanship, training methods and support from the local football association. 

It is possible to evaluate how teams are doing in terms of athlete training.

By following Copinha, you can learn about all aspects of Brazilian football and see which teams will emerge as candidates for future championships!

In other words, once a team has a strong youth team, it means that in a few years these good young players will rise to the main team, forming a good team.

Furthermore, you can follow the beginning of the career of a great football star. 

Players like Neymar, Philipe Coutinho, and many other great players, took their first steps in this competition.

So don't miss the games, who knows, maybe you'll see the beginning of the career of the next great Brazilian star.

How does this competition work?

The São Paulo Junior Football Cup is organized into two phases: the Group Phase and the Elimination Phase. 

This competition normally brings together 128 under 20 teams from all over Brazil, divided into 32 groups with four teams each.

Firstly, in the first phase, in the group stage, the four teams in each group play against each other, with the two best placed advancing to the knockout stage.

In the knockout stages, the teams continue facing each other, one by one, whoever loses is out, whoever wins advances, and so on until the grand final.

The competition lasts around 23 days in a series of hard-fought matches, so none of them want to miss out.

What are the tournament rules and regulations?

The tournament follows specific rules and regulations, according to which each team must have a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 23. 

Players must be enrolled in a professional academy and all participants must carry identification for verification. 

In addition, there is an age limitation, where players must be between 15 and 21 years old, and the tiebreaker criteria follow the following order:

1. Greater number of victories;

2. Higher goal difference;

3. Greater number of goals scored;

4. Fewer red cards;

5. Fewer yellow cards;

6. Direct confrontation (only in the case of a draw between two clubs);

7. Public draw at the FPF headquarters (São Paulo Football Federation).

When does the São Paulo Junior Football Cup start?

Copinha’s starting date is January 2, 2023, which is a Monday.

The first clash will be between Penapolense and Capivariano, at 12:45 Brasília Time.

What are the confirmed teams?

In total, there are 128 teams from all over Brazil, but check out the main teams below:

As they could not be left out, the priority in the teams' participation are all Series A clubs, such as Palmeiras, Flamengo, Grêmio, Atlhetico PR, Cruzeiro, Corinthians, Fluminense and many other highly prestigious clubs.

However, other less famous clubs will also have the chance to showcase their football.

Teams to keep an eye on for the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior

Jogador de futebol fazendo um lance em estádio.
Player making a move. Source: Adobe Stock.

So don't worry, we've separated the main clubs for you to keep an eye on.

In this Cup, all the games are incredible, but as there are so many matches, we've listed the biggest champions from the latest competitions so you know who to watch:

The competition has been taking place since 1969. See the list of champions from the 2000s onwards:

  • 2000 — São Paulo
  • 2001 — Barueri
  • 2002 — Portuguese
  • 2003 — Santo André
  • 2004 — Corinthians
  • 2005 — Corinthians
  • 2006 — América de Rio Preto
  • 2007 — Cruzeiro
  • 2008 — Figueirense
  • 2009 — Corinthians
  • 2010 — São Paulo
  • 2011 — Flamengo
  • 2012 — Corinthians
  • 2013 — Santos
  • 2014 — Santos
  • 2015 — Corinthians
  • 2016 — Flamengo
  • 2017 — Corinthians
  • 2018 — Flamengo
  • 2019 — São Paulo
  • 2020 — International
  • 2021 (competition cancelled)
  • 2022 Palmeiras

So, now that you know all the details about this competition, don't miss a single game, after all, Brazil's next great player could appear in one of these matches.

If you liked this content, continue following us, here you will find a lot of content about the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior.

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