Flag football teams gather in São Paulo on Saturday for the opening of the Série A national championship tournament.
Play begins at 8:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, Surto Olímpico reported. The opening match on Field 1 carries dual stakes as the South region final between Carlos Barbosa Ximangos and Floripa Ghosts.
Both teams enter the tournament undefeated with five wins and zero losses. Heavy rainfall forced the postponement of their regional final match earlier in the season.
Representing the North region, Amazon Black Hawks enter as regional champions alongside runners-up Manaus Cavaliers. Cavalaria 2 de Julho from Bahia and Fortaleza Tritões from Ceará carry momentum from standout regional campaigns and individual awards earned by their athletes and coaching staffs, Surto Olímpico reported.
Sorriso Hornets of Mato Grosso and Campo Grande Predadores of Mato Grosso do Sul represent the Central-West region. The two programs aim to sustain the traditional success of one of the historically dominant regions in Série A history.
The Southeast region fields the largest delegation in the tournament with four teams. Unbeaten Minas Gerais champion Locomotiva joins defending two-time national champion Flag Kings, Vasco Almirantes, and local side Locomotives.
Previous Série A champions include Cronos Football in 2013, Goiânia Rednecks in 2014, and Cuiabá Arsenal in 2015. Carcamanos won in 2016, Campo Grande Predadores took the title in 2017, and Spartans Football claimed the trophy in 2018.
América Bulls won the national title in 2019 before Campo Grande Predadores secured another championship in 2022. Floripa Ghosts won in 2023, and Flag Kings claimed back-to-back titles in 2024 and 2025.
The tournament continues through the weekend with group matches determining the path to the national title.
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