🏟️ Mirassol stadium could miss out on the Libertadores, find out why
· Yahoo Sports
Qualified for the 2026 Copa Libertadores, Mirassol faces an obstacle off the pitch in order to play in front of its fans.
The club needs to meet a requirement from Conmebol: to have an international airport located at a maximum distance of 150 kilometers from the stadium where the matches will be held.
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The club's main alternative is the internationalization of São José do Rio Preto Airport, which is about 15 kilometers from Mirassol.
The process, however, faces bureaucratic barriers and has not yet been formalized, according to information from Band.
Impediment with Anac
Although the interest in internationalization began last year, the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) reported that it has not yet received a formal request for the change to take place.
So far, Anac has only received a letter of interest. In November 2025, the agency responded with the necessary guidelines and procedures, but since then there has been no further response or submission of documentation.
For the airport to become international, approvals are required from four agencies: Federal Police, Anvisa, Federal Revenue Service, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
So far, only the Federal Police and Anvisa have confirmed their approval.
Risk of playing away from home
Mirassol is not at risk of losing its spot in the Libertadores. The problem, if the airport situation is not resolved, is that the city of Mirassol could be left out of the competition.
If São José do Rio Preto Airport is not adapted in time, the team from the interior of São Paulo will be forced to play its home games in a stadium that meets Conmebol's logistical requirement.
Anticipating this scenario, the board has already indicated Pacaembu Stadium, in the city of São Paulo, as the "plan B" in case Maião is vetoed.
Tight deadlines
Time is the biggest adversary for Leão at the moment.
The group stage draw for the Libertadores is scheduled for March 18, and the competition is set to begin on April 7.
The club has only a few weeks to cut through the bureaucracy and decide where it will host its matches in the continental tournament.
Note from Anac
"The National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) has not received a formal request for the internationalization of São José do Rio Preto Airport (SP). So far, the municipality has only sent a letter expressing interest, addressed to the National Civil Aviation Secretariat (SAC) of the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), with a copy to the Agency, but without submitting the request as stipulated in Resolution No. 181/2011 and without the approvals from border control agencies. In November 2025, Anac sent a letter to the airport operator, providing guidance on the necessary procedures to start the process. Since then, there has been no further response or submission of documentation."
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.