Former Flamengo, Fabrício Bruno points out that there is no crisis in the cast of Cruzeiro

Felipe Melo believes the second half of the Brazilian Championship still holds many surprises . Even with Flamengo leading and relying solely on itself to win the title, the former player emphasized that the race remains fierce: " I don't have a crystal ball. As for who will be champion ... I think it will be between these clubs."

Felipe Melo on projecting Flamengo or Palmeiras as Brazilian champions: "I don't really like that"

For him, Palmeiras and Cruzeiro are firmly in contention, while Botafogo could also surprise. According to Melo, the champion will likely be determined only in the final round: " They're the league leaders, fighting for the top of the table , they're the best teams and they play the best football."

NO ABSOLUTE FAVORITE

Felipe Melo avoided naming a big favorite, preferring to leave the possibilities open: “ It’s difficult, I don’t think it will escape these three clubs , but to say that Flamengo will be champion, that Palmeiras will be champion… I don’t really like that.”

Still, he reinforced that Botafogo can enter the competition and keep the excitement going until the end of the competition: " Flamengo , Palmeiras and Cruzeiro will fight until the end. Suddenly, Botafogo could arrive, they have a good team ."

OPINION ON THE LIBERTADORES

In addition to the Brasileirão, Felipe Melo also commented on the Copa Libertadores. The former player believes Flamengo has every chance of reaching the final , while on the other side of the bracket, the odds are more even.

"On Flamengo's side, Flamengo has every chance of reaching the final . On the other hand, Palmeiras and São Paulo could face off in a semifinal... it's Palmeiras, São Paulo, and River Plate. I think Palmeiras could even beat River. I'll speak from the heart: I'm a Palmeiras fan."

The 17th round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers holds strong emotions, especially for Flamengo fans . This Thursday (4), Brazil and Chile face each other at Maracanã, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time). One of the names that could gain prominence is striker Samuel Lino , called up to represent the Brazilian National Team.

The match will be broadcast on Globo, on free-to-air television , with commentary by Luis Roberto and Caio Ribeiro and Roger Flores. On SporTV, on a cable channel, the commentary will be by Luiz Carlos Júnior, with commentary by Lédio Carmona and Paulo Nunes.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Brazil: Alisson; Wesley, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Douglas Santos; Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães; Estevão, Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli and João Pedro.

Chile: Vigouroux; Hormazabal, Paulo Díaz, Maripán and Suazo; Echeverría, Ignacio Saavedra and Cabral; Osorio, Aravena and Brereton.

WESLEY WINS SPOT IN THE NATIONAL TEAM

A Flamengo recruit, right-back Wesley is competing for a spot with Monaco's Vanderson (FRA). In Carlo Ancelotti's first two matches under management, against Ecuador and Paraguay, Vanderson was the starter. However, after his recent transfer to Roma (ITA), Wesley has started to gain ground and could change the national team's trajectory .

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE GAME?

The Brazilian national team, managed by Italian Carlo Ancelotti, has already secured an early spot for the 2026 World Cup . As a result, the last two rounds of the qualifiers will serve as testing grounds for new names in the squad.

Meanwhile, Chile arrives with no chance of qualifying and under the leadership of Nicolás Córdova , who left out some of the key players from the winning generation of the last decade. Thus, the duel at Maracanã will be marked by different, yet equally significant, circumstances for both teams.

The CIES Football Observatory recently released a global report on football spending, and Brazil was no exception. Among Brazilian clubs, Flamengo stood out as the most financially healthy . Many critics question: where does Mengão's money come from? The answer is simple: profit from sales and balanced management .

During the last transfer window, Flamengo had a positive balance, surpassing all its domestic rivals. Despite Palmeiras and Botafogo having significant sales, both spent more than they received , ending up in the red.

Botafogo made a profit of €110.6 million but spent €117.7 million, resulting in a negative balance of -€7.1 million. Palmeiras spent €122.6 million, surpassing the €82.8 million it earned, resulting in a negative balance of -€39.8 million, the largest difference in terms of expenditure.

Flamengo , in turn, recorded a positive balance of 28.7 million euros, the result of 80.7 million in sales and 52 million in expenses. Other clubs such as Fluminense, Atlético-MG and Santos also appeared positive , but with much smaller financial movement.

MENGÃO'S TOP SALES

Some negotiations that contributed to Flamengo's positive balance:

• Fabrício Bruno to Cruzeiro: 7 million euros (R$ 44 million)
• Alcaraz to Everton: €15 million (R$96 million)
• Wesley to Roma: €25 million (R$163 million)
• Gerson to Zenit: 25 million euros (R$ 160 million)
• Lorran and Matheus Gonçalves were also traded at the end of the window

HISTORICAL REINFORCEMENT WINDOW

The transfer window closed last Tuesday (2) and, for Flamengo, it was historic. The club managed to secure important reinforcements, many at a reduced cost or even for free , demonstrating efficiency and strategy on the part of the club's management.

Player arrival highlights:

• Saúl: arrived free of charge
• Emerson Royal: €9 million (R$58.7 million)
• Samuel Lino: 22 million euros (R$ 141.5 million)
• Carrascal: 12 million euros (R$ 76.8 million)

Furthermore, Jorginho strengthened the squad during the special window for the Club World Cup, making the period even more memorable . In total, Flamengo invested R$277 million, a record in the club's history, further strengthening the squad for the upcoming challenges.