América Futebol Clube (MG) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
América Mineiro

Full name	América Futebol Clube
Nickname(s)	Coelho (Rabbit)
Founded	April 30, 1912; 113 years ago (1912-04-30)
Stadium	Arena Independência
Ground Capacity	23,018
SAF Owner	América Futebol Clube (MG) (100%)
President	Alencar da Silveira
League	Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Campeonato Mineiro
2022 2022	Série A, 10th of 20 Mineiro, 2nd of 12
Home colors Away colors Third colors

América Futebol Clube, often called América Mineiro, is a Brazilian football team. It comes from the city of Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais state. The club was started in 1912. It has kept its original name and badge since then.

América's first team colors were white and green. The color black was added in the 1970s. For a short time, between 1933 and 1942, the team played in red. This was to show they disagreed with football becoming a professional sport. The team plays its home games at the Independência stadium. América has the third-largest group of fans among teams in Minas Gerais.

América is one of the most famous and successful teams in Minas Gerais. They have won the state championship 16 times. They also finished second 16 times. Their first 10 wins were in a row, from 1916 to 1925. This is a national record for winning championships in a row. Their most recent state win was in 2016.

Other big wins include the Brazilian Second Division in 1997 and 2017. They also won the South-Minas Cup in 2000. In 2009, they won the Brazilian Third Division.

The club is well-known for helping young football players become stars. Many world-class players started at América. Some of these players are Tostão, Éder Aleixo, Yuji Nakazawa, Gilberto Silva, Fred, Danilo, and Richarlison. América has won Brazil's three most important youth tournaments. These are the São Paulo Juniors Cup (1996), the Brazilian Championship U-20 (2011), and the Belo Horizonte Juniors Cup (2000 and 2014).

Club History

On April 30, 1912, a group of young men who loved football decided to create a club. They named it América Foot-Ball Club. They chose green and white as the team colors. Their first games were played on the mayor's field.

In 1913, América joined with Minas Gerais Futebol Clube. After this, the club's colors changed to green, white, and black. From 1916 to 1925, the team won ten state championships in a row. This was a huge achievement!

América's team in 1971. This photo is from the Brazilian National Archives.

In 1933, the club changed its colors to red and white. This was a way to protest against football becoming professional. But in 1943, the club decided to become professional. They then went back to their original green, white, and black colors. In 1948, América won its first state championship as a professional club.

In 1997, América won the Série B (Second Division) for the first time. In 2000, they won the first Copa Sul-Minas cup. They beat Cruzeiro in the final game.

In 2004, América did not play well in the Série B. They were moved down to the Campeonato Brasileiro Série C (Third Division). In 2007, they finished last in the state championship. This meant they were moved down to a lower state league. But América fought back! They won the Série C in 2009. They beat ASA in the final. The next year, they finished fourth in Série B. This allowed them to return to Brazil's top football league after ten years. On June 14, 2013, América signed a deal with the Tahitian Football Federation. This was to help develop young players in Tahiti.

Club Symbols

The club has an official song, written by Vicente Motta. There are also two other songs for the club. One is an unofficial song by Fernando Brant and Tavinho Moura. The other is a song for the fans. Its words were written by Márcio Vianna Dias and sung by Fernando Ângelo.

América's mascot is a white cartoon rabbit. It has red eyes and big front teeth. A cartoonist named Fernando Pierucetti created it.

Big Rivalries

América's biggest rivals are Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro. The game between América and Atlético Mineiro is called O Clássico das Multidões. This means The Derby of the Masses. They first played each other on November 15, 1913. It was a friendly game that ended in a 1–1 tie.

Team Achievements

National Titles

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (Second Division)
  • Winners (2): 1997, 2017
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série C (Third Division)
  • Winners (1): 2009

Regional Titles

• Copa Sul-Minas
  • Winners (1): 2000

State Titles

• Campeonato Mineiro (State Championship)
  • Winners (16): 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1948, 1957, 1971, 1993, 2001, 2016
  • Runners-up (17): 1915, 1930, 1931, 1942, 1949, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2012, 2021, 2023
• Taça Minas Gerais
  • Winners (1): 2005
• Campeonato Mineiro Módulo II
  • Winners (1): 2008
• Torneio Início do Campeonato Mineiro
  • Winners (13): 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1933, 1936, 1945, 1955, 1957

City Titles

• Campeonato Extra da Cidade de BH
  • Winners (1): 1939

Youth Competition Titles

• Copa RS Sub-20
  • Winners (1): 2011
• Copa São Paulo de Juniores
  • Winners (1): 1996
• Taça Belo Horizonte de Juniores
  • Winners (2): 2000, 2014

Women's Football Titles

• Campeonato Mineiro de Futebol Feminino
  • Winners (3): 2016, 2017, 2018

Famous Players

Famous Managers

• Carlos Alberto Silva
• Flávio Lopes
• Givanildo Oliveira
• Paulo Comelli
• Yustrich
• Lisca Doido

See Also

In Spanish: América Futebol Clube (Belo Horizonte) para niños

• América Futebol Clube (MG) (women), women's team