The Triple Crown of Brazilian Football (Portuguese: Tríplice coroa do futebol brasileiro) is an unofficial title given to the club that won the three most important competitions of the Brazilian football in the same year:[1] The Brazilian triple crown would involve the two major CBF competitions (Brazilian Championship and Copa do Brasil) and the state championship. In general, in Brazil the term "triple crown" is used to win any three official titles in the same season. [2] [3]
In 1964, Santos won the Taça Brasil, which was the Brazilian national football championship contested from 1959 to 1968, the Campeonato Paulista and the Torneio Rio-São Paulo, a traditional Brazilian football competition contested between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro teams from 1933 to 1966, in 1993 and from 1997 to 2002.In 1993, Palmeiras won the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A the Campeonato Paulista and the Torneio Rio-São Paulo.
In 2003, Cruzeiro the three most important Brazilian competitions in 2003). In that year the Campeonato Mineiro (the state championship of the state of Minas Gerais) was contested in a single round robin format, and Cruzeiro, coached by Vanderlei Luxemburgo, won the competition without losing a single game.[4] Also, Cruzeiro won the Copa do Brasil undefeated, beating Flamengo in the final of the tournament.[5] The Série A was won with 31 wins, seven draws and eight defeats, totaling 100 points earned. The club scored 102 goals during the championship, and conceded 47.[6] It was the first time that a Brazilian football club won the three most important championships in the same year: a state championship, the Brazilian Championship and the Copa do Brasil.
In 2021, Atlético Mineiro became the second Brazilian team to win the most important Triple Crown in Brazilian football by winning the three main national championships of the season, the Campeonato Mineiro, the Copa do Brasil (with the presence of clubs participating in the Copa Libertadores of the same year, and from 2001 to 2012 it was not possible to play both in the same season) and the Campeonato Brasileiro. However, he was unable to win the continental-level triple crown after being eliminated by Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores.
| Santos | São Paulo | 1 | 1964 | Taça Brasil (defunct), Torneio Rio-São Paulo (defunct), Campeonato Paulista | [7] | |
| Palmeiras | São Paulo | 1 | 1993 | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Torneio Rio-São Paulo (defunct), Campeonato Paulista | [8] | |
| Cruzeiro | Minas Gerais | 1 | 2003 | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Mineiro | [9] | |
| Atlético Mineiro | Minas Gerais | 1 | 2021 | Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Copa do Brasil, Campeonato Mineiro | [10] |
| Corinthians | São Paulo | 1 | 2023 | Campeonato Brasileiro Feminino Série A1, Campeonato Paulista Feminino, Supercopa do Brasil Feminino | [11] |
In general, the Triple Crown does not require specific titles, so other Brazilian teams have also done the feat in history and won different championships. The Intercontinental Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup are of particular importance for Brazilian football, culturally considered as a single competition, so a Triple Crown, consisting of an international cup, the national championship and the most prestigious continental competition, the Copa Libertadores, is the highest honor that a Brazilian club can achieve at the international level.[12]
| Club | State | Season/Year(s) | National Championship | Continental | Intercontinental/ Club World Cup | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santos | São Paulo | 1962 | Intercontinental Cup | |||
| Santos (2) | São Paulo | 1963 | Intercontinental Cup |
Santos Futebol Clube won the three most important competitions for Brazilian clubs in 1962. In that year, it won the Campeonato Paulista, the Copa Libertadores da América and the Taça Brasil (in 2010, Taça Brasil was unified to the Campeonato Brasileiro). The team even won the 1962 Intercontinental Cup.
In 1963, Santos did not win the state championship, but won the Torneio Rio-São Paulo and the other 3 competitions won in the previous year.
In 1981, Flamengo won Carioca, Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup.
In 1992, São Paulo won Paulista, Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup. The following year, despite winning nothing statewide or nationally, he won four international titles: in addition to the last two, the Supercopa Libertadores and the Recopa Sul-Americana. In 2005, the São Paulo team would repeat the feat of 1992, but now winning the FIFA Club World Cup.
Flamengo's run in 2019 brought them three important trophies, although they were not all won on a domestic level: the state championship, Campeonato Carioca, the Campeonato Brasileiro, and the Copa Libertadores. Flamengo was only the second Brazilian club after Santos in 1962 to achieve this kind of Triple Crown. The following season, Palmeiras were crowned winners of the Campeonato Paulista, Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores.