Corinthians celebrate first Brasileirão Under-17 title

Corinthians won the 2026 Brazilian U-17 ChampionshipCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Until this Tuesday (3), the Brazilian U-17 Championship trophy was still missing from Corinthians’ trophy cabinet. Not anymore. Despite a 3–1 defeat in Belo Horizonte, Timão secured the title thanks to their 3–0 win in São Paulo, winning 4–3 on aggregate.

For Erasmo Damiani, Corinthians’ youth football executive, winning the Brazilian U-17 Championship reflects the efforts of the players and coaching staff throughout the season.

“This achievement is incredibly inspiring. The coaching staff gave their all to help the players perform. It’s an undeniable achievement, because it’s our first national youth league title. It’s something much more special for everyone,” Damiani celebrated, referring to the club’s lack of titles in the Brazilian U-17 and U-20 Championships—Corinthians won the U-17 Copa do Brasil in 2016.

The São Paulo side’s head coach, Guilherme Nascimento, explained that the title was the result of a process of connecting the players with the club’s “spirit and history.”

“This title means so much. We worked hard with them on the pride and identity that come with wearing this shirt. Whenever Corinthians enters a competition, we need to be at the top. Today we managed to put Corinthians back at the top of Brazilian youth football. This is very important in everyone’s lives, and it will be a milestone in the careers of these players, who will go on to achieve so much more. This achievement is hugely significant for their development and for our work as a whole,” he said.

Corinthians won the 2026 Brazilian U-17 ChampionshipCredits: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

Full-back Pedro Fernandes was instrumental in securing the title. With Corinthians under pressure from Cruzeiro’s attacks and trailing 3–0, the defender tried his luck from outside the box. Goalkeeper Diogo parried his shot onto the crossbar, sending the ball into the air before it fell, struck Diogo himself and ended up in the back of the net.

With a mixture of courage and luck behind the goal, he stressed that, even before the match began, he had felt he would play a decisive role in Corinthians’ triumph.

“It’s very rewarding. I prayed to God so much for this. Before the match, I told my teammates that I was going to decide the title and that the goal would be mine. And sure enough, God blessed me with this goal,” he celebrated.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.