Torcida Jovem

Lore & Background

During the late 1960s when Santos FC fan base did not extend beyond the limits of 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, the group began to arrange together trips to any state venue to popularize the idea to support the club, and negate the provocations of other rival fans. The habit of attending the club's matches en masse became so common that in 1969 they decided to give birth to a uniformed, official supporters group that attended every game the team disputes. Thirteen individuals were the driving force behind the creation of Torcida Jovem, with Cosmo Damião, German, Toboggan, Menezes, Celso Jatene, Mestre Pedrão, China, Chacrinha, Magrão, Zuca, Almir and Zé Miguel being the principal de facto leaders. On September 26, 1969, when the club returned from another successful tour, unbeaten in a series of seven matches in Europe, the group gathered in an old house in the traditional neighborhood of Brás in São Paulo. It was decided to name the group Torcida Jovem since the founders were no older than 21 years of age. Cosmo's house became the first official seat of the first organized supporters group for Santos FC. The firm's first witness of the club's success came on November 19 of that same year in Rio de Janeiro. In a match against Vasco da Gama, Pelé, named the "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee, and widely regarded among football historians, former players and fans to be one of the best and most accomplished footballers in the game's history, scored his 1,000th goal in the Maracanã. The following year, the Torcida Jovem made themselves present during Brazil's victorious campaign during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Maracanã is thick with humidity and anticipation as the sun begins to dip over Rio. Suddenly, a single drumbeat cuts through the chatter, followed by another, until hundreds of drums erupt in a synchronized thunder that shakes the concrete stands. From the curva, a sea of red and black flags rises like a tidal wave. A young boy, wearing his father's faded jersey from 1981, grips the railing, eyes wide as Torcida Jovem launches into the anthem that has echoed through generations. In this moment, time collapses; he is not just watching a game, but standing in the same sacred space where legends once played.

Reader's Guide

Torcida Jovem is based in São Paulo, Brazil, and is associated with Santos FC. The group's founding date is 1969. Its current president is André Vinícius "Deko". The group also operates as a samba school under the name Grêmio Recreativo Cultural Social Escola de Samba Torcida Jovem.

Did You Know?

• Torcida Jovem was founded on September 26, 1969.
• The founders were all no older than 21 years of age.
• The group's first official seat was at Cosmo Damião's house in the Brás neighborhood of São Paulo.
• Torcida Jovem witnessed Pelé's 1,000th goal at the Maracanã on November 19, 1969.
• The group attended Brazil's victorious 1970 FIFA World Cup campaign.