Fla-Flu Rivalry

Lore & Background

The rivalry between these two clubs began in October 1911, when a group of dissatisfied players from Fluminense left the club, and went to Flamengo, which at the time had no football department. The first Fla–Flu ever was played the following year, on July 7, 1912, at Laranjeiras stadium. Fluminense won this match 3–2, with 800 people in attendance. The name 'Fla–Flu' was created by the journalist Mário Filho during the professionalization of Rio de Janeiro's football. The Fla–Flu rivalry is one of the most fiery and passionate football rivalries in the world. This deeply rooted rivalry is a microcosm of the socio-economic backgrounds and class divisions that have molded the city’s history. Fluminense was founded in 1902 by the elites of Rio de Janeiro and historically drew fans from Rio’s upper and middle classes. Flamengo, on the other hand, was founded as a rowing club originally and emerged as the club of the working class as football fever was spreading in the early 20th century.

In Their Own Story

Inside the Maracanã, the air hangs heavy with humidity and electric tension. On one flank, a sea of red and black swells in rhythmic unison, drums hammering like a collective heartbeat; on the other, the green, white, and purple terraces hold their breath in a suffocating silence, broken only by sharp, nervous whistles. When the referee blows the whistle, time seems to fracture for ninety minutes: politics dissolve, work is forgotten, and the world narrows down to the struggle between two brothers who can agree on nothing but the ball. As the clock ticks toward its final breath, a single slip or strike sends thousands into instant ecstasy or crushing despair, cementing the truth that in Rio, football isn't merely played—it's lived.

Reader's Guide

Important matches include the 1941 Campeonato Carioca final, nicknamed Lagoa's Fla-Flu, played at Gávea Stadium, where Fluminense won the competition with a 2–2 draw. In 1991, Flamengo beat Fluminense 4–2 in the second leg of the final to win the title. The 1995 Campeonato Carioca final stage match featured Fluminense's Renato Gaúcho scoring a belly goal, and Fluminense won 3–2, finishing one point ahead of Flamengo. In the 2004 Campeonato Carioca, Flamengo won both matches against Fluminense, including a 4–3 comeback and a 3–2 victory that gave Flamengo the Taça Guanabara. Highest attendances include the 1963 derby with 194,603 spectators, the 1969 match with 171,599, and the 1976 match with 155,116. Flamengo is the most successful team in the Campeonato Carioca, with 40 titles, while Fluminense is the second, with 33. At a national level, Flamengo has won the Campeonato Brasileiro eight times and the Copa do Brasil five times, while Fluminense has four Campeonato Brasileiro titles and has won the Cup once. Flamengo has won four Copa Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup, whereas Fluminense has won the Copa Libertadores once and also the Copa Rio once, which it claims to be equivalent to a club's world cup tournament. Fluminense is the only football team in the world that holds the IOC's Olympic Cup, conquered in 1949.

Did You Know?

• The Fla–Flu holds the world's record football match attendance of 194,603 people in a 1963 derby.
• The name 'Fla–Flu' was created by the journalist Mário Filho during the professionalization of Rio de Janeiro's football.
• Fluminense is the only football team in the world that holds the IOC's Olympic Cup, conquered in 1949.
• The Fla–Flu matches are mentioned in Lamartine Babo's unofficial, but very popular, Flamengo anthem composed in 1942.