Copa do Nordeste

The Northeast Cup, or Copa do Nordeste, is known as one of the most relevant competitions for teams from the Northeastern region of Brazil. The first attempts to find a champion from that region were held in 1946, but the first proper tournament of this kind was first held in 1994. Nonetheless, the Copa do Nordeste was suspended three times: from 1995 until 1997, from 2002 to 2009, and one final time between 2011 and 2012. On its final comeback, the Copa do Nordeste earned such a reputation that the Brazilian Football Confederation decided to give the winner a spot in the Copa Sudamericana. In 2017, the CBF changed that rule and now grants the winner a spot in the Copa do Brasil.

Being a regional tournament but not a state competition, teams from many regions have been invited to play. Some of the states that have had teams playing this tournament include Bahía, Ceará, Pernambuco, Paraiba, Rio Grande do Norte, Maranhao, Alagoas, Piaui, Sergipe, and many others.

The format of this competition has shifted over the years. Since it settled as an annual tournament, the Copa de Nordeste has a preliminary stage where four teams earn their spots in the proper tournament, where twelve clubs await. Once there, teams are drawn into two groups of eight teams.

The teams from one group will face those in the other lot, resulting in each team playing eight matches. The top four teams in each group will make it to the next round. The knockout stage is played as one-leg ties in the quarterfinals and the semifinals, while the title series is played on a home-and-away format, where the team with the better record hosts the second leg. Extra time and penalties are used to determine the winner if the aggregate is level after the second game.

The Copa do Nordeste has seen some of the clubs in it earning quite a few accolades, such as Bahía and Vitoria, the most winning teams in this competition to this date. Bahía also own the record for most finals played after being involved in nine title clashes.