ABSURD! VINI JÚNIOR IS OUT OF THE UEFA TOP-10

After defeating Juventude in the Brazilian Championship , Flamengo will have a busy week with matches in the Copa Libertadores and Brasileirão. Flamengo faces Estudiantes in the quarterfinals of the CONMEBOL Libertadores . The first leg will be held at the Maracanã on September 18th at 9:30 pm (Brasília time).

This will be the ninth official meeting between the teams. In the previous eight, Mengão won three, drew four, and suffered only one defeat against the Argentines. The semifinals will be determined in the second leg in Argentina.

CLASSIC AGAINST VASCO

After the Libertadores, Flamengo returns to the Brasileirão and faces Vasco at Maracanã on September 21st at 5:30 pm, in the 24th round . This will be the fifth meeting between the rivals in 2025. In the Carioca, Flamengo won all three games, and in the first round of the national championship, the derby ended goalless.

FLAMENGO WEEK AGENDA

Flamengo has released its professional football schedule for the week of September 15-21. After beating Juventude and ending a 28-year away drought, the team now focuses on crucial matches in the CONMEBOL Libertadores and Brazilian Championship.

Training will take place at CT George Helal on four dates : Tuesday (16/09), at 9:30 am; Wednesday (17/09), at 3:30 pm; Friday (19/09), at 3:30 pm; and Saturday (20/09), at 9:30 am. There are no activities scheduled for Monday (15/09).

The final stretch of preparation for the World Cup is approaching. With the qualifiers over , the Brazilian national team will now focus solely on friendlies until the final squad is named . Some certainties are already beginning to take shape in Carlo Ancelotti's mind, as he has secured key players for the World Cup.

Ancelotti on Vini Jr's place at the World Cup: "If he's okay, yes"

VINICIUS JR. AND RODRYGO WITH ASSURED SPOT

In an interview with ESPN, the Italian coach didn't hesitate when talking about the Real Madrid duo: "A guaranteed spot? If he's healthy, yes ( Vini will go to the World Cup). He has to be at his best. (Rodrygo) too . If he's at his best, Rodrygo is a very good player. You can't talk to me about Rodrygo and Vini. I won Champions Leagues with them," Ancelotti stated.

STÊVÃO GAINS SPACE

Another name that stands out is Estêvão, formerly of Palmeiras and now at Chelsea. The coach highlighted the young man's personality and his quick adaptation to the Premier League: "I really like Estêvão, he has character, and he's started well. Not only for this World Cup, but he will be very important for the future of the national team, " he assessed.

THE ENDRICK CASE

Endrick, however, is experiencing a different scenario. Ancelotti knows the striker well from his Real Madrid days, but admits that the fierce competition has hindered his development: "Well, Endrick is like Estêvão. He's a great talent. I think Estêvão was lucky. The problem with young players who go to Europe is that they have a leading role here, but not much of a leading role there . I coached Endrick for a year and really liked him as a person, as a professional," he explained.

WHAT'S AHEAD

Until the final call-up, the team will play six friendlies. The first two will be played in October in Asia:

• South Korea vs. Brazil – October 10, 8 a.m. (Brasília time)
• Japan vs Brazil – October 14th, at 7:30 am (Brasília time)

Flamengo has released its professional football schedule for the week of September 15-21. After beating Juventude and ending a 28-year away drought, the club now focuses on crucial matches in the Copa Libertadores and the Brazilian Championship.

Training takes place at CT George Helal: Tuesday (16/09) at 9:30 am, Wednesday (17/09) at 3:30 pm, Friday (19/09) at 3:30 pm and Saturday (20/09) at 9:30 am . There are no activities scheduled for Monday (15/09).

LIBERTADORES QUARTER-FINALS

Rubro-Negro faces Estudiantes in the quarterfinals of the Conmebol Libertadores . The first leg will be played at the Maracanã on September 18th at 9:30 pm (Brasília time) , broadcast on ESPN and Disney+.

This will be the ninth official matchup between the teams. In the eight previous meetings, Flamengo won three, drew four, and lost only one to the Argentines . The return leg will be in Argentina, deciding who advances to the semifinals.

CLASSIC AGAINST VASCO

After the international match, Flamengo turns its attention to the Brazilian Championship. The team faces Vasco on September 21st, at 5:30 pm, also at Maracanã . This will be the fifth meeting between the teams in 2025. In the Campeonato Carioca, Flamengo won three times: 2-0 in the first round, 1-0, and 2-1 in the semifinals. In the first round of the Brasileirão, the derby ended in a goalless draw.