The Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, commonly referred to as Campeonato Brasileiro and popularly as Brasileirão, is a Brazilian professional league for men's football clubs. At the top of the Brazilian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. It is currently sponsored by Chevrolet and thus officially known as the Brasileirão Chevrolet.
Due to historical peculiarities and the large geographical size of the country, Brazil has a relatively short history of nationwide football competitions. Only in 1959, with the advancements in |civil aviation and air transport and the need to appoint a Brazilian representative to the first edition of the Copa Libertadores was a nationwide tournament created, Taça Brasil. In 1967, the Torneio Rio-São Paulo was expanded to include teams from other states, becoming the Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, which was also considered a national tournament. The first Campeonato Brasileiro with that name was held in 1971. The three tournaments – Taça Brasil, Roberto Gomes Pedrosa, and Brasileirão – were unified by the Brazilian Football Confederation in the Brazilian championship history in 2010.
The Campeonato Brasileiro is one of the strongest leagues in the world; it contains the most club world champions titles, with 10 championships won among six clubs, and the second-most Copa Libertadores titles, with 17 titles won among 10 clubs. The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) ranked the league fourth in strength for the 2001–12 period after the Premier League (England), La Liga (Spain), and Serie A (Italy). The Campeonato Brasileiro is the most-watched football league in the Americas and one of the world's most exposed, broadcast in 155 nations. It is also one of the world's richest championships, ranked as the sixth most valuable with a worth of over US$1.43 billion, generating an annual turnover of over US$1.17 billion in 2012.
Since 1959, a total of 156 clubs have played in the Campeonato Brasileiro. 17 clubs have been crowned Brazilian football champions, 12 of which have won the title more than once. Santos and Palmeiras are the most successful clubs of the Campeonato Brasileiro, having won the competition eight times each, followed by São Paulo and Corinthians with six titles each. Santos' Os Santásticos, considered by some the best Brazilian club team of all times, won five consecutive titles between 1961 and 1965, a feat that remains unequaled until today. The State of São Paulo is the most successful state, amassing 28 titles among five clubs. The reigning Brazilian champions are Atlético Mineiro, who won their secondth title during the 2021 season.
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