2023 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C

The 2023 Campeonato Brasileiro Série C was a football competition held in Brazil, equivalent to the third division. It began on 2 May and ended on 22 October 2023.

Twenty teams competed in the tournament, twelve returning from the 2022 season, four promoted from the 2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D (Amazonas, América de Natal, Pouso Alegre and São Bernardo) and four relegated from the 2022 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (Brusque, CSA, Náutico and Operário Ferroviário).

Amazonas, Brusque, Operário Ferroviário and Paysandu were promoted to the 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B, while Altos, América de Natal, Manaus, and Pouso Alegre were relegated to the 2024 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D.

In the finals, Amazonas won their first title after defeating Brusque 2–1 on aggregate.

Format
The first stage had one group where each team played the other teams in a single round-robin tournament. The top eight teams advanced to the second stage, while the bottom four were relegated. In the second stage, the teams were divided into two groups of four teams each. Each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The top two teams of each group were promoted to the Série B, while the group winners advanced to the finals.

Coaching changes

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First stage
In the first stage, each team played the other nineteen teams in a single round-robin tournament. The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, the following criteria would be used to determine the ranking: 1. Wins; 2. Goal difference; 3. Goals scored; 4. Fewest red cards; 5. Fewest yellow cards; 6. Draw in the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (Regulations Article 16).

The top eight teams advanced to the second stage, while the bottom four were relegated to Série D.

Second stage
In the second stage, each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The teams were ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, the following criteria would be used to determine the ranking: 1. Wins; 2. Goal difference; 3. Goals scored; 4. Head-to-head (if the tie was only between two teams); 5. Fewest red cards; 6. Fewest yellow cards; 7. Draw in the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (Regulations Article 20).

The top two teams of each group were promoted to the Série B. Group winners advanced to the finals.

Finals
The finals were played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the higher-seeded team hosting the second leg. If tied on aggregate, the away goals rule would not be used, extra time would not be played, and the penalty shoot-out would be used to determine the champions (Regulations Article 21).

The finalists were seeded according to their performance in the tournament. The teams were ranked according to overall points. If tied on overall points, the following criteria would be used to determine the ranking: 1. Overall wins; 2. Overall goal difference; 3. Draw in the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation (Regulations Article 22).

The matches were played on 15 and 22 October 2023.


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Top goalscorers
Source: CBF