[REVISION HISTORY]

Santa Cruz secures Série B promotion

Updated 14 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-04 20:13 UTC → 2026-10-05 15:33 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Santa Cruz has mathematically secured promotion to the 2027 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B following a 1-1 draw against Maringá at the Arena Pernambuco. After Maringá took an early lead in the 20th second via Adeílson Maranhão, Pedro Favela scored a second-half equalizer with a header from an Everaldo cross to guarantee the result. This achievement marks the club’s return to the second division for the first time in ten years, having last competed there in 2017. The promotion follows a period of consecutive ascents, including a runner-up finish in Série D in 2025. The match was attended by a record crowd of 45,500, generating a historical match revenue of R$ 2,039,778. This high attendance and revenue highlight strong supporter mobilization despite the club playing away from its traditional home, the Arruda stadium. The club’s ascent is supported by institutional restructuring through the creation of a SAF (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol). Recent private investment included a R$ 6 million injection to ensure player salaries and employee wages were up to date for this decisive match. During the campaign, supporters adopted a viral mascot in the form of a custom Yu-Gi-Oh!-style card featuring former coach Zé Teodoro. The card, which depicts the coach making a cautious gesture, includes the text: “Ainda não ganhamos nada. Essa carta elimina a zika contra o Santa Cruz” (“We haven't won anything yet. This card eliminates bad luck against Santa Cruz”). The card became a social media phenomenon and a physical charm used by fans to ward off bad luck. With this result, Santa Cruz leads Group B of the Série C decisive quadrangular with 11 points, becoming the first team to confirm promotion in the 2026 competition.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.