Arrascaeta harshly criticizes the Brazilian calendar after Pedro's injury: "It's very difficult"

In a packed Maracanã, Flamengo beat Barcelona on penalties 6-5 , after a thrilling draw in normal time, and secured their second U-20 World Cup title this Saturday (23). The victory consolidated the good moment of the red-black youth team, which once again overcame one of the main clubs in Europe .

Among the protagonists was Matheus Gonçalves , who had a special afternoon. The striker, about to say goodbye to the category, celebrated the achievement with emotion: "It was special. We were raised together since we were little, it has a special taste. My last title with the under-20. I have to congratulate Léo (Nannetti, goalkeeper) and Bruno (Pivetti, coach). It's the second Intercontinental and we are two-time champions. Very happy for everything", he declared.

MATHEUS GONÇALVES HAS COMPETITION

At 20 years old, having turned 20 on August 18th, the attacking midfielder will dedicate himself exclusively to the first team under Filipe Luís . In 2025, he made 15 professional appearances , including three goals in the Campeonato Carioca.

Despite the confidence of the coaching staff, Gonçalves has only played 313 minutes on the field this season , making his streak difficult due to the strong competition for position with Luiz Araújo, Samuel Lino and Gonzalo Plata.

EUROPEAN TEAMS MONITOR THE PLAYER

Interest in Matheus Gonçalves isn't new. The player was nearly traded to Cruzeiro for €3.5 million, but the deal fell through . However, foreign clubs remain vigilant: CSKA Moscow (Russia) and Olympiacos (Greece) are evaluating the possibility of formalizing offers before the international window closes in September.

Flamengo takes the field this Monday (25), at 9 pm (Brasília time), to face Vitória at Maracanã. The red-black fans promise to make a difference again, with more than 35 thousand tickets sold in advance . The expectation is that the public will surpass the 50 thousand mark present at the stadium. Tickets are still available for all sectors of the stadium, which reinforces the chance of a great party in the stands of the 'Sacred Temple'.

Those wishing to watch the match at the stadium can purchase tickets at ingressos.flamengo.com.br . Prices for the general public range from R$80 (R$40 half-price) to R$400 (R$200 half-price) . Members receive special discounts.

FLAMENGO DEFENDS LEADERSHIP

Flamengo heads into the match as the clear leader of the Brazilian Championship, with 43 points. Filipe Luís's team is enjoying a positive run , having gone six games unbeaten in the national competition.

Last week, the team secured a spot in the quarterfinals of the Libertadores by eliminating Internacional and, before that, beat the same opponent 3-1 at Beira-Rio, consolidating its good form in the current season.

VITÓRIA FIGHTS TO GET OUT OF THE Z-4

Vitória currently sits in 17th place in the table with 19 points. In their last match, they drew 2-2 with Juventude at Barradão Stadium . Previously, they lost 2-0 to São Paulo at Morumbis Stadium.

The 2025/26 Italian Championship started this Saturday (23) with a former Flamengo player standing out. 21-year-old right-back Wesley scored for the first time in a Roma shirt and secured a 1-0 victory over Bologna at the Stadio Olimpico.

The goal came just seven minutes into the second half. After a play from the right, the ball fell to Wesley inside the box. The Brazilian made no mistake: he fired a right-footed shot past the goalkeeper and sealed the victory for Roma.

The match against Bologna was Wesley's third in a Giallorossa shirt. Before the official match, he played two preseason friendlies, against Lens and Aston Villa. In his Serie A debut, the player earned the coach's trust and was named in the starting lineup.

MILLION DOLLAR SALE OF FLAMENGO

Wesley was traded to Flamengo in July of this year for a fixed fee of €25 million (approximately R$163 million) . The deal also includes bonuses for goals that can reach an additional €5 million (R$32 million). This makes the transaction the fourth-largest transfer in Flamengo's history, behind only the deals involving Vinicius Júnior, Lucas Paquetá, and Reinier.

BASE TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION

Flamengo's youth academy is known for developing big names. Thus, the team became two-time world champions last Saturday afternoon (23), winning the title in the final against Barcelona . The match went to penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time.