Brazil - Campeonato Gaúcho 1

The Campeonato Gaúcho Série A1, often referred to as Campeonato Gaúcho or simply “Gaúcho”, is the top division league for the Rio Grande di Sul state in Brazil. The tournament began way back in 1919 and sees 12 clubs from the aforementioned region battle it out for this league title.

The 12 participants are all placed in one group for the first round, which is a single round-ribbon, meaning each team will face the other 11 once. The top eight teams move on to the next round – the final phase – while the bottom two get relegated to Série A2.

The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final are all two-legged affairs. The Campeonato Gaúcho Série A1 is made famous by the rivalry between Gremio and Internacional, who are not only the two biggest clubs in the Rio Grande di Sul state but are also two of the most popular teams in Brazil.

The competition typically takes place from January to April and has undergone several changes and achieved several milestones over the years. For example, in 2015, 16 clubs participated in the first stage. The following year, it was 14. The 2019 edition saw Video Assistant Referee (VAR) make its debut while the 2020 season was suspended indefinitely on 18 March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.