CBF Launches Historic Plan to Unite Serie A and B into Single Brazilian Football League by 2030
The CBF has initiated a historic process to merge Brazil's Serie A and B into a single football league by 2030, aiming to boost governance and commercial value.
- • CBF launched a plan to unify Serie A and B into one league from 2030.
- • The project focuses on improving football quality, commercialization, and governance.
- • Current broadcasting rights for Serie A run until 2029, framing the timeline.
- • Studies revealed Brazilian league revenues lag behind European leagues despite higher population.
- • The CBF emphasizes club unity and ownership in creating the new league.
Key details
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has embarked on a landmark initiative to unify the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and Série B into a single league starting in the 2030 season. This historic plan, first set in motion in October 2023 and revitalized in April 2026, aims to enhance governance, commercialization, and the overall football product in Brazil.
On April 6, 2026, CBF President Samir Xaud convened representatives from the Serie A and B clubs alongside state federations for a crucial meeting outlining the unification project. The comprehensive proposal spans 178 slides, focusing on three pillars: the improvement of the football product, commercialization strategies, and governance reforms. The first phase targets elevating the quality of the competition by 2026, with subsequent plans to legalize the league's framework and optimize broadcasting rights commercialization. Broadcasting contracts for Serie A currently extend through 2029, providing a strategic timeline for implementation.
CBF's analysis, informed by studies of leading European football leagues and insights gained from visits to England, Germany, and Spain, reveals Brazilian leagues earn roughly three times less than major European counterparts despite possessing a larger population. A recent survey of 2,500 Brazilian fans highlighted ten key areas for development, including scheduling, match durations, stadium safety, infrastructure, marketing, and referee professionalism.
President Xaud emphasized the importance of collaboration among clubs to build a league owned by its members. Vice President Gustavo Dias echoed these sentiments, advocating for unity, maturity, and ongoing dialogue to ensure the league's sustainability. The CBF aspires for the new unified league to rank among the top three worldwide.
The process will continue with additional meetings scheduled for May, June, and July 2026 to incorporate feedback and fine-tune proposals. This initiative represents a pivotal moment in Brazilian football history, promising a more competitive, commercially viable, and transparently governed national league structure.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
Source articles (2)
Source comparison
Timeline of CBF's actions
Sources report different starting points for CBF's league unification process
espn.com.br
"the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) began a process to unify football leagues in Brazil on April 6, 2026"
cbf.com.br
"the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) conducted an inaugural meeting on October 6, 2023, to initiate discussions on the creation of a unified Football League in Brazil."
Why this matters: One source states that the CBF began the unification process on April 6, 2026, while the other reports that discussions started with a meeting on October 6, 2023. This discrepancy affects the understanding of when the initiative was formally initiated versus when discussions began.