Grêmio and Atlético-MG will contest a place in the 2026 men’s Copa do Brasil final over two matches: the first leg is scheduled for November 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Arena do Grêmio in Porto Alegre, followed by the second leg on November 7 at 6:00 p.m. at Arena MRV in Belo Horizonte. Both kick-off times are Brasília time (UTC-3). As of October 21, neither match had been played. Atlético-MG confirmed the timetable following the CBF’s decision, which was also reported by ge.
What are the dates, kick-off times and venues?
| Leg | Date | Brasília time (UTC-3) | Fixture | Venue and city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First leg | Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 6:30 p.m. | Grêmio vs Atlético-MG | Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre (RS) |
| Second leg | Saturday, November 7, 2026 | 6:00 p.m. | Atlético-MG vs Grêmio | Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte (MG) |
Grêmio will host the opening leg, while Atlético-MG will host the deciding fixture. This order was set by the September 10 draw for home advantage. November 8, mentioned as a provisional second-leg date in older reports, was replaced by November 7 in the detailed schedule announced on September 27. The organizers may still revise dates and kick-off times.
How did each club reach the semi-finals?
Both clubs entered directly in the fifth round, when the Série A entrants joined the home-and-away knockout format. Each eliminated three opponents. The table lists match scores in the order in which the games took place; shoot-out scores are kept separate from the results of the matches.
| Round | Grêmio | Atlético-MG |
|---|---|---|
| Fifth round | Confiança: 2-0 at home and 3-0 away; 5-0 aggregate. | Ceará: 2-1 at home and a 2-1 away defeat; 3-3 aggregate; advanced 4-2 on penalties. |
| Round of 16 | Mirassol: 1-1 away and 1-0 at home; 2-1 aggregate. | Juventude: 0-0 at home and 1-0 away; 1-0 aggregate. |
| Quarter-finals | Internacional: 0-0 away and 3-1 at home; 3-1 aggregate. | Cruzeiro: 1-1 away and 2-1 at home; 3-2 aggregate. |
Grêmio’s route
The Porto Alegre side began by defeating Confiança twice, winning the tie by five goals. In the round of 16, Grêmio drew 1-1 away to Mirassol and won 1-0 in Porto Alegre. The quarter-final started with a 0-0 draw at Internacional’s Beira-Rio ground and ended with a 3-1 home win against their city rivals. Grêmio therefore sealed their semi-final place at home but will have to play the second leg of the next round in Belo Horizonte.
Atlético-MG’s route
Atlético needed a penalty shoot-out in the fifth round: they beat Ceará 2-1 in Belo Horizonte, lost 2-1 in Fortaleza and advanced 4-2 on penalties. They then drew 0-0 at home to Juventude before winning 1-0 away in Caxias do Sul. In the quarter-finals, a 1-1 draw with Cruzeiro at Mineirão was followed by a 2-1 victory at Arena MRV, giving Atlético a 3-2 aggregate win.
How will the semi-final be decided?
The 2026 semi-final consists of two legs. The results of both matches count and, if required, goal difference across the tie determines which side advances. If the teams remain level after the second leg, the place in the final will be decided directly by a penalty shoot-out. There is no extra time and no away-goals tie-break advantage.
For example, if Grêmio win the first leg 1-0 and Atlético-MG win the second leg 2-0, each team will have one victory, but Atlético will go through with the better goal difference over the two matches. If each wins 1-0, penalties will decide the tie. These are hypothetical illustrations, not score predictions.
Hosting the second leg at Arena MRV does not give Atlético-MG a regulatory advantage in a tie-break. Equally, winning the first leg would not guarantee Grêmio a final place: qualification can only be settled at the end of the return match or any subsequent shoot-out.
What awaits the winner?
The winning side will face Palmeiras or Vasco in the final, scheduled for December 6, 2026, at Mané Garrincha stadium in Brasília. Unlike the semi-final, the 2026 Copa do Brasil final is a single match. Both finalists secure participation in the 2027 Copa Libertadores, with their entry stages dependent on the final result and the applicable qualification-allocation rules.
Editorial cut-off: information checked on October 21, 2026, for the senior men’s tournament. No score or official starting line-up exists yet for the November fixtures in this preview, and this article does not claim a confirmed broadcaster or streaming service for either specific match. Recheck the schedule if the CBF issues a revision.
Sources and references
- Atlético-MG: confirmed semi-final dates, times and venues
- ge: detailed semi-final schedule published September 27, 2026
- ge: home-leg draw and the semi-finalists’ routes
- Grêmio: advancement over Confiança in the fifth round
- Mirassol: first-leg draw with Grêmio in the round of 16
- ge: Grêmio win over Mirassol and aggregate score
- Atlético-MG: Ceará results and scheduling of the Juventude tie
- Atlético-MG: round-of-16 results and quarter-final draw
- Atlético-MG: results of Grêmio vs Internacional and Cruzeiro vs Atlético
- CBF: two-leg format and penalties as the 2026 tie-break procedure
