Série D added 32 clubs in 2026. Fixtures and payments grew at different rates

Groups became smaller and more numerous

The 2025 field was divided into eight groups and played 14 group rounds. The 2026 format used 16 groups of six with home and away games, or ten group fixtures per team. The new group stage therefore provided 480 fixtures, even as the number of group fixtures for each team fell. Source 4 Source 2

Total fixtures grew more slowly than entrants

The completed 2026 competition contained 610 matches, up 100 or about 19.6%. That was slower than the 50% rise in entrants. Changing the size of each group and how many clubs progress to knockout rounds affects the competition total independently of how many clubs sign up. Source 1 Source 2 Source 4

Participation funding rose faster than the field

CBF put the 2026 pool at R$65.5 million against R$40 million in 2025. On a simple divide-by-entrants basis, that is about R$682,000 compared with R$625,000. Those are competition-wide averages derived from the published totals. Actual allocations may vary across clubs. Source 1

Six promotions maintained the old proportion

Four promotions out of 64 entrants and six out of 96 both equal 6.25%. The path changed. In 2026 the four semifinalists advanced and the quarterfinal losers contested two extra places. CBF reports that Nacional-AM and Goiatuba-GO took those places and Uberlândia won the title. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3

Sources

• CBF report on completed Série D 2026 and prior-year comparison
• CBF men’s professional calendar and Série D format
• CBF Série D 2025 closing figures
• CBF report on the 2025 group stage