Two of South America’s top leagues begin their 2026 seasons this week. To get ready for their new seasons, we take a look at the top leagues in Brazil, the Campeonato Brasileiro Feminino, and Colombia, the Liga Femenina BetPlay Dimayor. We’ll look at the structure of the leagues and explore some key questions facing the leagues. Before we dive in, if you want a refresher of who the 2025 seasons wrapped up, I have an overview here.

The Brasileirão Feminino launches its 14th season this week with an expanded number of teams. After the 2025 season, two teams were relegated, but four teams were promoted. This means the 2026 season will see a total of 18 teams participating. The season has two phases.

Phase 1: The initial phase is a standard league where each team plays the other once.

Phase 2: The top 8 teams from the league phase move on to the knockout round that starts at the quarterfinal round. The teams will play two-legged ties throughout the knockout stage with the champion being the winner of the two-legged final.

In 2025, Corinthians defeated Cruzeiro to win their 7th title overall, and 6th in a row.

As the season approaches, here are the three questions I’m most looking to see answered for 2026.

Does Palmeiras Have Corinthians’s Number?

Does Palmeiras Have Corinthians’s Number?

First the Paulista, then the Supercopa. In the last two big outings between Palmeiras and Corinthians, Palmeiras have come out on top. Can Palmeiras keep that up and unseat Corinthians as champions for the first time since 2019?

Well, Palmeiras lost three-time golden boot winner Amanda Gutierres over the break, but they have club legend Bia Zaneratto returning to take her place. For their part, Corinthians has seen some departures as well, perhaps most significantly the departure of Mariza. Additionally Corinthians are built around aging stars like Tamires and Gabi Zanotti. However, As Brabas have reinforced their side with big names like Uruguay star, Belén Aquino, Colombian midfielder Paola García, and Brazilian attacker Rhaizza.

It’s not out of the question that Palmeiras can top Corinthians and win their first league title, but this isn’t a one-off match. In the end, Palmeiras need to do more than beat Corinthians for the title, and if there’s one area where Corinthians are strongest, it is in squad depth. If anyone is situated to handle the league and knockout phases, it is Corinthians. Still, Palmeiras do look good, and if they can stay healthy, they just may upset the defending champs.

Can Anyone Else Challenge?

Can Anyone Else Challenge?

In 2025, Cruzeiro finished top of the league table, and they reached the final of the knockout phase, losing to Corinthians in the two-legged tie. Could they repeat last season’s success but go one step further? They’ve lost their captain, Isa Haas, so they may see a step back, but they should still be in the hunt.

Obviously, Palmeiras are in with a shout. What about São Paulo and Ferroviária? Both reach the quarterfinal stage last season. Only São Paulo advanced, but that’s because they beat Ferroviária on penalties. Flamengo have the opening match against newly promoted Mixto. They come into the season the back of winning the Copinha. They may be able to put a run together and win the title. Another team to look at for a run is Bahia, who have added some good signings to the team that had a good 2025 season.

If I had to put my money down on a team that isn’t Corinthians or Palmeiras, I’d probably select Ferroviária or Bahia, but it really is difficult to see anyone obviously outplaying Corinthians at this point. Of course, that’s the fun of the Brasileirão Feminino right now. There’s a giant to be felled. The question is, who will finally do it?

What Can the Newcomers Bring?

What Can the Newcomers Bring?

With the expanded league size, it will be interesting to see what teams like Vitória and Mixto will bring to the league. The worry is that they will be overrun by the bigger teams. Three of the four teams that were relegated in 2024 won promotion in 2025, so the second division does not necessarily offer depth of quality. Of course, expanded opportunity to remain in the top flight once promotion is won may help motivate teams to invest in the lower divisions with the hopes of eventually becoming established top flight teams.

It is definitely the case that some of these newly promoted teams will stay up, but will they be competitive or will they be nothing more than also rans? Unfortunately, signs point to the teams stuggling. Mixto will be running up a steep hill. But I’m a sucker for an underdog. I don’t see them reaching the knockout phase, but maybe they can upset a side or two. I’ll be pulling for them.

You can catch Mixto’s first match of the year here, as they host Flamengo.

Colombia’s Liga Femenina returns for it’s 10th season, and there are a number of exciting storylines to follow for the 2026 season.

The league is comprised of 16 teams and is broken into three main phases.

Phase 1: The initial phase is a standard league phase where each time plays the other teams once.

Phase 2: The teams in the top 8 positions after this initial league phase move onto the Cuadrangulares. Here, the 8 remaining teams are broken into two groups of 4 teams. The teams in each group play each other twice.

Phase 3: The top two teams in each group move on to the knockout rounds, starting at the semifinal stage. Home and away fixtures are used in both the semifinals and finals. The league champion is the winner after over the two-legged final.

The two teams that reach the final will also qualify for the 2027 Copa Libertadores.

As a quick review of the 2025 season, Deportivo Cali are the defending champions after defeating Independiente Santa Fe in the final.

As the season approaches, here are the three questions I’m most looking to see answered for 2026.

Can Deportivo Cali’s Rebuild Keep Them on Top?

Can Deportivo Cali’s Rebuild Keep Them on Top?

The break between the 2025 and 2026 seasons has seen some major departures for the two-time defending champions, Deportivo Cali. Central Midfielder Paola García, winger Kelly Ibargüen, defender Kelly Caicedo, and keeper Luisa Agudelo all departed during the break. That’s a major part of the very solid spine that saw Cali win back-to-back league titles as well as finishing as runners up in the 2025 Copa Libertadores, losing the final on penalties.

Cali haven’t been resting on their laurels. They signed key replacements like Peruvian keeper Maryory Sánchez from Alianza Lima, defender Natalia Ruíz from Orsomarso, and attacker Karla Viancha from Santa Fe. Additionally, they still have the likes of Stefanía Perlaza and Angie Salazar in defense; as well as Melanin Aponzá in attack.

Cali should still be in the fight for the league, but they’re definitely seeing a changing of the guard from some of their key players from the past two seasons of success, and expected challengers like Nacional, Santa Fe, and rivals América have all strengthened their sides. Jhon Ortiz will have a bit of time to get his squad clicking, but with another run at the Copa Libertadores set for later in the year, he’ll have his work cut out for him to get this group as competitive as last year’s finalists.

Can the Usmes’ Return América to the Top?

Can the Usmes’ Return América to the Top?

Super siblings Catalina and Andrés Usme have returned to their old stomping grounds with América de Cali. Catalina will return to controlling the midfield and Andrés serving as head coach. Both were previously connected to Universitario in Peru, and depart the Lima-based club after winning the 2025 Clausura and qualifying Universitario for the 2026 Copa Libertadores. América’s two league titles have come with Catalina in the midfield and Andrés as the head coach, so the two bring a history of success, but can they repeat that in 2026?

2025 was a perfectly mediocre season for América de Cali. They progressed from the initial round after finishing 6th, but they did not reach the final knockout stages. Their success largely came on the return of Elexa Bahr, who provided the bulk of América’s goals, but she’s since departed for Italy. América have signed strikers Génesis Flórez from ADIFFEM in Venezuela and Obeida Mendoza from Junior in Colombia. They’ve also added Maira Neira in the midfield, who has previously partnered Catalina Usme in América’s title winning season in 2022. Still, the 2026 squad does not feel like it has the depth of talent of the 2019 and 2022 sides. Certainly, Catalina Usme brings a lot of talent, but she’s also bringing more years with her. As she ages, her ability to dominate a midfield slides.

Finally, by all measures, Andrés Usme seems a capable manager. He’s won two titles with América de Cali as well as a title with Universitario. There is good reason to think he can get the most out of this América side. But what is their ceiling? It may just be another 6th place finish.

Will Internacional de Bogotá be More Than La Equidad?

Will Internacional de Bogotá be More Than La Equidad?

At the beginning of 2025, Tylis–Porter Group took control of Bogota-based club La Equidad. The previous owners (Le Equidad Seguros) retained control of the name and branding of the previous club, and so Internacional de Bogotá was born. The 2026 season is the first for club under their new identity and ownership, and aside from the name and colors, not a lot has changed. The question is, will that remain?

The Tylis-Porter Group is a consortium of owners that include Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, and Eva Longoria. They are fronted by Al Tylis and Sam Porter, the latter of whom is the executive over Mexican club, Nexaca. The group also have ownership stakes in DC United and Swansea City. La Equidad, neither the men nor the women, were not setting Colombian football alight, but will this new ownership see those fortunes change?

Obviously, it is too early to say, and at the WoSo Round Up, we’re more concerned with the women’s team than the men’s team, but new investors could inject a bit of cash into the side and help it grow. Reynolds and McElhenney certainly provided that backing with Wrexham, but the pair are owners of that club independently of the Tylis-Porter Group. Looking at Necaxa’s women’s team, they are the only side yet to earn a point in the Liga MX Femenil’s Clausura 2026 season. So, it’s hard to know right now what the new owners mean for the women’s team at Internacional de Bogotá, but it will be interesting to see how this first season with the new identity (if not a lot of new players) goes, and what kind of attention it gets from the new owners.

Atlético Nacional vs Fortaleza CEIF (Thursday, 2/12 at 5pm eastern)
América de Cali vs Junior (Friday, 2/13 at 5pm eastern)
Once Caldas vs Independiente Santa Fe (Sunday, 2/15 at 3pm eastern)
Millonarios vs Orsomarso (Monday, 2/16 at 3pm eastern)
Inter de Palmira vs Internacional de Bogotá (Monday, 2/16 at 4pm eastern)
Real Santander vs Atlético Bucaramanga (Tuesday, 2/17 at 3pm eastern)
Llaneros vs Deportivo Pasto (Wednesday, 2/18 at 4pm eastern)

Most of the league’s matches should be available via the WinSport YouTube page.

Next we’ll check back in on the U20 South American Championships. We’ll look at which teams and players had a good initial group stage and review how the final stage is progressing.