The 64 teams play in 16 groups of four. Within each group, the four teams play a double round robin, i.e. they play each other in home and away matches, totalling six matchdays. The two best ranked teams in each group qualify to the Second Stage.
The 32 teams qualified from the First Stage play in eight groups of four. Within each group, the four teams play a double round robin, i.e. they play each other in home and away matches, totalling six matchdays. The two best ranked teams in each group qualify to the Third Stage.
The 16 teams qualified from the Second Stage play in four groups of four. Within each group, the four teams play a double round robin, i.e. they play each other in home and away matches, totalling six matchdays. The two best ranked teams in each group qualify to the Final Stage.
The eight teams qualified from the Third Stage are put together in a single group. They play a double round robin, i.e. they play each other in home and away matches, totalling fourteen matchdays. The four best ranked teams are automatically promoted to the Série B in 2009.
State | Team | City | Qualification criteria | Acre}} | Rio Branco | Rio Branco | 2008 State Championship 1st Stage winners |
{{flag|Alagoas}} | CSA | Maceió | 2008 State Championship winners |
ASA | Arapiraca | 2008 State Championship runners-up |
Amapá}} | Cristal | Macapá | 2007 State Championship runners-up1 |
{{flag|Amazonas}} | Holanda | Rio Preto da Eva | 2008 State Championship winners |
Fast Clube | Manaus | 2008 State Championship runners-up |
{{flag|Bahia}} | Vitória da Conquista | V. da Conquista | Best record in 2008 State Championship 1st Stage |
Itabuna | Itabuna | 2nd best record in 2008 State Championship 1st Stage |
Atlético | Alagoinhas | 3rd best record in 2008 State Championship 1st Stage |
{{flag|Ceará}} | Icasa | Juazeiro do Norte | 2008 State Championship 1st Stage winners |
Horizonte | Horizonte | 2008 State Championship 2nd Stage runners-up |
{{flag|Distrito Federal (Brazil)|name=Distrito Federal}} | Dom Pedro II | Guará | Best record in 2008 Metropolitan Championship |
Legião | Brasília | 2nd best record in 2008 Metropolitan Championship |
{{flag|Espírito Santo}} | Serra | Serra | 2008 State Championship winners |
Linhares | Linhares | 2008 State Championship 3rd place2 |
{{flag|Goiás}} | Itumbiara | Itumbiara | 2008 State Championship |
Atlético Goianiense | Goiânia | 2nd best record in 2008 State Championship |
Anápolis | Anápolis | 3rd best record in 2008 State Championship |
{{flag|Maranhão}} | Bacabal | Bacabal | 2008 City of São Luís Trophy winners |
Sampaio Corrêa | São Luís | 2008 City of São Luís Trophy runners-up |
{{flag|Mato Grosso}} | Mixto | Cuiabá | 2008 State Championship winners |
Luverdense | Lucas do Rio Verde | 2008 Governor's Cup winners |
{{flag|Mato Grosso do Sul}} | Águia Negra | Rio Brilhante | 2008 State Championship Group A winners |
Operário | Campo Grande | 2008 State Championship Group B winners |
{{flag|Minas Gerais}} | Tupi | Juiz de Fora | Best record in 2008 State Championship |
Ituiutaba | Ituiutaba | 2nd best record in 2008 State Championship |
América Mineiro | Belo Horizonte | 2007 Taça Minas Gerais 3rd place3 |
{{flag|Pará}} | Águia de Marabá | Marabá | 2008 State Championship 1st Stage winners |
Paysandu | Belém | 2008 State Championship 2nd Stage winners |
Remo | Belém | Relegated from Série B 2007 |
{{flag|Paraíba}} | Campinense | Campina Grande | 2008 State Championship winners |
Treze | Campina Grande | 2008 State Championship runners-up |
{{flag|Paraná}} | Toledo | Toledo | Best record in 2008 State Championship |
Engenheiro Beltrão | Engenheiro Beltrão | 2nd Best record in 2008 State Championship |
J. Malucelli | Curitiba | 2007 Copa Paraná winners |
{{flag|Pernambuco}} | Central | Caruaru | Best record in 2008 State Championship |
Salgueiro | Salgueiro | 2nd best record in 2008 State Championship |
Petrolina4 | Petrolina | 5th best record in 2008 State Championship |
Santa Cruz | Recife | Relegated from Série B 2007 |
{{flag|Piauí}} | Barras | Barras | 2008 State Championship winners |
Picos | Picos | 2008 State Championship runners-up |
{{flag|Rio de Janeiro}} | Madureira | Rio de Janeiro | Best record in 2008 State Championship |
Boavista | Saquarema | 2nd best record in 2008 State Championship |
Macaé | Macaé | 3rd best record in 2008 State Championship |
Duque de Caxias | Duque de Caxias | 2007 Copa Rio 6th Place |
{{flag|Rio Grande do Norte}} | Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz | 2008 State Championship 1st Stage runners-up |
Potiguar | Mossoró | 2008 State Championship 2nd Stage winners |
{{flag|Rio Grande do Sul}} | Internacional | Santa Maria | Best record in 2008 State Championship |
Caxias | Caxias do Sul | 2nd best record in 2008 State Championship |
Brasil | Pelotas | 2007 Copa FGF runners-up5 |
Rondônia}} | It will not have representative6 |
Roraima}} | Progresso | Mucajaí | 2008 State Championship 1st Stage winners |
{{flag|São Paulo}} | Guaratinguetá | Guaratinguetá | Best record in 2008 State Championship |
Mirassol | Mirassol | 2nd best record in 2008 State Championship |
Noroeste | Bauru | 3rd best record in 2008 State Championship |
Guarani | Campinas | 4th best record in 2008 State Championship |
Linense | Lins | 2007 Copa FPF winners |
Paulista | Jundiaí | Relegated from Série B 2007 |
Ituano | Itu | Relegated from Série B 2007 |
{{flag|Santa Catarina}} | Metropolitano | Blumenau | Best record in 2008 State Championship |
Marcílio Dias | Itajaí | 2007 Copa Santa Catarina winners |
{{flag|Sergipe}} | Confiança | Aracaju | 2008 State Championship winners |
Sergipe | Aracaju | 2008 State Championship runners-up |
{{flag|Tocantins}} | Palmas | Palmas | 2007 State Championship winners |
In 2009, Série C will have a new format and the number of teams will be reduced from 64 to only 20 clubs. Teams finished from 5th to 20th are qualified to next season, meanwhile the ones finished from the 21st-place will have to qualify via state competitions to play Série D in 2009.
| Pos. | Team | Pts | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Qualification |
---|
Final Stage | 1 | {{flagicon|Goiás}} Atlético Goianiense | 29 | 14 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 10 | 25 | Série B 2009 |
2 | {{flagicon|São Paulo}} Guarani | 21 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 25 | 22 | 3 |
3 | {{flagicon|Paraíba}} Campinense | 21 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 19 | 20 | -1 |
4 | {{flagicon|Rio de Janeiro}} Duque de Caxias | 18 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 27 | 31 | -4 |
5 | {{flagicon|Pará}} Águia de Marabá | 18 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 20 | 24 | -4 | Série C 2009 |
6 | {{flagicon|Rio Grande do Sul}} Brasil | 17 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 17 | 21 | -4 |
7 | {{flagicon|Sergipe}} Confiança | 17 | 14 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 23 | 33 | -10 |
8 | {{flagicon|Acre}} Rio Branco | 16 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 25 | 30 | -5 |
3rd Stage | 9 | {{flagicon|São Paulo}} Guaratinguetá | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
10 | {{flagicon|Alagoas}} ASA | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
11 | {{flagicon|Pará}} Paysandu | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
12 | {{flagicon|Minas Gerais}} Ituiutaba | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | -5 |
13 | {{flagicon|Santa Catarina}} Marcílio Dias | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 |
14 | {{flagicon|Mato Grosso}} Mixto | 4 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 20 | -14 |
15 | {{flagicon|Pernambuco}} Salgueiro | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | -4 |
16 | {{flagicon|Mato Grosso}} Luverdense | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 9 | -5 |
2nd Stage | 17 | {{flagicon|Maranhão}} Sampaio Corrêa | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
18 | {{flagicon|Ceará}} Icasa | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 7 | -2 |
19 | {{flagicon|Rio Grande do Sul}} Caxias | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 9 | 3 |
20 | {{flagicon|Minas Gerais}} América Mineiro | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
21 | {{flagicon|Bahia}} Vitória da Conquista | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
22 | {{flagicon|Distrito Federal (Brazil)}} Dom Pedro II | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 12 | -3 |
23 | {{flagicon|São Paulo}} Noroeste | 7 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
24 | {{flagicon|Amazonas}} Holanda | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 12 | -2 |
1. ^Petrolina enters in place of Ypiranga in Série C {{pt icon}}
2. ^Série C: Confirmado W.O no Grupo 1, que já está definido {{pt icon}}
3. ^Court stands and Sergipe can't advance to second stage{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{pt icon}}
4. ^Court nulls matches{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{pt icon}}
5. ^Despite losing points and fees, Duque de Caxias are clear to play Campeonato Brasileiro next year{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{pt icon}}