FLAMENGO WILL HAVE 3 OF THE 9 BRASILEIRÃO GAMES TRANSMITTED ON GLOBO, ON FREE TV

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.

Flamengo's youth academy product, Lucas Paquetá, was investigated for over a year due to suspicions of involvement in sports betting. The midfielder was eventually acquitted by the courts , but could still face punishment from the English Football Association (FA) for failing to cooperate with the case.

In a statement released on Wednesday (3), the FA confirmed that it will not appeal the acquittal decision . However, it announced that Paquetá will be punished for failing to comply with Rule F3, which deals with the obligation to cooperate with investigations. The sanction should be financial, in the form of a fine, according to the English press.

The decision on the penalty will be made by the Regulatory Commission, which will release details soon. In a statement, the FA reiterated its commitment to preserving the integrity of football and conducting thorough investigations into serious allegations.

THE PAQUETÁ CASE

The investigation began in May 2024, when the FA accused the former Flamengo player of manipulating bets by forcing yellow cards in four Premier League matches : against Leicester City, Aston Villa, Leeds United, and Bournemouth. In all of them, the midfielder was cautioned.

The federation even requested Paquetá's ban, but the Regulatory Commission concluded there was insufficient evidence to support the accusation. Thus, on July 31, the player was cleared to return to the field.

FUTURE IN EUROPE

Following his acquittal, European clubs once again began to approach the Brazilian. Aston Villa (ENG) submitted a £47 million (approximately R$347 million) offer , but West Ham (ENG) rejected the offer and kept the midfielder on their roster.

PAQUETA IN THE NATIONAL TEAM

Paquetá is currently part of the Brazilian National Team, available for the match this Thursday (4) against Chile , at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, valid for the penultimate round of the Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.