Club World Cup logbook: Flamengo

Our series profiling the teams we will face in our FIFA Club World Cup group continues, with the focus turning to Chelsea’s second opponents Flamengo.

The tournament gets underway in the USA on Saturday (14 June), as Inter Miami take on Al Ahly in the opening game. That fixture kicks off a month of action that involves teams from 20 different countries from every continent. A new world champion will then be crowned.

Chelsea’s campaign begins on Monday evening against LAFC in Atlanta, before we return to our tournament base in Philadelphia for a game against Flamengo. Our group stage concludes against Esperance de Tunisie in the early hours of next Wednesday morning UK time, also in Philadelphia.

Tickets are still available to see the Blues in the Club World Cup, while you will also be able to watch the entire tournament for free on DAZN.

Here is a closer look at our second opponents in the USA, who qualified as South American champions, by virtue of their 2022 Copa Libertadores triumph…

Factfile

Full name: Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (CR Flamengo)

Country: Brazil

City: Rio de Janeiro

Formation: Club founded in 1895, football team launched in 1911

Major honours: Copa Libertadores (1981, 2019, 2022), Recopa Sudamericana (2020), Intercontinental Cup (1981), Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A (1980, 1982, 1983, 1992, 2009, 2019, 2020), Copa do Brasil (1990, 2006, 2013, 2022, 2024)

Head coach: Filipe Luis

2024 league finish: Third in Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, first in Campeonato Carioca

Stadium: Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro

Colours: Red and black

Nickname: Rubro-Negro (Red-Black)

Rivals: Botafogo, Fluminense, Vasco da Gama

CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores record

Although the South American competition began in 1960, Flamengo had to wait 20 years to appear in the tournament.

It was a glorious debut, though, as a side inspired by their legendary captain Zico lifted the trophy at the first attempt. The Flamengo skipper struck all four goals over a three-match final against Cobreloa of Chile; the final was level at 2-2 after two legs, which forced a decisive play-off that the Brazilians won 2-0.

A turbulent history with the Libertadores followed, as semi-final exits in 1982 and 1984 began a long barren spell. It wasn’t until 2019 that Flamengo got their hands on the trophy again. An all-conquering year saw them claim the regional and national league titles before a dramatic Libertadores final, now a one-legged affair.

Having trailed River Plate 1-0 for most of the game, Gabriel Barbosa struck in the 89th and 92nd minutes to give the Brazilians victory and take the Golden Boot.

Flamengo were beaten in the all-Brazilian 2021 final, but returned to take their third continental title against domestic opposition the following year. Gabriel Barbosa was the hero once again, getting the only goal of the game in first-half stoppage time as they beat Athletico Paranaense 1-0 in Ecuador.

2024 season

The campaign began in glory as they triumphed in the regional Campeonato Carioca for teams based in the state of Rio de Janeiro. After finishing three points clear at the top of the league table, Flamengo defeated fierce rivals Fluminense in the semis and then triumphed 4-0 on aggregate in a final against Nova Iguacu.

Further success followed, with a 4-1 win over Atletico Mineiro in the two-legged final of the Copa do Brasil. In the national league Serie A, they couldn’t replicate that glory, though, finishing in third and nine points behind champions Botafogo, although that was comfortably enough to qualify for continental competition.

In the Copa Libertadores, Flamengo progressed from the group stage in second place and beat Bolivar in the first knockout round, but were eliminated 1-0 by Penarol in a tight quarter-final.

2025 season

During the current year, Flamengo have retained their regional Carioca title, again topping the league stage by three points before defeating local rivals in the play-off stage. Vasco da Gama were seen off in the semis before a 2-1 aggregate win in the final against Fluminense.

The previous season’s Copa do Brasil triumph also qualified Flamengo for the 2025 Supercopa do Brasil, where a Bruno Henrique brace and late Luiz Araujo goal gave the Rubro-Negro a 3-1 win over league champions Botafogo, becoming the first club to lift the trophy for a third time.

Flamengo have also progressed to the last 16 of this term’s Copa do Brasil, are into the same stage of the Copa Libertadores, and sit one point clear atop the Serie A table after 11 out of 38 matches.

Current squad

For Chelsea supporters, the most familiar name among the current crop of Flamengo players is Jorginho, our former vice-captain who won the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup with the Blues. He was also part of the squad that triumphed at the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup.

The midfielder joined Flamengo from Arsenal earlier this month and is expected to make his debut in the USA.

Flamengo also have a former Chelsea man in the dugout, with Filipe Luis helping us to win the 2014/15 Premier League and League Cup during his solitary season at Stamford Bridge as a player.

There is further Premier League experience within the squad in the form of Guillermo Varela (Manchester United), Danilo (Manchester City), Matias Vina (Bournemouth) and Allan (Liverpool).

Flamengo also have plenty of experience in former Juventus and Brazil full-back Alex Sandro and Uruguay star Giorgian de Arrascaeta. The latter became Flamengo’s record signing in 2019, and the first foreign player to make 100 league appearances for the club.

Notable former players

Zico, Flamengo’s all-time top scorer, is an undisputed legend for club and country. He was named Player of the Year in Brazil and Italy, and was included in the top 10 of France Football’s best players of the 20th Century.

Closer to home for the Blues, our 2012 Champions League winner, David Luiz, spent three years with the Rio club and was part of the side which sealed their qualification for this Club World Cup by lifting the Copa Libertadores in 2022.

That makes the defender a member of a select group of players to have been crowned club champions of both Europe and South America.

Impressively, no less than 10 members of Brazil’s brilliant 1994 World Cup-winning squad – a competition which was also hosted by the USA – played for Flamengo during their careers, most notably Aldair, Leonardo, Bebeto and Romario, who took home the Golden Ball award for the World Cup’s best player.

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