| Competition: | Campeonato Paulista – Série A1 |
| Season: | 1961 |
| Winners: | Santos |
| Relegated: | Portuguesa Santista |
| Continentalcup1: | Taça Brasil |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Santos |
| League Topscorer: | Pelé (Santos) – 47 goals |
| Biggest Home Win: | Santos 10-1 Juventus (September 6, 1961) |
| Biggest Away Win: | Noroeste 1-7 Santos (August 13, 1961) |
| Highest Scoring: | Santos 10-1 Juventus (September 6, 1961) |
| Matches: | 240 |
| Total Goals: | 878 |
| Prevseason: | 1960 |
| Nextseason: | 1962 |
The 1961 Campeonato Paulista da Divisão Especial,[1] organized by the Federação Paulista de Futebol, was the 60th season of São Paulo's top professional football league. Santos won the title for the 6th time. Portuguesa Santista was relegated. This year again, the top scorer was Santos's Pelé with 47 goals, achieving the distinction for the fifth year running.[2]
The championship was disputed in a double-round robin system, with the team with the most points winning the title and the team with the fewest points being relegated.
| 1 | Pelé | Santos | 47 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Peixinho | Ferroviaría | 26 |
| 3 | Pepe | Santos | 24 |
| 4 | Coutinho | Santos | 20 |
| 5 | Vavá | Palmeiras | 19 |
| 6 | Baiano | São Paulo | 15 |
| 7 | Toninho Guerreiro | Noroeste | 14 |
| 8 | Corinthians | 13 | |
| Oswaldo | Guaraní | ||
| 10 | Geraldo José | Palmeiras | 12 |
| Parada | Ferroviaría | ||
| Benê | São Paulo |