Brasília, September 17, 2025 — Brazil’s antitrust authority has raised concerns that the creation of two rival football leagues — Liga Forte União do Futebol Brasileiro (LFU) and Liga do Futebol Brasileiro (LIBRA) — may have violated merger control rules by proceeding without mandatory notification.
The General Superintendence of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) found evidence of gun jumping. The case has now been referred to Cade’s Tribunal, which will decide whether to pursue penalties or close the matter.
The agency officials concluded that LFU and LIBRA, formed in mid-2022 by competing Brazilian football clubs, function as joint ventures because they centralize the management of key commercial assets, including broadcast rights for the country’s top men’s football divisions.
Brazilian law requires prior notification to CADE when joint ventures involve companies with revenues above approximately $140.7 m (BRL 750m) and $14m in the preceding year. Officials noted that the leagues’ structure involves both strategic coordination and the sharing of sensitive information among competitors, triggering merger review obligations.
For now, the analysis was limited to determining whether the creation of the leagues should have been notified. Any broader competitive effects, such as impacts on broadcasting rights, sponsorships, or club negotiations, will be assessed in subsequent proceedings, if the case advances.
The Tribunal may either dismiss the matter or find that an infringement of competition law occurred, which could lead to fines and corrective measures.
