2026 Campeonato Carioca
| Season | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 11 January - 8 March 2026 |
| Champions | Flamengo (40th title) |
| Relegated | Maricá Futebol Clube |
| Matches | 61 |
| Goals | 154 (2.52 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Pedro and Patryck Ferreira (6 goals) |
← 2025 2027 → | |
The 2026 Campeonato Carioca de Futebol was the 123rd edition of the top division of football in the state of Rio de Janeiro.[1] The competition is organized by FERJ. It began on 11 January 2026 and ended on 8 March 2026. Flamengo are the defending champions.
Participating teams
[edit]- ^ Some clubs sold their home field advantage for some of their games to third parties, which means that some games were played in different states
- ^ Although Botafogo FR is headquartered in Botafogo, it plays home games at Engenhão Stadium
- ^ Although CR Flamengo is headquartered in Lagoa, it plays home games at Maracanã Stadium
- ^ Although Fluminense FC is headquartered in Laranjeiras, it plays home games at Maracanã Stadium
Format
[edit]The format for this edition has been modified compared to previous editions, with a reduction from 15 to 10 available dates, according to the new calendar of the CBF. The main phase — Taça Guanabara — divides the 12 clubs into two groups (A and B), with each team playing every team from the other group once. At the end of the six rounds, the four best-placed teams will face each other in a single match, with an Olympic-style crossover within their own group (A1 x A4, A2 x A3, B1 x B4 and B2 x B3). The semifinals will be played in two legs between the winners, after a draw to determine the matchups. The losers of the quarterfinals will compete for the Taça Rio, also in two legs, after a draw to determine the matchups. The final (of the Championship and the Taça Rio) will be a single match. The club with the worst record in the group stage will be relegated to the 2026 Campeonato Carioca de Futebol - Série A2, and the second-worst club will compete for a spot in the 2027 Campeonato Carioca against the runner-up of the same Série A2.[2]
Taça Guanabara (Main Phase)
[edit]As in previous editions, the main phase consists only of the Taça Guanabara. It is contested by the 11 best-ranked teams from the previous year's Campeonato Carioca and the champion of the 2025 Série A2, but with the teams divided into two groups (A and B) and with matches between clubs from one group against those from the other group, meaning that each club plays six games.
Final Phase
[edit]The top four teams from each group of the Taça Guanabara will compete in the quarterfinals, in a single match and in an Olympic-style crossover within their own group (A1 x A4, A2 x A3, B1 x B4 and B2 x B3). The winners will compete in the semifinals, after a draw of the matchups, in two-legged matches. The winners of the semifinals will compete in the single-match final of the Campeonato Carioca.
Taça Rio
[edit]The Taça Rio will be contested by the teams defeated in the quarterfinals, after a draw for the matches, in two-legged ties. The winners will compete in a single-legged final.
Taça Guanabara
[edit]Group A
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fluminense | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 15 | Qualified for the Quarter-final |
| 2 | Vasco da Gama | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 11 | |
| 3 | Volta Redonda | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | +4 | 11 | |
| 4 | Bangu | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | |
| 5 | Portuguesa | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 7 | Relegation stage |
| 6 | Sampaio Corrêa | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 14 | −7 | 7 |
Group B
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Botafogo | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 9 | Qualified for the Quarter-final |
| 2 | Madureira | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 8 | |
| 3 | Boavista | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 8 | −2 | 8 | |
| 4 | Flamengo | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 9 | +2 | 7 | |
| 5 | Nova Iguaçu | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 5 | Relegation stage |
| 6 | Maricá | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 3 |
| 2026 Taça Guanabara champions |
|---|
| 13th title |
Relegation stage
[edit]Standings and Results
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation | AAP | SAM | NVG | MAR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portuguesa | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 11 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 5–2 | |||
| 2 | Sampaio Corrêa | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | +2 | 10 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |||
| 3 | Nova Iguaçu | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 7 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | |||
| 4 | Maricá (R) | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 4 | Relegation to Série A2 | 0–2 | 0–4 | 2–2 |
Taça Rio
[edit]| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||
| B1 | Botafogo | 2 | 0 | 2 | |||||||
| B3 | Boavista | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| B1 | Botafogo | 3 | |||||||||
| A4 | Bangu | 1 | |||||||||
| A3 | Volta Redonda | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| A4 | Bangu | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||||||
| 2026 Taça Rio champions |
|---|
| 10th title |
Final stage
[edit]| Quarter-final | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||
| A1 | Fluminense | 3 | ||||||||||||||
| A4 | Bangu | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| A1 | Fluminense | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||
| A2 | Vasco da Gama | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| A2 | Vasco da Gama (p) | 1 (5) | ||||||||||||||
| A3 | Volta Redonda | 1 (3) | ||||||||||||||
| A1 | Fluminense | 0 (4) | ||||||||||||||
| B4 | Flamengo (p) | 0 (5) | ||||||||||||||
| B2 | Madureira | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| B3 | Boavista | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| B2 | Madureira | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| B4 | Flamengo | 3 | 8 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| B1 | Botafogo | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| B4 | Flamengo | 2 | ||||||||||||||
Quarter-final
[edit]| Madureira | 2–1 | Boavista |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Vasco da Gama | 1–1 | Volta Redonda |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
| Penalties | ||
| 5–3 | ||
| Fluminense | 3–1 | Bangu |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Semi-finals
[edit]| Vasco da Gama | 0–1 | Fluminense |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
| Flamengo | 3–0 | Madureira |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
| Madureira | 0–8 | Flamengo |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
|
Final
[edit]| Fluminense | 0–0 | Flamengo |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
| 4–5 | ||
Top goalscorers
[edit]| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
1
|
Flamengo | 6
| |
| Bangu | |||
2
|
Fluminense | 5
| |
| Nova Iguaçu |
References
[edit]- ^ "História do Campeonato Carioca - 1ª Divisão" [History of the Campeonato Carioca - 1st Division] (in Portuguese). Campeões do Futebol. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ "Carioca 2026: campeonato começa em 21 de janeiro, terá 10 datas e final em jogo único" [Carioca 2026: championship begins on January 21, will have 10 dates and a single-game final] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 10 January 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.