Série B 2026: 20 clubes, promovidos da C e rebaixados da A

The 2026 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B will bring together 20 clubs in a season that runs from March 21 to November 28, organized as a pontos corridos competition with a double round-robin format. Each team will face every other side home and away, producing a 38-round marathon that rewards consistency across the long haul.

Twelve clubs remain from the previous Série B campaign. Joining them are four clubs promoted from Série C 2025 - Londrina, Náutico, Ponte Preta and São Bernardo - and four clubs relegated from Série A 2025 - Juventude, Sport, Fortaleza and Ceará. That mix guarantees a blend of teams chasing immediate promotion, sides determined to recover from top-flight disappointment, and ambitious mid-table projects aiming to build momentum.

The immediate sporting story centers on dynamics between the relegated A clubs and the freshly promoted C sides. Juventude, Sport, Fortaleza and Ceará arrive with recent top-tier experience and infrastructure expectations that make them natural candidates to shape the promotion race. Their rosters, budgets and institutional muscle should give them a head start, but Série B’s unpredictability and the long season mean early form and squad depth will be decisive.

Londrina, Náutico, Ponte Preta and São Bernardo bring the kind of momentum and local energy that can unsettle established challengers. Promotion from Série C often fuels attendance, sponsorship interest and municipal pride, translating into lively home atmospheres that can turn stadia into genuine advantage. Ponte Preta’s historical profile and Náutico’s Northeast footprint, for instance, inject regional rivalries and renewed fan engagement into the calendar.

From an industry perspective, a March-to-November schedule compresses demands on club resources while offering a stable product for broadcasters and sponsors across most of the Brazilian football calendar. The 38-round format amplifies the value of squad rotation and scouting; clubs that invest wisely in depth and youth integration can convert season-long consistency into promotion or survival. For smaller clubs, television and matchday revenues will be essential to sustain campaigns; for relegated clubs, the financial imperative to return to Série A will shape transfer strategies and commercial pushes.

Culturally, Série B continues to function as a stage where community identity and club narratives are reinforced. Cities hosting these clubs will see economic activity tied to matchdays, and promotion or relegation carries civic resonance beyond sporting outcomes. The mix of regions represented will keep national interest high and preserve the league’s role as both a developmental pathway and a crucible for competitive drama.

As the season approaches, fans should watch early roster moves, coaching appointments and pre-season form to gauge who adapts quickest to the 38-round grind. The calendar and composition promise a campaign rich in storylines: bounce-back bids from the fallen, consolidation drives from newcomers, and the steady pressure of pontos corridos that rewards the teams best prepared for a long, unforgiving race.