The club was first established in 1895 specifically as arowing club in the Flamengo neighborhood and did not play its first official football match until 1912. Flamengo's traditional uniform features red and black striped shirts with white shorts, and red and black striped socks. Flamengo has typically played its home matches in theMaracanã Stadium (which also often host theBrazil national team) since its completion in 1950. Since 1969, thevulture (Portuguese:urubu) has been themascot of Flamengo.
Flamengo is Brazil's richest and most valuable football club with an annual revenue ofR$1.2 billion (€218 million)[3] and a valuation of over R$3.8 billion (€691 million).[4] Flamengo is the non-European football club with the most followers on social media, with 49 million followers across all platforms as of 18 June 2023,[5] and also the most successful Brazilian team of the 21st century so far.[6][7][8]
Flamengo has also been well represented in the Brazil national team; at the1938 FIFA World Cup, forwardLeônidas da Silva, a Flamengo player at the time, was theGolden Boot winner with 7 goals and won theGolden Ball, thus becoming the first Brazilian player ever to win those two awards. Twelve years later at the1950 World Cup, Zizinho, amidfielder for Flamengo, also won the Golden Ball after he was voted best player; 4 out of the 10 top scorers for Brazil have all been Flamengo players at one point in their careers, seven players have won the World Cup whilst playing for Flamengo, and Flamengo player Mário Zagallo scored Brazil's third goal in the1958 World Cup final.
Flamengo was founded on 17 November 1895, by a group of rowers gathered at club member Nestor de Barros's manor onFlamengo Beach in Rio de Janeiro. In the late 19th century,rowing was the elite, upper middle class sport in the region and the group hoped to impress the young women of the city's high society by establishing a rowing club. Previously, they could only afford a used boat namedPherusa, which had to be completely rebuilt before it could be used in competition. The team debuted on 6 October 1895, when they sailed off theCaju Point toward Flamengo Beach. However, strong winds turned over the boat and the rowers nearly drowned. They were rescued by a fishing boat namedLeal (Loyal). Later as thePherusa was undergoing repairs, it was stolen and never found again. The group saved money to buy a new boat, theEtoile, renamedScyra.
On the night of 17 November, the group gathered at Nestor de Barros's manor on Flamengo beach and founded theGrupo de Regatas do Flamengo (English:Flamengo Rowing Group) and elected its first board and president (Domingos Marques de Azevedo). The name was changed a few weeks later to its current title ofClube de Regatas do Flamengo (Flamengo Rowing Club). The founders decided that the anniversary of the club's foundation should be commemorated on 15 November to coincide withRepublic Proclamation Day, a national holiday.
Flamengo's football team was only established after a group of ten dissatisfied players fromFluminense broke away from that club following a board dispute.[10] The players decided to join Flamengo because Alberto Borgerth, the team's captain, was also a rower for Flamengo. Also, establishing a land sports department at Flamengo was preferable to joining football rivalsBotafogo or the all-English clubPaissandu. The new members were admitted on 8 November 1911. A motion against the club taking part in football tournaments was put to a vote but was defeated, and as a result the members officially established the club's new football department on 24 December 1911.
The recently formedfootball team before a match vs. Paissandu, 1912
The new team trained onRussel Beach [pt] and gradually gained the support of the locals, who closely watched their practice matches. The first official match was played on 3 May 1912, and marked, to this day, the largest margin of victory in the club's history, as they defeatedMangueira 16–2. Flamengo's first ever match againstFluminense, the start of theFla-Flu rivalry, was played on 7 July of that year and was won by Fluminense by a score of 3–2. That same year, Flamengo finished as runners-up of theCampeonato Carioca, the Rio de Janeiro State Championship. The team's first uniform was nicknamed the "papagaio vintém", due to its similarity to a particular type of kite.
In 1914 the club won the Campeonato Carioca for the first time, dressed in a red, black, and white-striped shirt nicknamed the "cobra coral" (coral snake) was worn until 1916. Flamengo won the Campeonato Carioca again the following year, in 1915, and secured their first back-to-back championship; something they also did with their titles in 1920 and 1921.
In 1925, the team won the Campeonato Carioca and five other tournaments, a record at the time. In 1927 the prominent Rio newspaperJornal do Brasil, in partnership with a mineral water company, held a mail-in contest to find "the most beloved club in Brazil." Though Flamengo enjoyed their largest increase in fan support after the club professionalized in the 1930s, they still defeated popular rivalsVasco da Gama in the vote.[11] This was the first of many times that Flamengo would be polled as the nation's most popular club, originating the nickname "O mais querido do Brasil" ("the most beloved of Brazil").[12] In 1933 the team went on its first tour outside Brazil (toMontevideo andBuenos Aires[13]) and on 14 May of the same year played its final match as an amateur team, defeatingRiver Futebol Clube by a score of 16–2.[14] After this, the club's football department became professional.
Local advertiserJosé Bastos Padilha was elected club president in 1934 and served until 1937. Under his tenure, the club massively improved its popularity in both Rio de Janeiro and the entirety of Brazil. For publicity, he organized a contest for students in schools to create phrases describing Flamengo, from which the phraseuma vez Flamengo, Flamengo até morrer ("Once you are Flamengo, you are Flamengo 'til you die") was developed and would later be adopted as part of the club's anthem. In 1936 Padilha signed excellent players such asDomingos da Guia andLeônidas da Silva (who would go on to be the leading goalscorer in the1938 FIFA World Cup as a Flamengo player). These beloved players endeared Flamengo to the public and it is believed that by this time Flamengo was the most popular club in the country.[11] In 1937 Flamengo hired Hungarian coachIzidor "Dori" Kürschner, who introduced theWM system to Brazil and other innovations from Europe such as training without the use of the ball and playing a more defensive, controlled style. Padilha facilitated the construction of Flamengo's new stadium and current training center, theEstádio da Gávea. The stadium was inaugurated on 4 September 1938, whenVasco da Gama defeated Flamengo 2–0 and Kürschner was promptly fired.
In 1938, the five-year split in Rio de Janeiro football over the dispute between professionalism and amateurism was resolved with the merger of the two competing leagues (Flamengo had been a member of the professional LCF –Liga Carioca de Football). In 1939, after twelve years without winning any titles, Flamengo conquered the state championship with a team that would become the basis of the three-time state champions in the 1940s.
In 1941, the group played its first international competition, the Hexagonal Tournament of Argentina.[15] In 1942, the first organized supporters group in all of Brazil, Charanga Rubro-Negra, was founded in support of Flamengo.[16] Flamengo's popularity grew incidentally duringWorld War II when Brazil's allies, the United States, installed two high-powered antennas inNatal andBelém in the north of Brazil to intercept enemy radio signals.[12] They also allowed residents in the North and Northeast regions to receive the radio broadcasts of football matches. As Rio de Janeiro was the national capital at the time and Flamengo was highly successful in the war years withZizinho and Domingos da Guia, nationwide support increased. In 1944, Flamengo completed their firsttricampeonato Carioca: three consecutive Rio de Janeiro state titles (winning the 1942, 1943, and 1944 competitions).[17] The key player of this squad was Zizinho, a player developed at Flamengo and considered the first ever "idol" of the club. Zizinho was transferred toBangu just before the start of the1950 World Cup in Brazil, where he scored twice and theSeleção finished runners-up. From 1953 to 1955, Flamengo once again won theRio de Janeiro State League three consecutive times.[17]
Flamengo won their 18thCampeonato Carioca state championship in 1978. The following five years would come to represent the club's most glorious era. Brazilian stars likeJúnior,Carpegiani,Adílio,Cláudio Adão andTita were led byZico to become state champions three times in a row – the club's third tri-championship. This run of sustained excellent play pushed Flamengo towards its firstBrazilian Championship in 1980. As national champions, the club qualified to play in the South American continental tournament, the1981 Copa Libertadores, for the first time.
The1981 season is a benchmark year in Flamengo's history.[18] They advanced through the semi-final group stage of the Copa Libertadores with four victories in four matches.[19] In the final they encountered Chilean clubCobreloa, also a debutante club in the tournament. In the first final at theMaracanã, Flamengo prevailed (2–1) with two goals from Zico. At theNational Stadium in Santiago the following week, the Brazilian team received a violent reception on the field and fell 1–0 from afree kick.[20][21] Equal on goals, a third match was played at the neutral venue of theEstadio Centenario in Montevideo.[21] Zico scored twice in the first half, sealing the game and the championship. Flamengo were crowned champions of South America on 23 November and qualified for theIntercontinental Cup, a single match to be played in Tokyo'sOlympic Stadium againstEuropean Champions' Cup winnerLiverpool F.C..
On 13 December 1981, Zico,Tita, andNunes took the field for the most important match in the club's history. Two goals by Nunes and one by Adílio (all in the first half) along with a brilliantmidfield performance by Zico earned Flamengo the title of first Brazilian World Champions sincePelé'sSantos, shutting out Liverpool 3–0.[22]
The following two years were also marked with success. One more Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1981 and two back-to-back Brazilian Championships –1982 and1983 – closed Flamengo's "Golden Age."[23]
National success and the return of Zico (1984–1994)
Zico played for Flamengo from 1971 to 1983 and 1985–89, setting several records for the club.
After spending two years in Italy playing forUdinese, Zico returned to Flamengo in 1986 and won his last state championship. Only one month after returning, he suffered a severe knee injury after a violent tackle fromBangu defender Marcio Nunes, which interrupted his career for several months and affected his form in the1986 FIFA World Cup.
In 1987, Zico was a major contributor to Flamengo's victory in the first edition of theCopa União. That year, theCBF was experiencing serious financial and institutional crises and was unable to secure sponsorship to organize the national championship as in years prior. As a result, the thirteen biggest clubs in Brazil (which included Flamengo) reacted and created a new entity named theClub of 13 to organize a championship of their own. The CBF originally supported the decision by the Club of 13, but were pressured by other clubs to create a larger national tournament. As a result, CBF placed three additional clubs into the Copa União, regarded the Copa União as the "Green Module," and organized a second "Yellow Module" of 16 other teams. CBF then decided that for the1987 Brazilian Championship, the winners and runners-up of both modules would face each other in a knockout-style cup to determine the national champion and qualification for theCopa Libertadores, although this decision was made after the beginning of the championship, without Club of 13 agreement. With strong performances fromZico,Zé Carlos,Renato Gaúcho andBebeto, Flamengo conquered the Copa União with major victories overInternacional andAtlético Mineiro. However, there was a dispute over whether Flamengo and Internacional of the Green Module would dispute the quadrangular againstSport Recife andGuarani of the Yellow Module. The Club of 13 clubs had agreed to not participate in the final set up by the CBF, since it was decided while the matches were already being played, butEurico Miranda, a representative ofVasco, Flamengo's archi-rival and member of the Club of 13, had already signed an agreement with CBF regarding the final, without the board consent. Flamengo still did not participate in the final under the understanding that it would only determine the entrants of the Copa Libertadores and not the Brazilian national champion.[24] CBF officially recognized Sport as the sole champion in 1987 and they qualified to the Copa Libertadores. In 2011, CBF retroactively declared Flamengo champion of 1987.[25] However, Sport later appealed the decision to a Common Justice Tribunal, which is prohibited by FIFA, and CBF ultimately declared Sport as the sole champion of that year, pending appeals from Flamengo, all of which were unsuccessful, and a few years later Sport was officially declared as the champion of the 1987 season.[26][27]
Throughout his career at Flamengo, Zico scored 508 goals and was the top scorer in club history before retiring in 1990.[28]
Even without its biggest star, the early years of the post-Zico era were successful for Flamengo. They achieved national victory in the second edition of theCopa do Brasil in1990, defeatingGoiás in the finals. In 1992, Flamengo won theirfifth Campeonato Brasileiro, defeatingBotafogo across two legs in the final (3–0, 2–2). The team's key player was againJúnior at 38 years old.
Mediocre campaigns and relegation escapes (1995–2005)
After winning the Brazilian League title in 1992, the club entered a major financial crisis and domestic and international achievements became less frequent, although the team still won trophies ranked less in importance. In1993, Flamengo lost theSupercopa Libertadores finals to Sao Paulo. In 1995, the year of Flamengo's centenary, radio sports broadcasterKléber Leite became chairman of the club and signed strikerRomário, the currentFIFA World Player of the Year, fromBarcelona.[29] He joinedSávio and laterEdmundo to become, as the supporters called, "the attack of dreams".[30] Even with Romário and other stars, Flamengo's centennial year did not yield major trophies, and the club struggled in the league, finishing 21st of 24. Flamengo only won theTaça Guanabara, the first phase of thestate league,[31][32] and finished runners-up of1995 Supercopa Libertadores. However, in 1996, Flamengo went undefeated in the Campeonato Carioca. Sávio was the top scorer and best player in Flamengo's victorious1996 Copa de Oro campaign. The Copa de Oro was Flamengo's first international success since 1981, their third overall international title.[33]
In 1997 Flamengo finished trophyless for one of the few times in its history, but overall had a good season, finishing fifth in theSerie A, finishing runner-up toGrêmio in the Copa do Brasil on away goals, and finishing runner-up in theTorneo Rio-Sao Paulo. 1998 was another trophyless season, but far worse than 1997;Mengão finished 11th in theSerie A, were knocked out of theCopa do Brasil with a 5–0 loss toVitoria, and failed to advance out of the group stages of theCopa Mercosur, although top scorer Romario continued to show individual brilliance with 35 goals from 40 appearances.
In 1999,Edmundo dos Santos Silva was elected club president, and brought with him a massive contract with sports marketing companyISL.[34] Despite a mediocre campaign in that year'sCampeonato Brasileiro, finishing 12th, the club lifted the1999 Copa Mercosur atEstádio Palestra Itália after beating Palmeiras 7–6 on aggregate in an exciting two legged final, and were successful at the regional level, winning the Campeonato Carioca over rivals Vasco, who had won the 1998 Copa Libertadores.
2000 was also a mediocre year for the club, being knocked out of theCopa Mercosur by River Plate in the quarter-finals, and exiting theCopa do Brasil with a heavy 8–2 aggregate loss to Santos. However the club were successful at the regional level again, beating Vasco 5–1 on aggregate for a back-to-back championship.
In2001 league play, Flamengo avoided relegation to theSérie B by beatingPalmeiras 2–0 on the final matchday.[35] Despite near relegation, the club had a decent season overall; they won the2001 Copa dos Campeões inter-state title, finished runner up in the2001 Copa Mercosur toSan Lorenzo on penalties, and beat Vasco again in the state league with a late free-kick goal byDejan Petković. With the state title, the club becametricampeão (three-time champion) for the fourth time in its history (1999-2000-2001) .
In 2002, ISL went bankrupt, for reasons unrelated to their contract with Flamengo, and the club was left without its wealthy partner. In the same year, Edmundo Santos Silva was removed from his role as president in a controversial manner amidst accusation of impropriety.[36] Lacking the funds to make key signings, Flamengo failed to field competitive teams and narrowly avoided relegation in the 2002, 2004, and 2005 campaigns, with the 2005 season being one of the worst in Flamengo's history; the club only escaped relegation after the arrival of coachJoel Santana, who directed the team to six wins and three draws in nine matches played under his command. Twice in this low period, the team reached back-to-back Copa do Brasil finals, in2003 and2004, ultimately falling toCruzeiro andSanto André respectively. This Flamengo has also evaded massive taxes in theBanestado scandal [pt].[37][38]
Adriano celebrating a goal for Flamengo. In 2009 he finished as joint top-scorer in Série A with 19 goals.
In 2006, Flamengo reached theCopa do Brasil final for a fifth time, finally managing to conquer the title after losing three previous finals, this time beating rivalsVasco da Gama. From 2007 to 2009 Flamengo completed their fifthtricampeonato in theCampeonato Carioca, and became sole owners of the record for most Carioca titles with 31 (Fluminense had 30 at the time).
On 9 March 2007, Flamengo received a commemorative date on theRio de Janeiro official calendar. GovernorSérgio Cabral Filho declared 17 November (the day the club was founded) "Flamengo Day".
In the 2007 Copa Libertadores, after a near-perfect group stage where the club was undefeated, expectations were high for the team. However, the club was eliminated by Uruguayan minnowsDefensor Sporting in the first knockout round.[39] In theCampeonato Brasileiro, Flamengo spent most of the season in mid table hoping for at least a top ten finish but in the last five matchdays climbed to second place before being defeated byNáutico 1–0 in the final round and ultimately ending the season third, which was good enough for a spot in the following year's Copa Libertadores.
In the2008 Copa Libertadores, Flamengo began their campaign by topping their group. After defeatingClub América 4–2 atEstadio Azteca, in what was Flamengo's first tournament tie against a Mexican club, Flamengo looked to be one of the strongest sides in the competition. However, Flamengo polemically lost the second leg at home 3–0 and were eliminated in the round of 16 again, in what was Joel Santana's final match with the club.[40][41] In theBrasileirao, Flamengo finished fifth, and in2009 despite being in tenth place in midseason, Flamengo won the league title for the first time since 1992. With this victory Flamengo became five-time league champions, seventeen seasons after their last title.[42] The 2009 championship team finished the season with 67 points, the lowest winning point total in Brazil since the current league format was established in 2003. Flamengo were champions despite spending only two rounds at the top of the league: the final two, and the title was won after a dramatic 2–1 comeback victory againstGrêmio in the final round.[43]
Ronaldinho celebrates scoring for Flamengo in February 2011.
Flamengo experienced a poor run in Série A from 2010 to 2015, finishing better than tenth only once. Following the success of 2009, the club gambled on winning several titles and signed strikerVágner Love to form a pair withAdriano. The dream of repeating as state champions four times in a row was foiled by Botafogo in 2010. After narrowly qualifying out of the group stage in theCopa Libertadores, managerAndrade was still fired. In their first quarter-final appearance since 1993, after disposing of Corinthians, Flamengo were eliminated byUniversidad de Chile on away goals. Shortly after, Vágner Love and Adriano left the team. A series of coaching changes during the troublesome domestic league saw Flamengo survive relegation, avoiding defeat in their final nine matches, and claim the final berth to theCopa Sudamericana under managerVanderlei Luxemburgo.
The blockbuster signing of 2011 was 30-year-old superstarRonaldinho fromA.C. Milan. He was joined by ArgentineDarío Bottinelli and Fluminense idolThiago Neves. Flamengo won the Campeonato Carioca outright in an undefeated campaign, but captured no other trophies that season: eliminations in theCopa do Brasil byCeará, a heavy 5–0 loss in theSudamericana by Universidad de Chile, and a fourth-place finish in theleague left fans feeling that a strong roster had been squandered. The season saw the retirement of Serbian club idolDejan Petković as well. In 2012 Ronaldinho sued Flamengo claiming lack of payment for four months and canceled his contract with the club,[44] Thiago Neves returned to Fluminense after a drawn-out negotiation with contract-holdersAl-Hilal, and defenderAlex Silva was loaned toCruzeiro after threatening Flamengo with a lawsuit. Vágner Love andIbson returned for a 2012 campaign that yielded no trophies and a group-stage exit from theCopa Libertadores.
At the end of 2012, Flamengo elected Eduardo Bandeira de Mello as club president for three years. The goal of his term was to improve the club's finances, after an independent audit assessed Flamengo's debt atR$750 million.[45] After a typical series of managerial changes,Jayme de Almeida was appointed as interim manager during which he fought off relegation and won the2013 Copa do Brasil final againstAtlético Paranaense. It was Flamengo's third Copa title, after 1990 and 2006.
Flamengo'sCopa do Brasil title-defense fell short toAtlético Mineiro in the semi-final. However, by 2014, Flamengo was the only club that successfully reduced their debt over the year (down toR$600 million) and recorded the highest annual profit.[46] In 2015 after an inconsistent start to the Carioca and national league seasons, multiple managers were dismissed and Flamengo failed to qualify for the Libertadores. However, Flamengo had signedPaolo Guerrero andEderson and were the most valuable club in Brazil with debt now reduced toR$495 million.[47] As a result, president Bandeira was re-elected. The club signed fan-favoriteDiego in the mid-season and mounted a strong campaign, but could not catchPalmeiras in 2016.[48]
2017 was characterized as the year Flamengo played two major finals at the end of the season but failed to win either. After going undefeated in the2017 Campeonato Carioca, they were eliminated in theCopa Libertadores group stage, failing to win a single match away from home but qualifying for theCopa Sudamericana in third place. In theCopa do Brasil, the club reached the final where they lost in a penalty shootout to Cruzeiro. Less than three months later, they reached an unprecedentedCopa Sudamericana final. They lost away toIndependiente and drew at home 1–1, losing the title. After the match, a group of Flamengo supporters rioted outside the hotel where Independiente were staying.CONMEBOL punished the club with two closed-door home matches in the followingCopa Libertadores.[49] In the league, the club finished sixth and qualified for the following year's Libertadores.
Nine years after their last Campeonato Brasileiro victory, Flamengo made a title run but fell just short. In2018 they spent the most rounds as league leader (thirteen) and broke their points record from 2016 (72), but finished runners-up behind Palmeiras. In the Libertadores they finished runner-up behind eventual champion River Plate and qualified to the round of 16, where they were eliminated by Cruzeiro. That season, the club recorded their two highest outgoing transfer fees in history: 18-year-old wingerVinícius Júnior[50] moved toReal Madrid in July for €46 million, and 20-year-oldmidfielderLucas Paquetá[51][52] transferred to A.C. Milan for a reported €35 million at the end of the year. Both were products ofFlamengo's youth academy.
On the morning of 8 February 2019 a fire erupted at Flamengo'sNinho do Urubu training center, popular name for Centro de Treinamento George Helal (Vulture's Nest training center) (Flamengo training ground fire).[53][54][55] The fire resulted in the deaths of ten academy players between the ages of 14 and 17 training with the club. Three others were injured. The cause of the fire was a malfunctioningair-conditioning unit that caught fire in the room of one of the victims close to 5:00 am. President Rodolfo Landim described it as "the worst tragedy the club has ever experienced in its 123 years."[56] Thegovernor of the state ofRio de Janeiro declared a three-day period of mourning following the tragedy.[57] Since then, Flamengo fans sing in memory of those kids, usually referred to as the "Garotos do Ninho". It happens every tenth minute of Flamengo home games, since 10 kids died in the tragedy.
The2019 season marked the most successful one in the club's footballing history. At the end of 2018,Rodolfo Landim was elected club president for a three-year term. Flamengo paid the most expensive incoming transfer fee for a player in Brazilian football history, signingGiorgian de Arrascaeta[58] fromCruzeiro forR$63 million (€14.5 million). In January the club signed forwardBruno Henrique fromSantos and secured the loan of strikerGabriel Barbosa fromInter Milan.[59][60]
After advancing out of theCopa Libertadores group stage, managerAbel Braga resigned and Flamengo hired Portuguese managerJorge Jesus.[61][62] Europe-based playersRafinha,Filipe Luís,Pablo Marí andGerson were added to play alongside Flamengo's other record signings.[63][64] After qualifying to their first Copa Libertadores semi-final since 1984, Flamengo defeatedGrêmio 5–0 in their home leg at the Maracanã to advance their first Copa Libertadores final since 1981. For the first time in Copa Libertadores history, the final was played as a single match in a neutral venue. On 23 November 2019, at theEstadio Monumental inLima, Peru against defending championsRiver Plate, Flamengo trailed 0–1 in the final minutes before Gabriel scored twice to secure the2–1 victory.[65]
Less than 24 hours later, Flamengo became champions of theCampeonato Brasileiro Série A for the first time since 2009 with four matches in hand after a loss byPalmeiras to Grêmio in the 34th round. Flamengo became only the second Brazilian club to win their state championship (2019 Campeonato Carioca), Campeonato Brasileiro, and Copa Libertadores in the same season, afterPelé's 1962 Santos team. Flamengo's 2019 campaign under Jorge Jesus' leadership broke a number of records in the Campeonato Brasileiro's 20-team double round-robin era (2006–present): most points (90), most wins (28), most goals scored (86), best goal differential (+49), longest undefeated streak (24 matches), most points clear of runners-up (16) and most goals by a single player (25 from Gabriel Barbosa).[66]
In2021 Ceni led Flamengo to a third consecutive Campeonato Carioca, but was released after four losses in Flamengo's first ten Campeonato Brasileiro Série A matches. The club signedRenato Gaúcho as manager, who brought strong results in league play and took Flamengo back to theCopa Libertadores Final against Palmeiras, but lost 2–1 in extra time on 27 November 2021.[68] He and the club parted ways after.
In2022, after a difficult start to the year under managerPaulo Sousa (runners-up in the Campeonato Carioca and Supercopa do Brasil),Dorival Júnior returned to Flamengo and brought another wave of glory. The team advanced to the finals of theCopa do Brasil againstCorinthians. In the second leg in the Maracanã, tied 1–1 on aggregate, Flamengo were victorious in the penalty shootout withRodinei scoring the winner. This was Flamengo's fourthCopa do Brasil championship and first since 2013. Later that month on 29 October 2022, Flamengo facedAthletico Paranaense inGuayaquil, Ecuador for thefinal of the Copa Libertadores. Gabriel Barbosa scored the only goal of the match and Flamengo claimed their second Copa Libertadores in four years, and third overall.[69]
Flamengo's crest has changed slightly throughout the club's history. Most of the changes has been changes to the interlocked letters monogram, with the latest redesign being unveiled in 2018.[70]
The club uses three crests in different situations: the full crest is used as the club's official logo, the rowing crest is used for all rowing related uniforms and equipment, and the white "CRF" monogram is typically the only component of the crest worn on the primary football uniform. It remarkably resembles the "RFC" monogram traditionally used by Scottish clubRangers F.C..
Beginning in 1980, Flamengo wore three white stars aligned vertically along the side of their monogram crest to indicate their three state league tri-championships (1942–43–44, 1953–54–55, and 1978–79–79 Special).[71] WhenNike became Flamengo's kit provider in 2000, their first kit featured the full shield crest with three stars above it for the first time. After the fourth state league tri-championship (1999-2000-2001) and to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the1981 Copa Libertadores andIntercontinental Cup championships, a fourth white star and a gold star were introduced above the crest. Since 2005 the club uses only the gold star above the "CRF" monogram crest on their shirts.
At the 1895 meeting which established the Flamengo rowing club, the club's official colors were decided as blue and gold to symbolized the sky of Rio de Janeiro and the riches of Brazil.[72] The team adopted a uniform of thick blue and gold horizontal stripes. However Flamengo failed to win a single regatta in their first year and gained the nickname of "bronze club." The team colors were perceived as bad luck, and the colored fabric was expensive to import from England. One year after the club's establishment, the official colors were replaced with the current red and black.
In 1912, at the request of the Flamengo rowing team (who opposed the use of their same uniform by the newly established football team), the football players dressed in shirts divided into red and black quarters which became known as thepapagaio de vintém uniform, named after a particular style ofkite. However the shirt became synonymous with bad luck and was replaced in 1913 by a shirt with red and black horizontal stripes and thinner white bands. This uniform was nicknamed thecobra coral due to its similarity to the pattern of acoral snake. This was the uniform worn when Flamengo won their firstCampeonato Carioca title in 1914. The white bands were removed from the shirt in 1916 as the pattern was very similar to theflag of Germany at the time, who Brazil was allied against inWorld War I. The rowing team permitted the football team to use their same uniform, and Flamengo's traditional football uniform of a red and black striped shirt, white shorts and red-black socks was born.[73]
In 1938, Flamengo managerDori Kürschner suggested the creation of a secondary white uniform to "improve the visibility in night matches." The new uniform was approved by the club, and Flamengo became a pioneer of secondary uniforms in Brazil. The white shirt had two red and black stripes across the chest until 1979 when it was changed to a plain white chest with stripes on the sleeves. This was the shirt worn by the team that won the1981 Intercontinental Cup.[73]
Beginning in the 1990s the club began to experiment with their second and third alternative uniforms, sometimes wearing all black or all red shirts.[74] In 1995 for the club's centenary, a "papagaio de vintém" shirt was worn in friendlies.[73] In 2010 uniform supplierOlympikus introduced a blue and gold alternative uniform which paid homage to Flamengo's original colors and regatta uniform, however it was not well received by fans who likened it to the uniform worn by the fictional satirical team "Tabajara" on the popular comedy programCasseta & Planeta Urgente.[72][75] In the first half of the2009 season, the team wore a uniform without sponsorship for the first time in 25 years.[73] Flamengo have continued to traditionally wear red and black striped shirts with white shorts as their primary uniform.
Since the early 1990s, surveys have shown that Flamengo is consistently the most supported club in Brazil with an estimated more than 40 million fans. In a 2019 survey, 20 percent of adult football fans in Brazil consider themselves supporters of Flamengo, with high levels of support in all states of the country, including theNorth andNortheast regions, in addition to Rio de Janeiro. Flamengo supporters are known asNação Rubro-Negra (en:Scarlet-Black Nation).
The first organized supporters group in all of Brazil, Charanga Rubro-Negra (Scarlet-Black Charanga Band), was founded in support of Flamengo in 1942.[16] Since then, a large number of additional organized supporters groups have formed around Flamengo, notably Torcida Jovem-Fla (Young-Fla), Urubuzada (Vultures), Flamanguaça (FlaBooze), and Raça Rubro-Negra (Scarlet-Black Race).
In 2007 Flamengo supporters were declared as part of the cultural heritage of the city of Rio de Janeiro, along withbossa nova and Bola Preta, the oldestCarnival block in Rio.[119]
The largest attendance for a football match in the world's history was the derby between Flamengo and Fluminense in 1963, with 194,603 spectators. Flamengo matches in the Maracanã have broken the 150,000 attendance mark thirteen times.
In July 2020, their YouTube channel FLATV passedLiverpool F.C. as the club with the third-most subscriptions for a football channel only behindBarcelona andReal Madrid.[citation needed] Flamengo's channel reached over 5 million subscriptions.[citation needed]
Mosaic of Flamengo fans showing the vulture mascot with the most important cups won by the club
Flamengo's firstmascot wasPopeye the Sailor Man, a comic book and cartoon character from the 1940s. The idea for the mascot came from Argentine cartoonist Lorenzo Molas, who saw in Popeye the strength and persistence of Flamengo, in addition to its obvious connection with the sea. However, such a mascot was never very popular among the club's supporters.
In the 1960s, rival fans began to call Flamengo fansurubus (English: "vultures"), a racist allusion to the large mass of Afro-descendant and poor supporters. Such an offensive nickname was never well received by Flamengo fans, until 31 May 1969.[120] It was on a Sunday, when a Scarlet-Black fan decided to take avulture to a game between Flamengo andBotafogo atMaracanã. At the time, the two clubs were playing the classic with the greatest post-Garrincha rivalry. And Flamengo hadn't beaten the rival for four years. In the stands, Botafogo fans shouted, as always, that Flamengo was aurubu team.[120]
The vulture was released in the stands with a Flamengo's flag tied to its feet and, when it landed on the field, just before the game started, the crowd cheered and shouted:É urubu, é urubu. (English: "it's a vulture, it's a vulture"). Flamengo won the game 2–1 and, from there, the new mascot was consecrated, taking Popeye's place. The cartoonistHenfil, tried to humanize him in his sports cartoons in newspapers and magazines, and theUrubu became a popular mascot.[120]
In 2000, Flamengo's mascot received an official design and a name:Samuca.[121] However, this name did not become popular among the supporters, who continue to call him simplyUrubu.
Flamengo has two anthems: the official one, calledHymno Rubro-Negro (English: "Scarlet-Black Anthem"), which was created in 1920 with lyrics and music by Paulo Magalhães (former goalkeeper of the club), recorded in 1932 by singerCastro Barbosa and registered in 1937 at the Instituto Nacional de Música, with the refrain "Flamengo! Flamengo! Tua glória é lutar, Flamengo! Flamengo! Campeão de terra e mar" (in English: "Flamengo! Flamengo! Your glory is to fight, Flamengo! Flamengo! Champion of land and sea"); and the popular one, with lyrics and music byLamartine Babo, recorded for the first time byGilberto Alves in 1945. The latter is the best known and the one that sings the glories of the club, whose refrain is "Uma vez Flamengo, sempre Flamengo" (English: "Once you are Flamengo, always Flamengo").[124]
Flamengo's first official home ground was theEstádio da Rua Paysandu ('Paysandu Street Stadium'). The ground formerly belonged toPaissandu Atlético Clube before they ceased playing football in 1914. The owners of the ground, theGuinle family, rented the field to Flamengo where they played their home matches from 1915 to 1932.[125] Between 1912 and 1915 (and later between 1932 and 1938), the club played all their matches on the grounds ofBotafogo orFluminense. The first Flamengo match at Rua Paysandu was played on 31 October 1915, in the Campeonato Carioca againstBangu. Crowds of 15,000 watched Flamengo face Fluminese at the park in 1918 and 1919.
Flamengo's home stadium is nominally theEstádio da Gávea (officially named theEstádio José Bastos Padilha at Flamengo's Gávea Headquarters), which was inaugurated on 4 September 1938, and has a capacity of 4,000 people. The stadium is named after José Bastos Padilha, Flamengo's president at the time of the stadium's construction, from 1933 to 1937. Even though Flamengo no longer play their matches at Gávea, the site serves as the club's administrative headquarters. Since the 1990s, the stadium has been used almost exclusively for the club's youth and women's teams' matches, and as the training ground for the senior team. Most matches are played at the significantly largerMaracanã Stadium, considered by supporters as the real Flamengo home ground.[126] Gávea Stadium is not actually located in the neighborhood ofGávea but rather inLeblon.
Since its construction for the1950 World Cup, theMaracanã has primarily served as the home ground for the four biggest Rio de Janeiro clubs. The stadium was officially completed in 1965, 17 years after construction began. In 1963, more than 194,000 people attended a match between Flamengo and Fluminense at the Maracanã. The capacity of the stadium allowed Flamengo to have the largest support of any clubs in Brazil for much of the 20th century.[128][129] In 1989Zico scored his final goal in the historic stadium, setting the current unbroken record for goals in the Maracanã at 333. An upper stand in the stadium collapsed on 19 July 1992, in the second match of the finals of1992 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A betweenBotafogo and Flamengo, leading to the death of three spectators and injuring 50 others.[130] Following the disaster, the stadium's capacity was greatly reduced as it was converted to an all-seater stadium in the late 1990s. Following its 50th anniversary in 2000, the stadium underwent renovations which would increase its full capacity to around 103,000. After years of planning and nine months of closure between 2005 and 2006 (during which Flamengo played their home matches atVolta Redonda'sEstádio Raulino de Oliveira andPortuguesa'sEstádio Luso Brasileiro), the stadium was reopened in January 2007 with an all-seated capacity of 87,000. For the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, a major reconstruction project was initiated in 2010. The original seating bowl, with a two-tier configuration, was demolished, giving way to a new one-tier seating bowl.[131]
The stadium is officially under the management of Brazilian conglomerateOdebrecht as of 2013.[132] This has resulted in unfavorable rental agreements for Flamengo who do not officially administer the stadium and often owe rental fees for matches in excess of their ticket revenue, even for matches with high attendance.[133] The most recent rental agreement was signed in 2018 and is valid through 2020. In April 2019, Flamengo and Fluminense came to an agreement with the state and the operators of the Maracanã to serve as joint-managers of the venue for the following six months, a deal which allowed the clubs to pay a fixed monthly fee and receive a higher share of matchday revenue than was granted under the previous deal.[134]
In 2017, Flamengo played their home matches at theEstádio Luso Brasileiro ofPortuguesa while disputing their stadium situation with theRio de Janeiro state government and Complexo Maracanã Entretenimento S.A. (composed ofOdebrecht, IMX,AEG), the operator of the Maracanã Stadium.[135] A three-year agreement was signed with Portuguesa over management of Estádio Luso Brasileiro, namedIlha do Urubu ("Vulture's Island") by Flamengo supporters in a poll.[136] The park was renovated to fit 20,500 spectators. Flamengo started playing at the arena in March 2017,[137] but after several delays and administrative issues and a new contract with the Maracanã, Flamengo broke their lease with the Ilha do Urubu in July 2018.[138]
In December 2024, it was reported that Flamengo released the design of their new stadium, an 80,000 capacity state-of-the-art stadium to be constructed at the Gasômetro area. The stadium is estimated to cost approximately €500 million and once completed, will become the largest stadium in Brazil. Scheduled for completion by November 2029 or earlier, the sports arena includes a North Stand dedicated for its most passionate supporters, luxury seating, a 360 degrees internalLED screen, a massive external display and a total of 6,200m2 of LED surfaces.[139]
The match became known as theClássico da Rivaldade ('Rivalry Classic') in the 1960s, is the traditional Brazilian derby betweenBotafogo and Flamengo, both fromRio de Janeiro. The first confrontation between Rio de Janeiro rivals Flamengo and Botafogo occurred in 1913. Flamengo's mascot of the vulture originated during the 1 June 1969, match against Botafogo when Flamengo supporters released a vulture onto the field in response to the racist cheers ofurubu (vulture) from Botafogo and other teams' supporters.[140] Flamengo's top scorer in the derby isZico and Botafogo's top scorer isHeleno de Freitas.
TheFla-Flu orClássico das Multidões ('Derby of the Crowds') is the traditional Brazilian derby between Flamengo andFluminense, both from Rio de Janeiro. It is considered by football experts and much of the sports media as one of the greatest classics in the world. According to writerNelson Rodrigues, the classic was generated by resentment. On the tricolor side, the fact that their starting players deserted and went to form Flamengo's football department, and on the red-black side, the fact that Fluminense still won the first match, circumstances that would have been fundamental in generating the derby mystique.[141][142]
The rivalry between these two clubs began in October 1911, when a group of dissatisfied players from Fluminense left their club and joinedrowing club of Flamengo, establishing the football department at their new club. The firstFla–Flu ever was played the following year on 7 July. Fluminense won the match 3–2, with 800 people in attendance.[143]
Over time Flamengo and Fluminense became powerhouses of Brazilian football, although with common origins, the clubs became very distinct and in some cases antagonistic. Soon Flamengo became the most popular team in Brazil, with fans mainly in the working and lower classes across the country. While Fluminense becomes a club linked to the rich class of Rio de Janeiro, especially in the south of the city.
In 1950, theMaracanã Stadium was built to host theFIFA World Cup, although the four big clubs of Rio de Janeiro play in the stadium, Flamengo and Fluminense are the teams that played the most matches there and currently manage the stadium, which belongs to the state ofRio de Janeiro. The Fla-Flu holds the world record for attendance in games between clubs: 194,603 spectators were present at the Maracanã stadium, in the final of the 1963Campeonato Carioca, won by Flamengo after a goalless draw.[144]
Flamengo and Fluminense are the two most successful teams in the Campeonato Carioca: as of 2025 Flamengo have 39 state league titles and Fluminense have 34.[145] Since 2012, Fla-Flu has been considered an Intangible Heritage of Rio de Janeiro, being the only football derby to deserve this honor.[146]
TheClássico dos Milhões ('Derby of Millions') is the traditional Brazilian derby between Flamengo andVasco da Gama, both from Rio de Janeiro. Although the rivalries against Botafogo and Fluminense are more traditional, Vasco is the club most hated by Flamengo supporters andvice versa,[147][148][149] with the derby between them being considered one of the biggest rivalries in Brazilian football and in football worldwide. The derby's name originated in the 1920s and refers to the two largest fanbases in the state of Rio de Janeiro.[150] Both clubs were established in the late 19th century as regatta rowing clubs. The first football match between the clubs was played in 1923 when Vasco entered the top division of theCampeonato Carioca.
From the 1972 to 2001, the matchup was elevated as the most important of Flamengo's rivalries and became one of the biggest rivalries in all of Brazil. In this span, Flamengo and Vasco played in or won the final of each of the phases of the state championship nearly every year, frequently facing one another. This also coincided with the beginnings of the national Campeonato Brasileiro and the growth in popularity of both clubs nationwide. The most iconic matches between Flamengo and Vasco featured the idols of both clubs challenging each other:Zico of Flamengo (1971–83; 85–89) andRoberto Dinamite of Vasco da Gama (1971–79; 80–93).
Some of the great players in Brazilian football played for both teams, and with hectic transfers in the 1980s and 1990s.Bebeto revealed by Flamengo, was seen as Zico's successor, but left the red-black team and went to play for Vasco in 1989.Romário revealed for Vasco's youth teams, when he returned to Brazil in 1995, recently champion of the1994 FIFA World Cup and electedbest player of the year by FIFA, he chose to play for Flamengo. Other players likeAndrade,Edmundo,Felipe,Jean,Jorginho,Juninho Paulista,Dejan Petković andTita.
Flamengo has an inter-state rivalry withAtlético Mineiro ofMinas Gerais, developed in the 1980s from numerous controversial encounters between the two clubs in that decade's Campeonato Brasileiro and Copa Libertadores editions. It maintained its high intensity through the following years, and is considered one of the biggest interstate rivalries in Brazilian football.[151][152][153]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
The following players have previously made appearances or have appeared on the substitutes bench for the first team.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
(1) In 1940 the competition was interrupted with Flamengo and Fluminense in the lead, without the CBD making the title official, however, the clubs and newspapers at the time considered the result definitive and declared the Flamengo and Fluminense as the legitimate champions of the competition.[156][157] The club currently considers itself champion of the competition and includes this title among its achievements.[158]
Below are Flamengo's results in domestic competitions since the previous nationwide organized competitions (1959), before the first official Brazilian national championship tournament in1971.
W = Winners; RU = Runners-up; SF = Semi-finals; QF = Quarter-finals; R16 = Round of 16; R32 = Round of 32; 3R = Third round; 2R = Second round; DNQ = Did not qualify; DNP = Did not participate
Below are Flamengo's results in official international competitions since the club's first qualification to theCopa Libertadores in 1981. Group stage match results are listed with the home match first.
Flamengo basketball won the Rio de Janeiro City Championship in 1919 and have since grown to be one of the most successful and supported basketball teams in the country. The club have won six Brazilian Championships, a record 44 Rio de Janeiro State Championships, the 1953 South American Championship of Champions Clubs, and the 2009 South American League.[161]
In 2014, Flamengo won the League of the Americas without a single loss, defeatingPinheiros in the final.[162] This qualified Flamengo to their first Intercontinental Cup againstEuroLeague championsMaccabi Tel Aviv. Flamengo won and became the second Brazilian basketball team in history to be world champions.[163] Flamengo, Real Madrid and Barcelona are the only clubs to have won the Intercontinental Cups in both football and basketball.[164]
Between 1995 and 2001, theFlamengo women's football team competed in the Campeonato Carioca. In 2002 the women's Carioca tournament was not organized, and the club ceased operation of the team. Flamengo attempted to re-established their women's professional football department in 2011 through a partnership with the city ofGuarujá where the team trained and hoped to signMarta, but the team never materialized.[165][166] In 2015 president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello succeeded in establishing the football team through a partnership with theBrazilian Navy. In their first season, the team won thewomen's Campeonato Carioca state championship and have won it every season from 2015 to 2019. In 2016 Flamengo won theCampeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino for the first time againstRio Preto, become the only club outside the state ofSão Paulo to win the tournament since its creation in 2013.[167] Flamengo also competed in the 2016 and 2017Copa do Brasil de Futebol Feminino before the cancellation of the competition in favor of the Campeonato Brasileiro.
The Flamengowomen's basketball team won back-to-back Brazilian championships in 1954 and 1955. Ten years later with some of the same players, the program won back-to-back Brazilian titles again in 1964 and 1965. Flamengo players Norminha, Angelina, Marlene and Delei were champions of the1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg with theBrazil women's national basketball team.
In 1966 Flamengo won the Inter-club Basketball World Championship. The team was led by Angelina, considered one of the best players of her time.[168]
One of the firstsrowing teams of the club, in 1896.
The "Flamengo Regatta Group", later renamed the "Flamengo Regatta Club", was established in 1895 as Flamengo's first ever organized athletic department, forming the basis of the club's history and identity to this day. The firstregatta victory came in 1898 in the Nautical Championship of Brazil, and the first title was won in 1900, the Regatta of the IV Centenary of the Discovery of Brazil, for which the club was awarded the Jug Tropon trophy. In 1905 the club won a classic event, the South American Cup. By 1908, Flamengo had already won 43 gold, 126 silver and 141 bronze medals. The success of the rowing club made the team famous even before the founding of the football department in 1911. Great rowers such as Everardo Paes de Lima, Arnaldo Voigt, Alfredo Correia ("Boca Larga"), Ângelo Gammaro ("Angelú") and Antônio Rebello Junior ("Engole Garfo") came through Flamengo, the latter three being considered Brazilian sports heroes for completing the Rio-Santos crossing in 1932.
From 1931 to 1937 Flamengo were seven-time champions of Rio de Janeiro, and were four-time repeat state champions from 1940 to 1943. In 1963 the "Buck era" began, which revolutionized Flamengo rowing. The coach brought in athletes from other states and renovated the club's facilities to better accommodate the boats. Buck coached the Brazil national team, directing the team in several international competitions. In the early 1980s, Flamengo won the state championship and won again in 1992. The club has won the men's Brazil Trophy 10 times, and the female once, in addition to 45 Carioca state titles.
Water polo is the second oldest sport practiced by the club, after rowing. The team played their first game on 27 May 1913, in Rio de Janeiro, and defeated Clube Internacional de Regatas, 3–2. Flamengo only opened its water sports facility in 1965. Prior to that, athletes played and trained in theRodrigo de Freitas Lagoon or in the sea. Flamengo's first polo championship in Rio de Janeiro came in 1985 and was the start of a run of nine consecutive championships through 1993. In 1985 the club won the South American Club Championship and the Brazil Trophy (also won four consecutive times). A female water polo team was established in 1987, winning the Brazil Trophy in 1987 and 1991 and the state championship in 1995.
The club launched theirAmerican football team in 2013, forming a partnership with the Rio de Janeiro Emperors. The Emperors were established in 2008 and had previously partnered withFluminense from 2010 to 2013. The team officially goes by the name of the Flamengo Emperors and compete in the BFA (Brasil Futebol Americano).[169]
Flamengo began playing tennis championships in 1916 and became three-time Rio champions soon after (1916–18), even with their athletes training at other clubs. Until 1932 the club practiced tennis on their football field at the Rua Paysandu. In 1963 the club inaugurated their own facilities and courts. The biggest idol of Flamengo's tennis department isThomas Koch.
In 2017 the club announced they would be entering the increasingly populare-sports leagues the following year, beginning with aLeague of Legends department and eventually establishing aPES team. Because the competitive League of Legends center of Brazil is at theRiot Games studio inSão Paulo, Flamengo established a permanent "gaming office" for the team in the city.[170] Flamengo announced that they would not be partnering with an existing team but rather would have their own team. In October 2017 they announced the purchase of Merciless Gaming, a team in the second division of the Brazilian League of Legends championship.[171]
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