The Difficult Journey of Santos Towards the Libertadores

Santos’ elimination from the Copa Sudamericana meant that the club’s entire plan to return to the Copa Libertadores was seriously thrown off. Take a look: the “Peixe” brought in some big names, such as Arthur, Everton Cebolinha, and Philippe Coutinho (without forgetting Rodinei and Lima), all with high salaries and one clear mission: to put Santos back among the elite of South American football.

What to Do Now?

With the end of the Sudamericana campaign, only one alternative remains to achieve this much-desired goal: the Campeonato Brasileiro. Neymar and the rest of the squad will need to do the math and, of course, hope that their rivals succeed in both the continental and domestic tournaments. That’s because expanding the Brasileirão qualification zone is crucial!

Speaking of standings, the CBF confirmed that there are seven spots reserved for Brazilian clubs in the Libertadores of 2027:

• Campeonato Brasileiro (5 spots):

  • 1th to 4th places: direct spots in the group stage
  • 5th place: pre-Libertadores

• Copa do Brasil (2 spots):

  • Champions: direct spot in the group stage
  • Runners-up: pre-Libertadores

And Now, Santos?

Now the true Santos supporters’ excitement really begins! If any of the three Brazilians who advanced to the Libertadores semifinals (want to know who? Flamengo, Fluminense, and Palmeiras) win the title and still finish among the top five in the Brasileirão, Brazil will earn an additional spot in Conmebol. With that, the famous G-5 becomes G-6!

And there’s more: this G-6 can become G-7! For that to happen, Palmeiras, who currently sits in second place, needs to finish in the G-5 (or in the G-6, if a Brazilian wins the Libertadores) and win the Copa do Brasil.

Abel Ferreira’s team is in the Copa do Brasil semifinals and is in the fight alongside Atlético-MG, Grêmio, and Vasco.

What Happens to Atlético Mineiro?

The Atlético-MG team, which also is already qualified for the Copa do Brasil semifinals and the Sudamericana, can increase that number even further. If Galo finishes in a hypothetical G-7 and wins the Sudamericana, welcome to G-8! And if they reach the Copa do Brasil final, the Brasileirão qualification zone could even reach G-9!

Santos’ Situation

Currently, with 35 points, Santos occupies the 10th position, just one point behind Red Bull Bragantino, who is in 9th place and, at the moment, would provide the final spot for this possible G-9.

With 12 matches still to play (and 36 points still available), the “Peixe” needs to rack up as many points as possible and also create those favorable combinations in the knockout tournaments.

Santos’ Next Matches

Get ready, because the upcoming challenges are pretty heavy! Check the list:

• Remo x Santos (Mangueirão)
• São Paulo x Santos (MorumBIS)
• Santos x Flamengo (Vila Belmiro)
• Atlético-MG x Santos (Arena MRV)
• Fluminense x Santos (Maracanã)
• Santos x Bahia (Vila Belmiro)
• Santos x Palmeiras (Vila Belmiro)
• Red Bull Bragantino x Santos (Cícero de Souza Marques)
• Coritiba x Santos (Couto Pereira)
• Santos x Grêmio (Vila Belmiro)
• Vitória x Santos (Barradão)
• Santos x Botafogo (Vila Belmiro)

All Santos has left is to do its part and pray that luck is on their side! Let’s hope they manage to make this journey full of challenges be worth it!