Flamengo win the Brazilian title after winning the Libertadores
Flamengo secured the Brazilian league title with one round to spare by beating Ceará 1-0, four days after becoming the first club in the country to win the Copa Libertadores four times.
The most popular club in Brazil won thanks to a goal from Samuel Lino, set up by Colombian playmaker Jorge Carrascal, in a party-like atmosphere at the Maracanã, with the stands still vibrating from the 1-0 victory over Palmeiras in the Libertadores final the previous Saturday in Lima. From the moment the players came out for the warm up, it felt less like a tense league fixture and more like an extended celebration of a historic week in the club’s history.
With one round left in the championship, this latest win took the Rio side to 78 points and allowed them to keep an unassailable five point lead over Palmeiras, on 73, their closest chaser. The São Paulo side still have to fight with Cruzeiro for second place in the standings, but the title is already decided in favour of the red and black of Rio.
Flamengo, who played in front of a record crowd of 73,244 spectators, only needed a win to clinch their ninth Brazilian league title and they did their job on a night when Palmeiras also won 3-0 away to Atlético Mineiro, thus remaining in second place. The result at the Maracanã ensured that any hopes of late drama in the title race were extinguished before the final matchday.
The Brazilian and Libertadores champions, who travel to Qatar next week to play the Intercontinental Cup and still have the chance to win another trophy this year, have already secured the best season in their history, with four titles. The numbers and the context underline the scale of the achievement. Across all competitions, Flamengo have combined a demanding domestic schedule with deep runs in continental and national cups, yet have managed to maintain a high level of performance from February to December.
In addition to the Libertadores and league double, a feat they also achieved in 2019 and with which they have now matched Santos, champions of both competitions in 1962 and 1963 with Pelé leading the attack, Flamengo have also lifted the Campeonato Carioca and the Brazilian Super Cup this year. For many fans, this campaign confirms the club’s status as the dominant force of the modern era in Brazilian football, bridging generations and connecting the current squad with legendary teams of the past.
Despite the possible fatigue caused by the trip to Peru for the Libertadores final, coach Filipe Luís chose to field the same eleven that had beaten the side coached by Portuguese manager Abel Ferreira on Saturday. The idea was clear: finish the job as quickly as possible. He wanted to wrap up the title on Wednesday, without having to rely on other results or wait for the final round on Sunday, so that he could bring forward the team’s trip to Qatar and start preparing for the game against Mexican side Cruz Azul, their first opponents in the Intercontinental Cup.
With all the regular starters on the pitch, Flamengo were clearly dominant in the first half. The team played with the confidence of champions, circulating the ball with patience, switching play frequently and pinning Ceará deep inside their own half. Yet they still ran up against a visiting side who built a compact block close to their own box in an attempt to pick up points and avoid the risk of finishing among the bottom four and being relegated. For Ceará, every tackle and clearance in Rio was part of their own struggle for survival.
In the opening stages, Flamengo tested Ceará’s goalkeeper with shots from distance and dangerous crosses. The full backs pushed high, the wingers constantly attacked the space between full back and centre back, and Carrascal drifted between the lines to link midfield and attack. Ceará responded by narrowing their lines, crowding the central zones and relying on quick counters whenever they managed to recover possession. For a while, the game became an exercise in patience for the champions elect.
Faced with the heavy congestion of players in and around Ceará’s penalty area, Flamengo tried to break the deadlock with long range efforts and quick combinations on the edge of the box. Jorginho came closest early on, almost finding the top corner with a powerful strike that brushed the outside of the post and drew a collective gasp from the Maracanã. The breakthrough, however, would come through a move that summed up the team’s collective quality.
They had to wait until the 36th minute for the decisive moment. After a spell of sustained pressure, Flamengo cleverly shifted the ball from left to right, dragging the Ceará defence out of shape. Carrascal then found a pocket of space between the lines, received a pass on the half turn and threaded a perfectly weighted ball into the channel for Samuel Lino, the former Atlético Mineiro forward. Lino timed his run to stay onside, took one touch to set himself and calmly slotted past the goalkeeper into the far corner. The stadium exploded, red and black flags waving in every direction as fireworks lit up the Rio sky.
From that moment on, the game was played to the soundtrack of permanent celebration. Flamengo continued to control possession, occasionally threatening a second goal, while managing the tempo intelligently so as not to burn unnecessary energy. Ceará, needing at least a point, tried to respond in the second half with a slightly higher defensive line and more aggressive pressing, but chances remained rare. When they did reach the final third, they found a solid Flamengo back line and a goalkeeper who responded whenever he was called upon.
The second half became as much about emotion as tactics. Chants celebrating the Libertadores triumph were mixed with songs honouring club idols from past and present, while giant banners in the stands paid tribute to the four continental titles now in the trophy cabinet. Every defensive interception, every successful dribble and every pass that kept Flamengo in control was greeted with applause, as if the supporters were collectively savouring the final steps of a long journey.
In another game played on Wednesday, Palmeiras won 3-0 away to Atlético Mineiro, with goals from Argentine forward José Manuel Flaco López and youngsters Allan and Luighi. That result allowed the São Paulo club to keep hold of second place in the table, a position they will have to defend on the final day against third placed Cruzeiro. For Palmeiras, the season will end without the main prize, but with the chance to secure a direct spot in next year’s Libertadores and some consolation in the form of a strong league finish.
Also on Wednesday, Santos pulled away from the relegation zone with a 3-0 away win at Juventude thanks to a Neymar hat trick, his first game with three goals since April 2022. That result, combined with Flamengo’s victory and the defeat of other rivals, helped clarify both ends of the table as the season approaches its final round.
Besides the clubs that will be relegated, the final round will also decide the last direct place for next year’s Libertadores. Flamengo have already secured their spot as champions of the tournament, as have Palmeiras, Cruzeiro and Mirassol by sitting among the top four in the standings. The final direct berth will be contested between Fluminense, on 61 points, Bahia, on 60, and Botafogo, on 59, promising a tense final day for those clubs and their supporters.
At the bottom of the table, Sport, on 17 points, and Juventude, on 34, are already condemned to relegation. Internacional, on 41, and Vitória, on 42, are among the sides most at risk and therefore need to win their respective matches on Sunday and hope their rivals slip up in order to avoid the drop. The battle for survival will provide its own drama, even with the title already decided.
For Flamengo, however, the focus is now divided between celebrating a historic domestic and continental double and planning the next challenge. The trip to Qatar and the Intercontinental Cup offer the opportunity to close the year with a fifth trophy and to test themselves again against international opposition. Filipe Luís and his staff will have to manage the physical and mental demands of such a long season, but they will do so with the confidence that comes from constant success.
The coach’s work has been widely praised across Brazil. A former full back who knew the Maracanã and European football at the highest level as a player, he has managed to build a team that combines technical quality with tactical discipline. Flamengo’s pressing, their positional play and their ability to control matches through possession have all been highlighted as key aspects of this title winning campaign. At the same time, he has given space to young talents while integrating experienced leaders, creating a balanced dressing room.
For the players, this season has cemented their names in club history. Veterans of previous title wins have added new chapters to their story, while recent signings have quickly understood what it means to wear the Flamengo shirt. For the supporters, scattered across Brazil and beyond, the 1-0 victory over Ceará will forever be linked to the Libertadores triumph in Lima as part of one extraordinary week. The images of the Maracanã packed in red and black, singing deep into the night, will be replayed for years to come.
Whatever happens in Qatar, Flamengo have already written a golden page in their history books. A ninth national title, a fourth Libertadores, a clean sweep of domestic trophies and the feeling of having dominated Brazilian football from start to finish of the year. For a club that demands greatness, 2025 will be remembered as the season in which those demands were not just met, but exceeded.
