Former Flamengo player bets on Club World Cup final: “it’s possible”

Flamengo concluded this Sunday (24) its preparation for the match against Vitóri , valid for the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship. The match takes place this Monday (25), at 9 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. Current leader of the competition with 43 points, Mais Querido seeks another victory to remain firm at the top of the table.

Coach Filipe Luís led the final training session at Ninho do Urubu and will have virtually the entire squad available. The only confirmed absence is Erick Pulgar, who continues recovering from surgery on his right foot.

HISTORICAL RETROSPECT

Flamengo and Vitória have faced each other 66 times in history, with the Rio de Janeiro team clearly dominating. Mengão has won 40 matches, drawn 16 times, and lost only 10 times. In the first round of this year's Brasileirão, Flamengo won 2-1 at Barradão Stadium, with goals from Arrascaeta and Bruno Henrique.

Besides their positive track record, the current momentum also favors the Rio de Janeiro team. After securing a spot in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals by eliminating Internacional, Filipe Luís's team is on a roll to maintain its lead in the Brasileirão. The team has 43 points, two more than second-place Cruzeiro, who won last Saturday to reach 41 points.

FLAMENGO'S PROBABLE LINEUP

The duel takes place this Monday at 9 pm, broadcast on SporTV and Premiere . Check out the probable lineups: Rossi; Varela (Royal), Léo Ortiz (Danilo), Léo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Jorginho, Saúl, Arrascaeta, Plata (Luiz Araújo), Samuel Lino and Pedro.

Flamengo and Vitória take to the field this Monday (25), at 9 pm (Brasília time) , at Maracanã, for the 21st round of the Brazilian Championship. The match will be broadcast live on Sportv and Premiere channels , ensuring wide coverage for fans.

A large crowd is expected at the stadium. Buoyed by their good form and their U-20 World Cup victory last Saturday, the red-and-blacks are promising to pack the stands. As of Monday morning, around 40,000 tickets had already been sold , with an expected attendance of over 50,000.

ISOLATED LEADER OF THE BRAZILIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Flamengo comes into the match on a high after securing a spot in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals by eliminating Internacional. In the Brasileirão, the team has 43 points and sits atop the competition , two points ahead of second-place Cruzeiro, who won their match last Saturday to reach 41 points.

For this round, the team will be without Erick Pulgar, who is still recovering from surgery on his right foot. The midfielder is the only absence confirmed by coach Filipe Luís , who is expected to maintain the core of the starting lineup.

VICTORY FACES PRESSURE

Vitória is going through a difficult time in the league. Under Fábio Carille's leadership, the team hasn't won in five matches and entered the relegation zone in the last round. In their last match, despite leading 2-0 against Juventude, they ended up conceding a draw at home.

CHECK OUT EVERYTHING ABOUT THE MATCH

📆 Date and time: Monday, August 25th, at 9:00 PM (Brasília time)

📍 Location: Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro

📺 Broadcast: Sportv and Premiere

🟨 Referee: Luis Fernandes de Lima (MG)

🚩 Assistants: Felipe Alan Costa de Oliveira (MG) and Leonardo Henrique Pereira (MG)

🖥️ VAR: Marco Aurélio Augusto Fazekas Ferreira (MG)

FLAMENGO X VITÓRIA LINEUPS

FLAMENGO (Coach: Filipe Luis): Rossi; Varela (Royal), Leo Ortiz (Danilo), Leo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Jorginho, Saul, Arrascaeta, Plata (Luiz Araujo), Samuel Lino and Pedro.

VICTORY (Coach: Fabio Carille): Lucas Arcanjo; Lucas Braga (Edu), Lucas Halter, Ze Marcos and Ramon; Ricardo Ryller (Willian Oliveira), Pepê and Ronald (Aitor Cantalapiedra); Erick, Osvaldo and Renato Kayzer.

Protagonist in Flamengo's U-20 world championship , won last Saturday (23), defender Iago entered the radar of European clubs. According to information from the “GE” portal, teams such as Everton and Brentford, from England , as well as Club Brugge, from Belgium, carried out inquiries for the player.

Despite the interest, none of these teams have formalized an offer. The only concrete offer received so far came from Bahia, at the request of coach Rogério Ceni. The northeastern club submitted a proposal of €2 million (approximately R$12.8 million) , in addition to offering a 20% stake in a future sale. Bahia, however, declined the offer and reiterated that Iago is not available for negotiations.

HOW IAGO BECAME PROMINENT

Iago was decisive in the final against Barcelona (ESP) at the Maracanã Stadium. Mengão was trailing 2-1 and the title seemed to be slipping away, until, in the final minutes, Daniel Sales sent a long ball into the box. The ball found Iago's head, which he lobbed over the goalkeeper, taking the decision to penalties , where the Rio de Janeiro team secured the title.

At 20, Iago still has important commitments in the U-20 category before a possible transition to the main squad. In 2025, he will compete in the U-20 Carioca Championship and the U-20 Copa do Brasil. His successful career includes titles such as the U-17 Copa do Brasil, the U-17 Supercopa do Brasil, the U-20 Brazilian Championship, the U-20 South American Championship, and two U-20 Libertadores titles.

FLAMENGO PLANS TO EXPAND PARTICIPATION

The defender's current contract runs until December 2026, and Flamengo is expected to renew his contract to keep him in the long-term project . However, the situation is being monitored by Volta Redonda, the club that developed Iago in the U-15s and still holds 40% of his economic rights. Currently, Flamengo owns 60% and is considering acquiring an additional 10% for approximately R$500,000.