1. A match or contest held before the main event, typically to determine qualifiers or warm up competitors
The preliminary matches will be held on Friday before the championship game on Saturday.
As partidas preliminares serão realizadas na sexta-feira antes do jogo do campeonato no sábado.
2. In sports, an elimination or qualification match that precedes the final competition
Several boxers competed in preliminary matches to earn a spot in the tournament final.
Vários boxeadores competiram em partidas preliminares para ganhar uma vaga na final do torneio.