Fortaleza, the club featuring Chilean defender Benjamín Kuscevic and coached by Martín Palermo, was relegated to Serie B after a 4-2 loss to Botafogo on the final day of the 2025 Brasileirao. Meanwhile, historic Internacional de Porto Alegre avoided relegation with a 3-1 win over Bragantino, finishing with 44 points.
The 2025 Brasileirao season wrapped up on Sunday with nine simultaneous matches deciding spots in continental cups and relegations. Fortaleza, which had gained some breathing room in recent rounds, failed to hold on. At Rio de Janeiro's Estadio Nilton Santos, it lost 4-2 to Botafogo, a result that, along with others, sealed its drop to Serie B alongside Ceará (43 points), Juventude (35), and Sport Recife (17). The Cearense side ended with 43 points. Benjamín Kuscevic, a Universidad Católica youth product, stayed on the bench without entering the pitch. The Chilean defender had lost his place in the starting lineup during the season's end, particularly under Palermo's management.
In opposition, Internacional de Porto Alegre, dubbed O Colorado and home to legends like Elías Figueroa and Charles Aránguiz, scraped through by the slimmest margin. It required a win against Bragantino and favorable outcomes elsewhere to remain in Serie A. It achieved a 3-1 home victory, edging out the first relegated team by one point. This Gaúcho club had first dropped in 2016 before returning the next year.
Other notable outcomes featured Santos, Neymar's side coached by Juan Pablo Vojvoda (former Fortaleza manager), beating Cruzeiro 3-0 to secure 12th place and a Copa Sudamericana berth. Champion Flamengo fielded reserves in the league while its stars head to Qatar for the Intercontinental Cup against Mexico's Cruz Azul. Direct entrants to the 2026 Libertadores are Flamengo, Palmeiras, Cruzeiro, Mirassol, and Fluminense; Botafogo and Bahia enter preliminaries. Sudamericana qualifiers include Sao Paulo, Gremio, Bragantino, Atlético Mineiro, Santos, Corinthians, and Vasco da Gama.