Soccer can spark pure joy and sharp disappointment in equal measure. When a club’s results turn against it, a season’s hard work can feel wasted in a heartbeat, and the sense of burden lingers well after the final whistle. Relegation is more than a drop in the standings; it fractures identity, reshapes futures, and changes the daily rhythm of a club’s life.
That ache touches Santos, a club with a glittering Brazilian history. In 2023 they dropped to Serie B for the first time in their long story, a milestone that sparked both shock and reflection. Santos had once lifted the Copa Libertadores trophy in 2011, with Neymar delivering a spark that defined an era. Yet on the last matchday of Brasileirão, a home defeat to Fortaleza sealed their fall, leaving Peixe in the second tier and prompting conversations at Vila Belmiro about what went wrong and what lies ahead for the club’s future.
Never relegated refers to a club that has not slipped from the First Division through sporting results, not to never having played in the second tier. Some clubs briefly reached the top flight’s silver division and never returned, a telling reminder that long-standing top-status is a fragile banner when faced with shifting rivals, management choices, and evolving competition.
Below is a list of Latin American clubs that have not spent time in the second tier since rising to the top flight, illustrating enduring stability amid pressure from rivals and changing eras:
CHILE
Sebastián Ordenes/Colo Colo
ARGENTINA
Swimming pool
BOLIVIA
- The strongest
- Oil East
- Sporty boys
BRAZIL
Buddha Mendes/Getty
Santos were relegated to Serie B for the first time in history after a 1-2 defeat at home to Fortaleza. Peixe finished the season in 15th place on the final day, two points above Bahia and one point above Vasco da Gama. But both Bahia and Vasco won their matches, leaving Santos in 17th and triggering unrest at Vila Belmiro.
COLOMBIA
Dimayor
- Deportivo Cali
- National Athletics
- Once Caldas
- Independent Medellín
- Junior
- Independent Santa Fe
- Millionaires
- Equity
- Boyacá Patriots
- Oil Alliance
- Jaguars of Córdoba
ECUADOR
- Barcelona
- Valley independent
- Guayaquil City
MEXICO
- America
- Chivas
- Toluca
- UNAM Cougars
- Blue Cross
- Santos Laguna
- Chiapas
- Tijuana Xolos
PARAGUAY
Getty
- Olympia
- Cerro Porteño
- Guarani
PERU
- Academic
- Sporty Cristal
- University San Martin de Porres
- Sports Huancayo
- Ayacucho FC
- Cusco FC
URUGUAY
Getty Images
VENEZUELA
- Caracas
- Deportivo Tachira
- Zulia
- Guyanese miners
- Deportivo Anzoategui
- Sports Lara
- Aragua FC
- Deportivo La Guaira
- Zamora FC
Source notes and context are provided for readers seeking a clearer line of historical continuity. Attribution is included where relevant to confirm the historical records and contemporary analyses that frame these league dynamics.