Campeonato Maranhense

The Maranhense Football Championship, also known as Maranhao, is the top soccer competition for the Brazilian state of Maranhao. The tournament kicked off in 1918 and after some pauses during the 1930s, it has been played non-stop from 1940 until today. The competition is organized by the Federacao Maranhense de Futebol, which is supervised by the Brazilian Football Confederation.

The Maranhao tournament has changed its format from time to time to fit with the number of teams involved in it. Recent editions of the tournament have seen eight teams playing home-and-away games for the regular season, giving the top four a chance to fight for the title. In the playoffs, the home-and-away format is used with the higher seed hosting the return tie. Extra time and penalties are used to determine the winner if the aggregate is level after both matches.

Regarding the relegation process, the teams that end the regular season with the lowest points tally get dropped to Serie B.

The Maranhao Championship has been dominated by teams from the city of Sao Luis. Clubs from that region have won over ninety titles, with Sampaio Correa winning more than 30 since the team saw the light. The title winners also earn access to the Campeonato Nacional Serie D, the Copa do Nordeste, and the Copa do Brasil. In case the title holders are above Serie D, the runners-up get invited to participate in Serie D instead.