FLAMENGO BEATS PORTUGUESE AND CLASSIFIES FOR THE SEMIFINAL OF THE RIO U-20 COPA

Volta Redonda is closely monitoring the development of defender Iago , a Flamengo alumnus who is now one of the most promising youngsters in the club's youth academy. Volta Redonda discovered the defender while still in the U-15s and retains 40% of his economic rights , while Flamengo holds the majority.

The contract stipulates that the Gávea club can acquire an additional 10% of the rights for R$500,000. The board is considering exercising this option , a move seen as strategic, as the youngster is expected to gain even more prominence in the coming years.

PROMISE OF THE RUBRO-NEGRA BASE

Even in his final year of the U-20 season, Iago is already attracting attention for his performance. He's under contract with Flamengo until December 2026, which guarantees the club contract security . The player's appreciation is raising expectations for both Flamengo and Voltaço, who hope to profit in the future from a potential deal.

IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS IN THE SEASON

In 2025, Iago had made 29 appearances for the U-20 team, playing 2,546 minutes, scoring seven goals, and providing one assist—rare numbers for a defender . In the U-20 Libertadores, he was the team's top scorer, scoring four goals.

In the Brazilian Under-20 Championship, he played 16 games, scoring four goals and providing one assist . For the Brazilian Under-20 National Team, he appeared in six South American matches, starting five, scoring two goals.

HIGHLIGHT IN STATISTICS

According to Sofascore, Iago finished the South American U-20 Championship with an average of 7.28 points per game . He made 41 defensive actions, won 20 of 31 duels (65%), and had outstanding aerial performance, winning 16 of 20 duels (80%). Considered one of the best talents in the youth academy, Iago is already generating expectations to join Flamengo's professional squad soon.

This Saturday (23) will be decisive for Flamengo's youth team. The red-black team faces Barcelona, from Spain, in the final of the U-20 Club World Cup , at Maracanã. Current two-time champion of the Libertadores in the category, the team also defends the world title won in 2024, when they beat Olympiacos, from Greece, 2-1, in a comeback. That year, the team was led by Filipe Luís, now coach of the professional squad.

The game will be broadcast live on free-to-air TV Globo, starting at 4:30 p.m. (Brasília time). Gustavo Villani will be the commentator, with commentary from former players Maestro Júnior and Paulo Nunes, both " birds of the nest ."

A large crowd is expected. So far, around 33,000 tickets have been sold for the final , and the organizers expect to surpass the competition's all-time record, held by the match between Peñarol (URU) and Benfica (POR), with 40,000 fans. In total, 35,000 tickets were made available for the match.

PENALTIES IN CASE OF A TIE

According to tournament organizers, if the match ends in a draw after regulation time, the champion will be decided by penalty kicks, as there will be no extra time. The fans are in a state of anticipation, promising to pack the Maracanã stadium to cheer on the young athletes in pursuit of a second consecutive world title.

FLAMENGO X BARCELONA LINEUPS

Flamengo : Lucas Furtado; Daniel Sales, João Victor, Iago and Gusttavo; Fabiano, Pablo Lúcio and Matheus Gonçalves ; Lorran, Joshua and Pedro Leão. Coach: Bruno Pivetti.

Barcelona : Max Bonfill; Xavi Espart, Andrés Cuenca, Alexis Olmedo and Landry Farré; Brian Fariñas, Quin Junyent and Pedro Rodríguez; Óscar Gistau, Jan Virgili and Tommy Marqués. Coach: Belletti.

Saturday (23) will be the final at Maracanã . Flamengo faces Barcelona, from Spain, in the grand final of the U-20 Club World Cup . Current two-time champion of the Libertadores in the category, Rubro-Negro also defends the world title, won in 2024, when they defeated Olympiacos (GRE) in a comeback, 2-1. In that campaign, the team was commanded by Filipe Luís, now coach of the professional squad.

If the match ends in a draw after regulation time, the title will be decided by penalties, as there is no extra time allowed in the rules. More than 25,000 tickets have already been sold for the match in Rio de Janeiro . A full house is expected for the match, with more than 35,000 tickets already on sale.

WHERE TO WATCH AND TIME

The match will be broadcast exclusively on free-to-air TV Globo . Gustavo Villani will be the commentator, with commentary from two former Flamengo players : Maestro Júnior and Paulo Nunes. Kick-off begins at 4:30 p.m. (Brasília time).

PROBABLE LINEUPS

Flamengo: Lucas Furtado; Daniel Sales, João Victor, Iago and Gusttavo; Fabiano, Pablo Lúcio and Matheus Gonçalves; Lorran, Joshua and Pedro Leão. Coach: Bruno Pivetti.

Barcelona: Max Bonfill; Xavi Espart, Andrés Cuenca, Alexis Olmedo and Landry Farré; Brian Fariñas, Quin Junyent and Pedro Rodríguez; Óscar Gistau, Jan Virgili and Tommy Marqués. Coach: Belletti.

PIVETTI PRAISES THE OPPONENT

Flamengo coach on Barcelona: "They are an extremely qualified team"

Flamengo U-20 coach Bruno Pivetti participated in Flamengo TV's MengoCast and analyzed the opponent before the final: “Barcelona is an extremely qualified team, very talented, with technical players, good reception , passing and one-on-one, as well as defensive balance, began the coach.

"Belletti did a great job last season, and the news is that he's been promoted to the B team. We've already seen their Champions League final and the semifinal against AZ Alkmaar. They're a tough team to beat, but we'll prepare ourselves to win this coveted title," the coach declared.