FLAMENGO HAS SURPRISING USE WITHOUT ARRASCAETA AND GABIGOL

Coach Dorival Júnior was frustrated when Corinthians missed the opportunity to sign Victor Hugo , Flamengo's 21-year-old midfielder. The coach had wanted to work with the youngster again, having previously coached him at Flamengo. However, a FIFA transfer ban imposed due to a debt owed to Santos Laguna for the purchase of defender Félix Torres prevented the São Paulo club from registering new players. This paved the way for Santos to sign the player .

VICTOR HUGO CHOOSES SANTOS UNTIL 2026

According to UOL, in addition to Corinthians , Victor Hugo received inquiries from clubs such as Pafos (CHP), Anderlecht (BEL), Famalicão (POR) and Algarve (POR) , but chose to transfer to Santos, on loan, until December 2026. At the Vila Belmiro team, the midfielder will have the opportunity to play alongside Neymar.

REFORMULATION OF THE RUBRO-NEGRO SQUAD

Victor Hugo's departure is part of Flamengo 's restructuring, which seeks to streamline the squad and open new revenue streams. The club recently sold Matheus Gonçalves to Al Ahli (SAU) and loaned Lorran to Pisa (ITA) . Now, the board is focusing its efforts on potential negotiations involving Michael and Juninho, who could also leave Ninho do Urubu.

PROMISE FROM THE BASE LOST SPOT AT FLAMENGO

A product of Flamengo's youth academy, Victor Hugo was promoted to the professional ranks in 2022 and participated in the club's Copa do Brasil and Copa Libertadores victories. Despite a promising start, he eventually lost his place under Tite and was loaned to Turkish football.

Back in Brazil, he nearly signed with Famalicão, but the deal fell through. He even received a few opportunities under Filipe Luís, but failed to establish himself , leading the club to opt for a long-term loan.

With a star-studded squad, Flamengo is once again losing players during the FIFA World Cup . Three Flamengo players have already been called up for the final two matches of the 2026 World Cup South American Qualifiers: Carrascal (Colombia), Samuel Lino (Brazil), and now Gonzalo Plata (Ecuador). Mengão will also be out during this period.

The list is expected to grow, however. This is because Uruguay has not yet announced its squad . Names like Arrascaeta, Viña, and Varela are likely to be considered by Marcelo Bielsa, while De La Cruz, who is still recovering match fitness, was ruled out by the coach for this FIFA World Cup.

CUTS AND REPLACEMENTS

Flamengo had also loaned full-back Alex Sandro, but he suffered a calf injury and was ruled out. Samuel Lino was called up after a loss to the Brazilian national team : with Matheus Cunha (Manchester United) injured, coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for the Flamengo striker to complete the roster.

SITUATION OF THE SELECTIONS

While Argentina, Ecuador, and Brazil have already secured their World Cup berths, the situation of Carrascal's Colombia remains a cause for concern. The team sits in sixth place with 22 points and could be overtaken by Venezuela (18) or Bolivia (17) . The top six teams qualify directly, while the seventh-place team advances to the playoffs.

SOUTH AMERICAN QUALIFYING GAMES

Round 17

• Uruguay vs Peru – 4/9, 8:30 pm, Montevideo-URU
• Colombia vs Bolivia – 4/9, 8:30 pm, Barranquilla-COL
• Paraguay vs Ecuador – 4/9, 8:30 pm, Asunción-PAR
• Argentina x Venezuela – 4/9, 8:30 pm, Buenos Aires-ARG
• Brazil vs Chile – September 4, 9:30 p.m., Rio de Janeiro

Round 18

• Ecuador x Argentina – 9/9, 8pm, Guayaquil-EQU
• Peru x Paraguay – 9/9, 8:30 pm, Lima-PER
• Venezuela x Colombia – 9/9, 8:30 pm, Maturín-VEN
• Bolivia vs. Brazil – 9/9, 8:30 p.m., El Alto-BOL
• Chile x Uruguay – 9/9, 8:30 pm, Santiago-CHI
• (Brasília time)

The Brazilian Championship continues at a fast pace and featured important games this Saturday (31) at the top of the standings. At Mineirão, Cruzeiro beat São Paulo 1-0, with a goal from Matheus Pereira , and took over second place, shortening the gap to Flamengo, who will still be playing this Sunday .

CHECK THE TABLE

In a tight match with few clear-cut chances, the Minas Gerais team opened the scoring in the 19th minute of the second half. Matheus Pereira's free kick deflected off the wall to find the back of the net . Late on, Gabigol, the birthday boy and former Flamengo player, nearly extended the lead but was saved by Rafael.

OTHER GAMES ON SATURDAY

The round also had two more clashes this Saturday (30). At Arena Castelão, Juventude scored at the end and beat Ceará 1-0. At Estádio Nilton Santos, Botafogo took no notice of Red Bull Bragantino and applied a 4-1 rout.

SUNDAY'S HIGHLIGHTS

Sunday (31) promises strong emotions with seven matches for the 22nd round of the Brasileirão. The highlight is the duel between Flamengo and Grêmio, at 4 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã. At the same time, Santos receives Fluminense, at Vila Belmiro.

Three more games will be played at 6:30 pm: Corinthians vs. Palmeiras, a classic at the Neo Química Arena; Mirassol vs. Bahia, in the interior of São Paulo; and Vitória vs. Atlético-MG, in Salvador. Closing the round at 8:30 pm, Sport, bottom of the table, faces Vasco , also in a difficult situation, at Ilha do Retiro. At the same time, Internacional faces Fortaleza at Beira-Rio.