Torcida Jovem

Lore & Background

During the late 1960s, Santos FC's fan base was confined to the city of Santos. A group of men began attending every game in São Paulo, arranging trips to state venues to support the club and counter rival taunts. This mass attendance habit led thirteen individuals—Cosmo Damião, German, Toboggan, Menezes, Celso Jatene, Mestre Pedrão, China, Chacrinha, Magrão, Zuca, Almir, Zé Miguel, and one additional unnamed founder—to create an official, uniformed group in 1969. They named it Torcida Jovem because the founders were under 21. Cosmo's house in Brás became the first official seat. The group witnessed a historic moment on November 19 of that year when Pelé scored his 1,000th goal against Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã. The following year, they supported Brazil during its victorious 1970 FIFA World Cup campaign.

In Their Own Story

On September 26, 1969, after a successful unbeaten tour of Europe consisting of seven matches, the founding group gathered in an old house in Brás, São Paulo. Thirteen young men decided to formalize their support, creating a uniformed organization named Torcida Jovem due to their ages not exceeding 21. Their first major witness of club success occurred on November 19 when Pelé, regarded by the International Olympic Committee as the 'Athlete of the Century,' scored his 1,000th goal in a match against Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. By 1970, the group was present during Brazil's victorious FIFA World Cup campaign.

Reader's Guide

Torcida Jovem operates as one of the largest supporters' groups in Brazil with over 70,000 members and is led by current president André Vinícius 'Deko'. The group maintains a strong presence for Santos FC matches, particularly in São Paulo. Beyond football, Grêmio Recreativo Cultural Social Escola de Samba Torcida Jovem is also a samba school from São Paulo that participates in the Carnival. Fans can find their official seat historically rooted in Brás and connect through various social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for news on both the football group and carnival activities.

Did You Know?

• Torcida Jovem was founded on September 26, 1969, by thirteen individuals who were all no older than 21 years of age.
• The group's first official seat was located in an old house in the traditional Brás neighborhood of São Paulo.
• With over 70,000 members, Torcida Jovem is one of the largest supporting groups in Brazil.
• The group witnessed Pelé score his 1,000th career goal against Vasco da Gama on November 19, 1969, at the Maracanã.
• Torcida Jovem members were present during Brazil's victorious campaign in the 1970 FIFA World Cup.