Torcida Jovem

Lore & Background

During the late 1960s, when Santos FC's fan base did not extend beyond the city of Santos, a group of men made a point to attend every game the team played in São Paulo. After a few matches, they began arranging trips to any state venue to popularize supporting the club and negate provocations from rival fans. The habit of attending matches en masse became so common that in 1969 they decided to form a uniformed, official supporters' group. Thirteen individuals were the driving force, with Cosmo Damião, German, Toboggan, Menezes, Celso Jatene, Mestre Pedrão, China, Chacrinha, Magrão, Zuca, Almir, and Zé Miguel as principal de facto leaders. On September 26, 1969, when the club returned from a successful tour unbeaten in seven matches in Europe, the group gathered in an old house in the Brás neighborhood of São Paulo. They named the group Torcida Jovem because the founders were no older than 21. Cosmo's house became the first official seat. The group witnessed Pelé scoring his 1,000th goal on November 19, 1969, in a match against Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã. The following year, Torcida Jovem was present during Brazil's victorious campaign in the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Torcida Jovem is rooted in the shift from informal gatherings to structured associations between the 1940s and 1960s. As part of this consolidation, they adopted the core characteristics that define all torcidas: forming associations to support the team with flags, football chants, mosaics, and performances inside and outside the stadium. The rationale driving their behavior was the belief that such support helps the team gather strength to beat the opponent. Unlike later groups that became infamous for violence, the early focus of Torcida Jovem was on enhancing the spectacle. They joined a lineage of famous firms like Dragões da Real and Mancha Verde, all dedicated to creating an atmosphere where fans could express their emotions through organized means rather than chaos.

Reader's Guide

Torcida Jovem is a supporters' group for Santos FC, not for Corinthians. It was founded in 1969 in São Paulo. The group has over 70,000 members. Its current president is André Vinícius "Deko". The same name also refers to a samba school in São Paulo.

Did You Know?

• Torcida Jovem was founded in 1969 by fans from São Paulo.
• The founders were all 21 years old or younger.
• The group has over 70,000 members.
• The first official seat was at Cosmo Damião's house in the Brás neighborhood.
• Torcida Jovem was present during Brazil's 1970 FIFA World Cup victory.