Brazil Campeonato Carioca 03/30 20:00 1 Nova Iguacu v Flamengo - View
Copa Libertadores 04/02 22:00 1 Millonarios v Flamengo - View
Brazil Campeonato Carioca 04/07 20:00 1 Flamengo v Nova Iguacu - View
Copa Libertadores 04/11 00:30 2 Flamengo v Palestino - View
Brazil Serie A 04/13 19:00 1 Atletico GO v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 04/17 19:00 2 Flamengo v Sao Paulo - View
Brazil Serie A 04/20 19:00 3 Palmeiras v Flamengo - View
Copa Libertadores 04/25 00:30 3 Bolivar v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 04/27 19:00 4 Flamengo v Botafogo - View
Brazil Serie A 05/04 19:00 5 Bragantino v Flamengo - View
Copa Libertadores 05/08 00:00 4 Palestino v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 05/11 19:00 6 Flamengo v Corinthians - View
Copa Libertadores 05/16 00:30 5 Flamengo v Bolivar - View
Brazil Serie A 05/18 19:00 7 Vasco da Gama v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 05/25 19:00 8 Flamengo v Gremio - View
Copa Libertadores 05/29 00:00 6 Flamengo v Millonarios - View
Brazil Serie A 06/01 19:00 9 Athletico Paranaense v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 06/12 19:00 10 Flamengo v EC Bahia - View
Brazil Serie A 06/15 19:00 11 Fluminense v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 06/19 19:00 12 EC Juventude v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 06/22 19:00 13 Flamengo v Cruzeiro - View
Brazil Serie A 06/26 19:00 14 Atletico Mineiro v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 06/29 19:00 15 Flamengo v Cuiaba - View
Brazil Serie A 07/03 19:00 16 Flamengo v Fortaleza EC - View
Brazil Serie A 07/06 19:00 17 Internacional v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 07/10 19:00 18 Flamengo v Criciuma - View
Brazil Serie A 07/17 19:00 19 Vitoria v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 07/20 19:00 20 Flamengo v Atletico GO - View
Brazil Serie A 07/27 19:00 21 Sao Paulo v Flamengo - View
Brazil Serie A 08/03 19:00 22 Flamengo v Palmeiras - View

Wikipedia - CR Flamengo

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (Brazilian Portuguese: [ˈklubi dʒi ʁeˈɡataz du flaˈmẽɡu]; English: Rowing Club of Flamengo), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football team that plays in Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, as well as Campeonato Carioca. They are one of two clubs to have never been relegated from the top division, the other being São Paulo.

The club was first established in 1895 specifically as a rowing club and did not play their 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 their home matches in the Maracanã (which is also Brazil's national stadium) since its completion in 1950, with some exceptions in recent years. Since 1969, the vulture (Portuguese: urubu) has been the most recognized mascot of Flamengo.

Flamengo established themselves as one of Brazil's most successful sports clubs in the 20th century during the era of state leagues in Brazil when they captured several Campeonato Carioca (Rio de Janeiro state league) titles prior to the establishment of the first Brazilian national football championship in 1959. Since then, they have remained successful in Brazilian football, having won 7 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, 4 Copa do Brasil, and a record 37 Campeonato Carioca. In South American and worldwide competitions, the club's highest achievements are their conquests of the 1981, 2019 and 2022 Copa Libertadores, and 1981 Intercontinental Cup against Liverpool, led by the club's most iconic player Zico.

Flamengo's fiercest and longest-standing rivalries are with the other "Big Four" of Rio de Janeiro: Fluminense, Botafogo and Vasco da Gama; as well as interstate rivalries with Atletico MG and Palmeiras.

Flamengo have also been well represented in the Brazil national football team; At the 1938 FIFA World Cup, forward Leônidas, a Flamengo player at the time, was the Golden Boot winner with 7 goals and won the Golden Ball, thus becoming the first Brazilian player ever to win those two awards. Twelve years later at the 1950 World Cup, Zizinho, who was a midfielder for Flamengo ,also won the Golden Ball after he was voted best player; 4 out of the 10 top scorers for the Brazil National Team 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 Màrio Zagallo scored Brazil's third goal in the 1958 World Cup final.

Flamengo's youth academy is one of the most prolific in Brazil and in the world, and have developed a number of Brazilian internationals such as Zico, Vinícius Júnior, Lucas Paquetá, Júlio César, Adriano, Mário Zagallo, Júnior and Leonardo.

Flamengo is the most popular club in Brazil, with over 40.2 million supporters as of 2022. It is also Brazil's richest and most valuable football club with an annual revenue of R$1,2 billion (€ 218 million) and a valuation of over R$3.8 billion (€691 million). Flamengo became the non-European football club with the most followers on social media with 49 million followers across all platforms as of 18 June 2023.

History

Establishment of the club (1895–1912)

Flamengo was founded on 17 November 1895, by a group of rowers gathered at club member Nestor de Barros's manor on Flamengo 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 named Pherusa, which had to be completely rebuilt before it could be used in competition. The team debuted on October 6, 1895, when they sailed off the Caju Point toward Flamengo Beach. However, strong winds turned over the boat and the rowers nearly drowned. They were rescued by a fishing boat named Leal (Loyal). Later as the Pherusa was undergoing repairs, it was stolen and never found again. The group saved money to buy a new boat, the Etoile, renamed Scyra.

On the night of 17 November, the group gathered at Nestor de Barros's manor on Flamengo beach and founded the Grupo 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 of Clube 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 with Republic Proclamation Day, a national holiday.

Flamengo's football team was only established after a group of ten dissatisfied players from Fluminense broke away from that club following a board dispute. 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 rivals Botafogo or the all-English club Paissandu. 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.

Football in the amateur era (1912–1933)

The recently formed football (soccer) team before a match vs. Paissandu, 1912.

The new team trained on Russel 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 defeated Mangueira 16–2. Flamengo's first ever match against Fluminense, the start of the Fla-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 the Campeonato 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.

The Flamengo team of 1914, when the club won its first Carioca championship.

In 1925, the team won the Campeonato Carioca and five other tournaments, a record at the time. In 1927 the prominent Rio newspaper Jornal 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 rivals Vasco da Gama in the vote. 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"). In 1933 the team went on its first tour outside Brazil (to Montevideo and Buenos Aires) and on 14 May of the same year played its final match as an amateur team, defeating River Futebol Clube by a score of 16–2. After this, the club's football department became professional.

Early professional era (1934–1955)

Flamengo's team, 1934. National Archives of Brazil.

Local advertiser José 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 phrase uma 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 as Domingos da Guia and Leônidas da Silva (who would go on to be the leading goalscorer in the 1938 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. In 1937 Flamengo hired Hungarian coach Izidor "Dori" Kürschner, who introduced the WM 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, the Estádio da Gávea. The stadium was inaugurated on 4 September 1938, when Vasco 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. In 1942, the first organized supporters group in all of Brazil, Charanga Rubro-Negra, was founded in support of Flamengo. Flamengo's popularity grew incidentally during World War II when Brazil's allies, the United States, installed two high-powered antennas in Natal and Belém in the north of Brazil to intercept enemy radio signals. 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 with Zizinho and Domingos da Guia, nationwide support increased. In 1944, Flamengo completed their first tricampeonato Carioca: three consecutive Rio de Janeiro state titles (winning the 1942, 1943, and 1944 competitions). 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 to Bangu just before the start of the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, where he scored twice and the Seleção finished runners-up. From 1953 to 1955, Flamengo once again won the Rio de Janeiro State League three consecutive times.

Zico and the world champions (1974–1983)

Flamengo won their 18th Campeonato Carioca state championship in 1978. The following five years would come to represent the club's most glorious era. Brazilian stars like Júnior, Carpegiani, Adílio, Cláudio Adão and Tita were led by Zico 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 first Brazilian Championship in 1980. As national champions, the club qualified to play in the South American continental tournament, the 1981 Copa Libertadores, for the first time.

The 1981 season is a benchmark year in Flamengo's history. They advanced through the semi-final group stage of the Copa Libertadores with four victories in four matches. In the final they encountered Chilean club Cobreloa, also a debutante club in the tournament. In the first final at the Maracanã, Flamengo prevailed (2–1) with two goals from Zico. In the National Stadium in Santiago the following week, the Brazilian team received a violent reception on the field and fell 1–0 from a free kick. Equal on goals, a third match was played at the neutral venue of the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo. Zico scored twice in the first half, sealing the game and the championship. Flamengo were crowned champions of South America on November 23 and qualified for the Intercontinental Cup, a single match to be played in Tokyo's Olympic Stadium against European Champions' Cup winner Liverpool F.C..

On December 13, 1981, Zico, Tita, and Nunes 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 brilliant midfield performance by Zico earned Flamengo the title of first Brazilian World Champions since Pelé's Santos, shutting out Liverpool 3–0.

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 and 1983 – closed Flamengo's "Golden Age."

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 for Udinese, 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 from Bangu defender Marcio Nunes, which interrupted his career for several months and affected his form in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

In 1987, Zico was a major contributor to Flamengo's victory in the first edition of the Copa União. That year, the CBF 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 the Club 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 the 1987 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 the Copa Libertadores, although this decision was made after the beginning of the championship, without Club of 13 agreement. With strong performances from Zico, Zé Carlos, Renato Gaúcho and Bebeto, Flamengo conquered the Copa União with major victories over Internacional and Atlético Mineiro. However, there was a dispute over whether Flamengo and Internacional of the Green Module would dispute the quadrangular against Sport Recife and Guarani 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, but Eurico Miranda, a representative of Vasco, 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. 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. 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.

Throughout his career at Flamengo, Zico scored 508 goals and was the top scorer in club history before retiring in 1990.

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 the Copa do Brasil in 1990, defeating Goiás in the finals. In 1992, Flamengo won their fifth Campeonato Brasileiro, defeating Botafogo across two legs in the final (3–0, 2–2). The team's key player was again Júnior at 38 years old.

End of title drought (2006–2018)

Adriano celebrating a goal for Flamengo. In 2009 he finished as joint top-scorer in Série A with 19 goals.

In 2006, Flamengo reached the Copa do Brasil final for a fifth time, finally managing to conquer the title after losing three previous finals, this time beating rivals Vasco da Gama. From 2007 to 2009 Flamengo completed their fifth tricampeonato in the Campeonato 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 the Rio de Janeiro official calendar. Governor Sérgio Cabral Filho declared 17 November (the day the club was founded) "Flamengo Day".

In the 2007 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Flamengo won many games at home, avoided the relegation zone and climbed to second place before being defeated by Náutico 1–0 in the final round and ultimately ending the season third. This marked a dramatic improvement in league outcome from previous seasons. Flamengo finished fifth the following year, and in 2009 despite being in tenth place in midseason, Flamengo won the league after seventeen years. With this victory Flamengo became five-time Campeonato Brasileiro Série A champions, seventeen seasons after their last title in 1992. 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. The title was won after a dramatic 2–1 comeback victory against Grêmio in the final round.

Ronaldinho celebrates scoring for Flamengo in February 2011.

International success continued to elude Flamengo through the 21st century. After finishing runners-up in the 2001 Copa Mercosur to San Lorenzo on penalties, the club made the quarter-finals only one time in their following twelve competitions (both Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana).

In 2007, the club was eliminated from the Libertadores by Uruguayan minnows Defensor Sporting 3–2 on aggregate. In 2008, in Flamengo's first official tournament tie against a club from Mexico, they defeated Club América 4–2 in the Estadio Azteca before losing polemically 3–0 at home and being eliminated in the Copa Libertadores round of 16; the second leg was also manager Joel Santana's final match with the club.

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 striker Vágner Love to form a pair with Adriano. 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 the Copa Libertadores, manager Andrade was still fired. In their first quarter-final appearance since 1993, after disposing of Corinthians, Flamengo were eliminated by Universidad 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 the Copa Sudamericana under manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

The blockbuster signing of 2011 was 30-year-old superstar Ronaldinho from A.C. Milan. He was joined by Argentine Darío Bottinelli and Fluminense idol Thiago Neves. Flamengo won the Campeonato Carioca outright in an undefeated campaign, but captured no other trophies that season: eliminations in the Copa do Brasil by Ceará, a heavy 5–0 loss in the Sudamericana by Universidad de Chile, and a fourth-place finish in the league left fans feeling that a strong roster had been squandered. The season saw the retirement of Serbian club idol Dejan Petković as well. In 2012 Ronaldinho sued Flamengo claiming lack of payment for four months and canceled his contract with the club, Thiago Neves returned to Fluminense after a drawn-out negotiation with contract-holders Al-Hilal, and defender Alex Silva was loaned to Cruzeiro after threatening Flamengo with a lawsuit. Vágner Love and Ibson returned for a 2012 campaign that yielded no trophies and a group-stage exit from the Copa 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 at R$750 million. After a typical series of managerial changes, Jayme de Almeida was appointed as interim manager during which he fought off relegation and won the 2013 Copa do Brasil final against Atlético Paranaense. It was Flamengo's third Copa title, after 1990 and 2006. At the end of the 2013 season, Flamengo was nearly relegated after being docked 4 points in the national league for improperly playing a suspended player. However, Portuguesa was similarly docked 3 points for its use of a suspended player, sparing Flamengo from relegation.

Flamengo's Copa do Brasil title-defense fell short to Atlético Mineiro in the semi-final. However, by 2014, Flamengo was the only club that successfully reduced their debt over the year (down to R$600 million) and recorded the highest annual profit. 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 signed Paolo Guerrero and Ederson and were the most valuable club in Brazil with debt now reduced to R$495 million. As a result, president Bandeira was re-elected. The club signed fan-favorite Diego in the mid-season and mounted a strong campaign, but could not catch Palmeiras in 2016.

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 the 2017 Campeonato Carioca, they were eliminated in the Copa Libertadores group stage, failing to win a single match away from home but qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana in third place. In the Copa do Brasil, the club reached the final where they lost in a penalty shootout to Cruzeiro. Less than three months later, they reached an unprecedented Copa Sudamericana final. They lost away to Independiente 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 following Copa Libertadores. 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. In 2018 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 winger Vinícius Júnior moved to Real Madrid in July for €46 million, and 20-year-old midfielder Lucas Paquetá transferred to A.C. Milan for a reported €35 million at the end of the year. Both were products of Flamengo's youth academy.

End of title drought (2006–2018)

Adriano celebrating a goal for Flamengo. In 2009 he finished as joint top-scorer in Série A with 19 goals.

In 2006, Flamengo reached the Copa do Brasil final for a fifth time, finally managing to conquer the title after losing three previous finals, this time beating rivals Vasco da Gama. From 2007 to 2009 Flamengo completed their fifth tricampeonato in the Campeonato 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 the Rio de Janeiro official calendar. Governor Sérgio Cabral Filho declared 17 November (the day the club was founded) "Flamengo Day".

In the 2007 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Flamengo won many games at home, avoided the relegation zone and climbed to second place before being defeated by Náutico 1–0 in the final round and ultimately ending the season third. This marked a dramatic improvement in league outcome from previous seasons. Flamengo finished fifth the following year, and in 2009 despite being in tenth place in midseason, Flamengo won the league after seventeen years. With this victory Flamengo became five-time Campeonato Brasileiro Série A champions, seventeen seasons after their last title in 1992. 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. The title was won after a dramatic 2–1 comeback victory against Grêmio in the final round.

Ronaldinho celebrates scoring for Flamengo in February 2011.

International success continued to elude Flamengo through the 21st century. After finishing runners-up in the 2001 Copa Mercosur to San Lorenzo on penalties, the club made the quarter-finals only one time in their following twelve competitions (both Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana).

In 2007, the club was eliminated from the Libertadores by Uruguayan minnows Defensor Sporting 3–2 on aggregate. In 2008, in Flamengo's first official tournament tie against a club from Mexico, they defeated Club América 4–2 in the Estadio Azteca before losing polemically 3–0 at home and being eliminated in the Copa Libertadores round of 16; the second leg was also manager Joel Santana's final match with the club.

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 striker Vágner Love to form a pair with Adriano. 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 the Copa Libertadores, manager Andrade was still fired. In their first quarter-final appearance since 1993, after disposing of Corinthians, Flamengo were eliminated by Universidad 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 the Copa Sudamericana under manager Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

The blockbuster signing of 2011 was 30-year-old superstar Ronaldinho from A.C. Milan. He was joined by Argentine Darío Bottinelli and Fluminense idol Thiago Neves. Flamengo won the Campeonato Carioca outright in an undefeated campaign, but captured no other trophies that season: eliminations in the Copa do Brasil by Ceará, a heavy 5–0 loss in the Sudamericana by Universidad de Chile, and a fourth-place finish in the league left fans feeling that a strong roster had been squandered. The season saw the retirement of Serbian club idol Dejan Petković as well. In 2012 Ronaldinho sued Flamengo claiming lack of payment for four months and canceled his contract with the club, Thiago Neves returned to Fluminense after a drawn-out negotiation with contract-holders Al-Hilal, and defender Alex Silva was loaned to Cruzeiro after threatening Flamengo with a lawsuit. Vágner Love and Ibson returned for a 2012 campaign that yielded no trophies and a group-stage exit from the Copa 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 at R$750 million. After a typical series of managerial changes, Jayme de Almeida was appointed as interim manager during which he fought off relegation and won the 2013 Copa do Brasil final against Atlético Paranaense. It was Flamengo's third Copa title, after 1990 and 2006.

Flamengo's Copa do Brasil title-defense fell short to Atlético Mineiro in the semi-final. However, by 2014, Flamengo was the only club that successfully reduced their debt over the year (down to R$600 million) and recorded the highest annual profit. 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 signed Paolo Guerrero and Ederson and were the most valuable club in Brazil with debt now reduced to R$495 million. As a result, president Bandeira was re-elected. The club signed fan-favorite Diego in the mid-season and mounted a strong campaign, but could not catch Palmeiras in 2016.

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 the 2017 Campeonato Carioca, they were eliminated in the Copa Libertadores group stage, failing to win a single match away from home but qualifying for the Copa Sudamericana in third place. In the Copa do Brasil, the club reached the final where they lost in a penalty shootout to Cruzeiro. Less than three months later, they reached an unprecedented Copa Sudamericana final. They lost away to Independiente 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 following Copa Libertadores. 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. In 2018 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 winger Vinícius Júnior moved to Real Madrid in July for €46 million, and 20-year-old midfielder Lucas Paquetá transferred to A.C. Milan for a reported €35 million at the end of the year. Both were products of Flamengo's youth academy.

New glory (2019–present)

2019 season

On the morning of 8 February 2019 a fire erupted at Flamengo's Ninho do Urubu training center living quarters. 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 malfunctioning air-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." The governor of the state of Rio de Janeiro declared a three-day period of mourning following the tragedy. 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.

2019 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A trophy.

The 2019 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, signing Giorgian de Arrascaeta from Cruzeiro for R$63 million (€14.5 million). In January the club signed forward Bruno Henrique from Santos and secured the loan of striker Gabriel Barbosa from Inter Milan.

After advancing out of the Copa Libertadores group stage, manager Abel Braga resigned and Flamengo hired Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus. Europe-based players Rafinha, Filipe Luís, Pablo Marí and Gerson were added to play alongside Flamengo's other record signings. After qualifying to their first Copa Libertadores semi-final since 1984, Flamengo defeated Grêmio 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 the Estadio Monumental in Lima, Peru against defending champions River Plate, Flamengo trailed 0–1 in the final minutes before Gabriel scored twice to secure the 2–1 victory.

Less than 24 hours later, Flamengo became champions of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A for the first time since 2009 with four matches in hand after a loss by Palmeiras 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, after Pelé'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).

Flamengo participated in the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in the club's history in 2019 in Qatar. The club defeated Al Hilal SFC 3–1 in the semi-final, but lost 0–1 to Liverpool in the final.

2020 season

After winning the revived Supercopa do Brasil against Athletico Paranaense, then the Recopa Sudamericana against Copa Sudamericana champions Independiente del Valle, and the 2020 Campeonato Carioca, in July 2020 Jorge Jesus departed from Flamengo to return to Benfica, having won five titles in Brazil. Jesus's successor was former Pep Guardiola assistant Domènec Torrent, but his tenure was brief and he was replaced with Rogério Ceni in November 2020. Ceni led Flamengo to a second consecutive Campeonato Brasileiro championship, finishing one point ahead of Internacional.

2021 season

In 2021 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 signed Renato Gaúcho as manager, who brought strong results in league play and took Flamengo back to the Copa Libertadores Final against Palmeiras, but lost 2–1 in extra time on 27 November 2021. He and the club parted ways after.

2022 season

In 2022, after a difficult start to the year under manager Paulo 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 the Copa do Brasil against Corinthians. In the second leg in the Maracanã, tied 1–1 on aggregate, Flamengo were victorious in the penalty shootout with Rodinei scoring the winner. This was Flamengo's fourth Copa do Brasil championship and first since 2013. Later that month on 29 October 2022, Flamengo faced Athletico Paranaense in Guayaquil, Ecuador for the final 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.

Flamengo is a professional soccer team based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The team was founded in 1895 and is one of the most successful clubs in Brazilian soccer history. Flamengo has won numerous domestic and international titles, including six Brazilian Serie A championships, three Copa Libertadores titles, and one Intercontinental Cup.

The team plays their home matches at the Maracanã Stadium, which has a capacity of over 78,000 spectators. Flamengo's colors are red and black, and their logo features a black eagle with its wings spread wide.

Flamengo has a passionate fan base known as "torcida," which is one of the largest and most dedicated in Brazil. The team's style of play is characterized by fast-paced attacking football, with a focus on skillful dribbling and creative playmaking.

Some of the most notable players to have played for Flamengo include Zico, Adriano, Ronaldinho, and Gabriel Barbosa. The current squad features talented players such as Bruno Henrique, Everton Ribeiro, and Diego Alves.

Overall, Flamengo is a storied and successful soccer team with a rich history and a bright future ahead.