The format for this edition has been modified compared to previous editions, with a reduction from 15 to 10 available dates, according to the new calendar of the CBF. The main phase — Taça Guanabara — divides the 12 clubs into two groups (A and B), with each team playing every team from the other group once. At the end of the six rounds, the four best-placed teams will face each other in a single match, with an Olympic-style crossover within their own group (A1 x A4, A2 x A3, B1 x B4 and B2 x B3). The semifinals will be played in two legs between the winners, after a draw to determine the matchups. The losers of the quarterfinals will compete for the Taça Rio, also in two legs, after a draw to determine the matchups. The final (of the Championship and the Taça Rio) will be a single match. The club with the worst record in the group stage will be relegated to the 2026 Campeonato Carioca de Futebol - Série A2, and the second-worst club will compete for a spot in the 2027 Campeonato Carioca against the runner-up of the same Série A2. [2]
Taça Guanabara (Main Phase)
As in previous editions, the main phase consists only of the Taça Guanabara. It is contested by the 11 best-ranked teams from the previous year's Campeonato Carioca and the champion of the 2025 Série A2, but with the teams divided into two groups (A and B) and with matches between clubs from one group against those from the other group, meaning that each club plays six games.
Final Phase
The top four teams from each group of the Taça Guanabara will compete in the quarterfinals, in a single match and in an Olympic-style crossover within their own group (A1 x A4, A2 x A3, B1 x B4 and B2 x B3). The winners will compete in the semifinals, after a draw of the matchups, in two-legged matches. The winners of the semifinals will compete in the single-match final of the Campeonato Carioca.
Taça Rio
The Taça Rio will be contested by the teams defeated in the quarterfinals, after a draw for the matches, in two-legged ties. The winners will compete in a single-legged final.
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