A Grand Festival of Table Football in Porto Alegre – Over 200 Players Compete in Brazil’s 12-Touch National Championships
source: cbfm.com.br, fefumerj.com.br
Over the long holiday weekend, Porto Alegre hosted one of the most prestigious events on the Brazilian table football calendar: the 12-touch Individual National Championship. For four days, the SOGIPA sports complex (Sociedade Ginástica de Porto Alegre) was transformed into a true table football arena, complete with 64 brand new tables, custom-designed balls, and a vibrant media presence.
Professional Atmosphere and Nationwide Representation
A total of 13 Brazilian states were represented at the championship, highlighting the sport’s strong nationwide popularity. The venue was buzzing with excitement as the Mundo Botonista team brought the event to life via multi-camera live streaming, complete with interviews and in-depth coverage across all four days.
Junior Category – Heitor Vendeiro Shines
In the Under-18 Junior division, 15 young talents competed for the national title. Heitor Vendeiro from São Paulo emerged victorious, edging out Linno Ballat and Joaozinho, both from Pernambuco, in a highly competitive final.
MASTER CATEGORY (Ages 48+): Tactical Brilliance and a Deep Field
A total of 96 participants took part in the Master division. Due to the large number of players, Brazil’s complex tiered format was used, beginning with 12 seeded groups of eight based on rankings and regional diversity. After a full round-robin phase, the top 5 in each group plus the four best 6th-place finishers advanced to Division I, while the rest competed in Division V.
In each subsequent round, players were reassigned into new groups based on previous results, ultimately producing 16 quarter-finalists in each of the top four divisions, and 8 in the fifth. Knockout rounds followed, with ties resolved based on cumulative group stage performance – a standard rule in Brazil.
Master Division Final Standings:
Division I
🥇 Evandro Gomes (Rio de Janeiro)
🥈 Norberto (São Paulo)
🥉 Dema (São Paulo)
Division II
🥇 Basilio (São Paulo)
🥈 Akiles (Pernambuco)
🥉 Ivo (Santa Catarina)
Division III
🥇 Adriano Barras (Pernambuco)
🥈 Sirio (São Paulo)
🥉 Walnir (São Paulo)
Division IV
🥇 Mario Novaes (São Paulo)
🥈 Olino (São Paulo)
🥉 Luiz Carlos (Rio de Janeiro)
Division V
🥇 Marcellus (Pernambuco)
🥈 Flavio Moraes (São Paulo)
🥉 Naldo Cantuaria (Rio de Janeiro)
ADULT CATEGORY – National Depth on Full Display
An incredible 122 players competed in the Adult (Open) category, organized using a similar tier-based system with 16 seeded groups of 8 players. Some groups featured “ghost matches” (3–0 byes) to account for a few empty spots. The top four from each group advanced to Division I, while others continued in Division IV.
As with the Masters, the tournament featured a multi-phase group system, with each player guaranteed at least 21 matches. Advancement was determined through results-based reshuffling, ultimately producing quarterfinalists across all five divisions.
Adult Division Final Standings:
Division I
🥇 Robertinho (São Paulo)
🥈 Galdeano (São Paulo)
🥉 Thiago Penna (Rio de Janeiro)
Division II
🥇 Marcus Vinicius (Rio de Janeiro)
🥈 Renan Pimenta (Paraná)
🥉 Marcos Antunes (Rio de Janeiro)
Division III
🥇 Rodrigo Ribeiro (São Paulo)
🥈 Vanno (São Paulo)
🥉 JP Gardelin (Rio Grande do Sul)
Division IV
🥇 Thiago Lima (São Paulo)
🥈 Di Cicco (São Paulo)
🥉 Auino (Pernambuco)
Division V
🥇 Hiago (Rio de Janeiro)
🥈 Feola (São Paulo)
🥉 Wagner (Pernambuco)
A Resounding Success for the Sport
This championship was a spectacular celebration of table football:
- ✅ Over 200 players from across Brazil
- ✅ More than 60 brand new, top-quality tables
- ✅ World-class organization
- ✅ Live broadcasting by Mundo Botonista (available for replay on YouTube)
The Brazilian Table Football Confederation (CBFM) once again demonstrated its remarkable ability to deliver high-level competition in a professional and inclusive atmosphere. Our warmest congratulations to all players, organizers, and supporters for making this event a benchmark in the 12-touch format.
🟡 Replay Available: You can watch the highlights and full stream on the Mundo Botonista YouTube Channel
🔵 Follow CBFM: For more information about Brazilian table football, follow the official channels of the CBFM.
— tablefootball.org editorial team
