Former Flamengo player Rodrigo Muniz is valued at Fulham after a turbulent transfer window

Flamengo takes to the field this Thursday (2), at Maracanã, in another crucial game for the Brasileirão 2025. The match against Cruzeiro promises an atmosphere of an early final, as it involves a direct confrontation in the fight for leadership.

TIME AND WHERE TO WATCH

The match begins at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time), broadcast on SporTV on cable TV and Premiere on pay-per-view . The referee will be Ramon Abatti Abel, who has refereed 22 Flamengo matches, including the Super Cup final against Botafogo.

TICKETS SOLD OUT

Maracanã will be packed once again. Tickets for the match are already sold out, and the nation is preparing a huge celebration at the stadium . Sales began on September 2nd, exclusively for Flamengo members, who received priority and special discounts. Later, on September 18th, sales opened to the general public.

FINAL ATMOSPHERE: SIX-POINT GAME

The round pits leaders Flamengo against third-place Cruzeiro. Palmeiras is in second place with 52 points, while the Minas Gerais team has 50. With a win, Flamengo will open up a seven-point gap over Cruzeiro and a five-point gap over Palmeiras. If they lose, Palmeiras will reduce the gap to just one point and take second place.

THE RIVER CRUISE TABOO

Cruzeiro hasn't beaten Flamengo in Rio de Janeiro in the Brasileirão since 2010. The team's hope is coach Léo Jardim, nicknamed the "taboo breaker" by the Minas Gerais fans, as he has overseen the breaking of ten historic records since his arrival.

PROBABLE LINEUPS

• Flamengo: Rossi; Varela, Leo Ortiz, Leo Pereira (Danilo) and Alex Sandro; Jorginho, Saul and Arrascaeta; Plata (Carrascal), Samuel Lino and Pedro.
• Cruzeiro: Cassio; Willian, Villalba, Fabrício Bruno and Caíque; Cristian, Lucas Romero and Lucas Silva; Wanderson, Matheus Pereira and Kaio Jorge.

The dispute between Flamengo and Libra remains intense. After Flamengo obtained an injunction blocking part of the transfers related to the Brasileirão's TV rights, the league filed an appeal with the Rio de Janeiro court in an attempt to overturn the ruling in favor of the Rio de Janeiro club.

Libra's argument is that former president Rodolfo Landim had approved the payment distribution method. However, the current president, Luiz Eduardo Baptista (BAP), reviewed the terms and believes the proposed model is detrimental to Flamengo .

Flamengo in a statement regarding the agreement with Libra: "It is false that any definition of audience percentages was agreed upon"

According to the league, the new administration's stance was motivated by political issues and disagreements with the previous administration . Information about the appeal was released by journalist Rodrigo Mattos of UOL.

FLAMENGO'S POSITION

In an official statement released this Wednesday (01), Flamengo published material in the format of “facts and fakes” to clarify its view on the controversy over the distribution of revenue. Among the points highlighted, the club stated:

"It's false that any audience share definition was agreed upon. The Statute is silent on this point. Libra's general assembly had to deliberate on the existing gap , but no conclusion was reached. Flamengo voted against the proposal, and even so, Globo made payments based on the scenario presented by Libra, which is illegal because it violates the unanimity requirement set forth in the Statute."

" It's false that Flamengo denies having signed a contract and now wants to change the terms . The call for Libra's General Assembly in May 2025 was clear: the vote was intended to define scenarios for the division of audience revenue from the sale of broadcast rights."

WHAT'S AT STAKE

The current board's main disagreement concerns the criteria for dividing the audience share. Bap believes it's unfair that clubs with much lower appeal , like Bragantino, receive the same percentage as Flamengo, which attracts a much larger audience.

Without an agreement, Flamengo appealed to the courts and obtained a freeze on funds that would have been transferred to other Libra clubs . The decision provoked a strong reaction: Palmeiras, São Paulo, Atlético-MG, Santos, and Vitória issued official statements harshly criticizing the Flamengo board's stance.

This Thursday (02), Flamengo and Cruzeiro face off in a decisive duel for the 26th round of the Brasileirão . At Maracanã, the leader receives the vice-leader in a clash that could change the course of the title dispute due to the table situation.

The Minas Gerais team arrives with a depleted squad. Coach Leonardo Jardim will be without defender Luís Sinisterra, who is recovering from a right thigh strain. Cruzeiro will also be without full-back Fagner, who is recovering from a fractured fibula.

With that, Cruzeiro's likely starting lineup is : Cássio; William, Fabrício Bruno, Villalba, and Kaiki; Lucas Romero, Lucas Silva, and Matheus Pereira; Christian, Wanderson, and Kaio Jorge. Cruzeiro's idol, Gabigol, is expected to start on the bench.

Flamengo , led by Filipe Luís, is expected to field the following players: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Danilo and Alex Sandro; Saúl, Jorginho and Arrascaeta; Gonzalo Plata, Samuel Lino and Pedro. There is also a chance that Léo Pereira will be rested due to the intense sequence of matches.

SCENARIO ON THE TABLE

Flamengo leads with 54 points, four ahead of Cruzeiro. With a win, the Red-Blacks could open up a seven-point lead and still have a game in hand against Sport , with a chance to widen the gap to as many as 10 points.

WHERE TO WATCH

The duel between Flamengo and Cruzeiro, leader and runner-up, will be at 8:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the 26th round of the Brazilian Championship . The match will be broadcast by SporTV (closed TV) and Premiere (pay-per-view), with Ramon Abatti Abel (SC) as the referee.