
Grassroots Soccer
Flamengo is negotiating a left-back deal with Athletico-PR, in Série B
02 Set 2025 | 09:07
Grassroots Soccer
02 Mai 2025 | 12:10 |
Flamengo won, advanced to the next round of the Copa do Brasil and gained a reinforcement that could have an impact on the rest of the season. The name of the game in Paraíba was Joshua , a product of the youth academy, who made his debut among the professionals and even scored his own goal. His first goal for the main team came at the first opportunity, reflecting the trust that the club has had in the youngster since the youth ranks.
At 17 years old, Joshua is considered a gem in the making at Ninho do Urubu . And it's not just for today. At Flamengo since he was 9, the player started playing futsal and always drew attention for his refined touch, vision of the game and ability to finish. He quickly moved up through all the categories, always wearing the number 10 jersey — a symbol of responsibility and protagonism.
At the youth level, the numbers speak for themselves: he has scored over 100 goals since he was in the under-10s. In the under-15 Carioca tournament alone, he scored 16 goals and was the competition's second-highest scorer. It is no surprise that when he turned 16, Joshua signed his first professional contract with an initial fee of 50 million euros (R$267 million at the time), in line with the standard adopted for high-potential athletes.
With a solid performance, especially in the under-17s, where he shone under Filipe Luís, Joshua was the standout in the category's 2023 Copa Rio win, beating Vasco. He finished as the top scorer, with 12 goals, and began to be watched even more by members of the professional coaching staff.
Last year, his performance was the same. He played 31 games, with 30 direct participations in goals - a number that reinforces the youngster's consistency throughout the season. Internally, there is a clear conviction that Joshua has all the tools to establish himself in the main squad in the coming years.
Mengão continues its restructuring of its youth teams and has signed a 1.94m tall goalkeeper, even though he is only 15 years old.
06 Set 2025 | 19:00 |
Flamengo has signed 15-year-old goalkeeper Nicolas, who previously played for Avaí. Born in February 2010, the young goalkeeper stands 6'4" tall and is projected to grow to 6'7" . According to the FlaZoeiro profile, Flamengo acquired 10% of the player's economic rights, with a purchase option of up to 70%. The transaction value was not disclosed.
Nicolas signed a youth development contract with Flamengo until December 2027 and will strengthen the under-15 team. The goalkeeper caught the attention of the Flamengo youth academy due to his technical and physical performance in Avaí's youth academy.
Going through a period of restructuring, Flamengo remains active in the youth academy market. Recently, the club won its second U-20 World Cup with a historic victory over Barcelona , and is already making significant changes to its roster.
Among the departures, midfielder Lorran was traded to Pisa (ITA), while Matheus Gonçalves signed with Al-Ahli (SAU). As for arrivals, Mais Querido signed striker Guilherme Barbosa , formerly of Internacional, and midfielder Kaio Júnior, who was at Juventude after a stint at Vasco.
In addition to Nícolas, the club also signed midfielder Marcelo Portela, a standout from Botafogo, to bolster the under-15 team. The youngster became famous after a viral move , when he performed a disconcerting dribble on Vini Jr., leaving the Real Madrid star sitting on the floor.
Mengão remains active in bringing reinforcements to the youth teams and has signed a deal with the player who was involved in a move with the Real Madrid star.
06 Set 2025 | 10:00 |
Flamengo continues to restructure its youth academy and has confirmed another new signing. The club has signed Botafogo star midfielder Marcelo Portela to bolster its under-15 squad . The youngster became famous after a viral move, when he pulled off a stunning dribble on Vini Jr., leaving the Real Madrid star sitting on the floor.
The incident took place in July 2024 , during a futsal game at Canto do Rio, in Niterói, where Vini took his first steps in football at the age of seven. On that occasion, Marcelo Portela not only outplayed the 2024 world player of the year, but also scored the goal in the sequence of the play .
Despite the dribble, Vini took it all in stride: he laughed at the play, congratulated the young talent, and even posed for photos with him after the match . Information about the club's new signing was initially reported by the FlaZoeiro and FlaBase pages.
Because he was born in 2010 and is not yet of legal age to sign a professional contract, Marcelo Portela signed a youth development contract with Flamengo . The agreement also provides for a division of rights with Botafogo, his previous club.
While watching the incident with Marcelo Portela continue to resonate, Vini Jr. is enjoying some downtime. Suspended from the match against Chile and not called up by Carlo Ancelotti , the striker took advantage of his time off to relax in Marbella, Spain, where he was spotted cruising on a yacht.
Even with the title won over Barcelona at Maracanã two weeks ago, Mengão continues to 'clean up' the youth team
03 Set 2025 | 15:00 |
Flamengo's under-20 team won its second Club World Cup title in the category on August 23, defeating Barcelona (ESP) on penalties. Shortly after the title, the board began a comprehensive overhaul of the youth squad , which has already resulted in the departure of more than 20 players.
According to information from YouTuber Flazoeiro in partnership with Flabase, 23 players have left the club in recent months . Because part of the negotiations involves buyout clauses, Flamengo could earn more than R$100 million if the teams choose to keep the players.
The most prominent names among those who said goodbye were Lorran and Matheus Gonçalves, considered great promises from the red-black youth teams and who ended up playing in the main team led by Filipe Luís.
Flamengo also saw significant departures from its professional squad. Zenit (RUS) paid Gerson's release clause, paying €25 million (approximately R$160 million) upfront. Wesley was also traded to Roma (ITA) for €25 million, and Victor Hugo agreed to a loan deal with Santos, valid until July 2026.