Fluminense FC facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fluminense

Full name	Fluminense Football Club
Nickname(s)	Tricolor Flu Fluzão (Big Flu) Nense Pó de Arroz (Rice Powder) Time de Guerreiros (Team of Warriors)
Founded	21 July 1902; 123 years ago (1902-07-21)
Stadium	Maracanã
Stadium capacity	78,838
President	Mário Bittencourt
Head coach	Renato Gaúcho
League	Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Campeonato Carioca
2022 2022	Série A, 3rd of 20 Carioca, 1st of 12 (champions)
Home colors Away colors

Fluminense Football Club is a famous Brazilian sports club. It is based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is the oldest football club in the state. It was founded in 1902.

Fluminense plays in Brazil's top football league. It also plays in the Rio de Janeiro state league. The word "fluminense" means someone born in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

The club has won many important titles. These include the Copa Libertadores in 2023. They also won the Recopa Sudamericana in 2024. Fluminense has won four Brazilian championships. They won in 1970, 1984, 2010, and 2012. They also won the Copa do Brasil in 2007. The club has won 33 Rio de Janeiro state titles.

Fluminense won the 1952 Copa Rio. The club sees this as a world title. In 1949, Fluminense was the first football club to get the Olympic Cup. This was from the International Olympic Committee. It was for their important role in sports. In 2023, Fluminense reached the FIFA Club World Cup final. They finished second to Manchester City.

Fluminense's first home kit was white and grey. But it was hard to find these colors. So, the club changed its colors in 1904. They voted and chose their famous home kit. It has vertical stripes in burgundy, white, and green. It is usually worn with white shorts and white socks.

The club has big rivalries with other teams. The most famous is with Flamengo. This match is called Clássico Fla-Flu. It is one of the biggest football derbies in Brazil. It even holds a world record for the most fans at a club match. Nearly 200,000 people watched it at the Maracanã stadium. Fluminense also has rivalries with Botafogo (Clássico Vovô) and Vasco da Gama (Clássico dos Gigantes).

Fluminense is known as the starting place for the Brazil national football team. Brazil played its first match at Fluminense's Estádio de Laranjeiras in 1914. This was during Fluminense's 12th anniversary. Brazil scored its first goal there. They also won their first trophy there in 1919. Fluminense has given many players to the national team. It ranks among the top clubs for this.

Club History

Oscar Cox, who founded Fluminense

How Fluminense Started

Fluminense Football Club began on July 21, 1902. It was in the Laranjeiras neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. A group of young football fans started it. Their leader was Oscar Cox. He was born in Brazil but was English. He learned about football while studying in Switzerland. Cox became the club's first president. Fluminense was the first football club in Rio. At that time, rowing was the most popular sport.

Preguinho, a famous Fluminense player

Fluminense played its first official match against Rio Football Club. Fluminense won 8–0. The club won its first title in 1906. This was the state championship, called the Campeonato Carioca.

In 1911, some Fluminense players had disagreements. They left to form Flamengo's football team. This led to the famous Fla-Flu derby. It is one of the biggest rivalries in Brazilian football. Three years later, in Fluminense's stadium, the Brazil national football team played its first game. It was against the English club Exeter City. Brazil also won its first trophy there in 1919.

By 1922, Fluminense had 4,000 members. It had a stadium for 25,000 people. Its facilities impressed clubs in Europe.

The Maracanã Stadium and Big Tournaments

Goalkeeper Carlos Castilho, in 1956

The 1950 World Cup made football even more popular in Brazil. Big teams, who mostly played in state tournaments, started playing against teams from other states. The Maracanã was built for the World Cup. It was the biggest stadium in the world then. It became the main stadium for Fluminense's games.

In 1950, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBD) and FIFA decided to create a new tournament. It would bring together champion clubs from different countries. This was the International Champions Club Tournament, or Copa Rio. The first one was in 1951.

In 1951, Fluminense won the Carioca championship. This meant they could play in the 1952 Copa Rio. The team had great players. Some of them played for the Brazilian team. These included Carlos Castilho, Pinheiro, Didi, and Telê Santana.

In the Copa Rio, Fluminense played against teams from Switzerland, Portugal, and Uruguay. They finished first in their group. In the semi-final, they beat Austria Wien. In the final, they defeated Corinthians.

From the 1950s, the Rio-São Paulo Tournament started. This was a step towards a national championship. Fluminense won this tournament in 1957 and 1960.

Winning National Titles

Fluminense team of 1960

In the 1960s, Brazil started having national championships. This was so the country could send teams to the Copa Libertadores. Fluminense won its first national title in 1970. Brazil had the best players in the world then. Fluminense's team was one of the top contenders. They won the Brazilian Championship. They beat strong teams like Santos, Palmeiras, and Cruzeiro.

In the 1970s, Fluminense signed many famous players. These included Carlos Alberto Torres and Roberto Rivellino. This team was called the "Tricolor Machine." They won the state championship in 1975 and 1976.

Fluminense became Brazilian champions again in 1984. They played against Rio rivals Vasco da Gama in the final. In that decade, they also won three state championships in a row. They won in 1983, 1984, and 1985. They beat their main rival Flamengo in the first two finals. Great players like Branco and Romerito helped them win these titles.

The Copa do Brasil started in the late 1980s. It was like cup tournaments in Europe. Fluminense reached the final of the Copa do Brasil for the first time in 1992. But they lost to Internacional in a penalty shootout.

Tough Times and Comeback

Fluminense had a very bad season in 1996. They were supposed to be moved down from Brazil's top league. But some things happened off the field that kept them in the league. However, they were moved down the next year. In 1998, the club was moved down again to a lower league.

In 1999, Fluminense won the Série C championship. They were set to move up to Série B. But then they were invited to play in the Copa João Havelange. This championship replaced the traditional Série A in 2000. In 2001, it was decided that all clubs in a certain group of the Copa João Havelange would stay in Série A.

The 2000s: Cup Wins and First Libertadores Final

President Lula with Fluminense players, champions of the 2007 Brazil Cup.

Fluminense played well in the Serie A in 2000, 2001, and 2002. They finished in the top four each time. Their first title in the 2000s was the 2002 Campeonato Carioca. In 2005, Fluminense won the Campeonato Carioca. They also reached the final of the Copa do Brasil again. But they lost to a lower league club, Paulista.

In 2007, Fluminense won the Copa do Brasil. They beat Figueirense in the final. This allowed them to play in the Copa Libertadores again after 23 years. In the 2007 Serie A, the club finished fourth. Thiago Neves won the Golden Ball as the league's best player.

In the 2008 Copa Libertadores, Fluminense reached the finals. They had a great run. They beat Arsenal de Sarandí 6–0 in the group stage. They also beat defending champions Boca Juniors 3–1 in the semi-finals. But Fluminense lost the finals to LDU Quito on penalties. The score was 5-5 after both games. Thiago Neves scored three goals in the second game.

Washington Cerqueira before the 2008 Copa Libertadores final

In 2009, Fluminense was struggling. They were close to being moved down from Série A again. They had changed managers many times. But then, manager Cuca gave younger players a chance. Fred also recovered from an injury. With strong fan support, Fluminense avoided being moved down. They also reached the Copa Sudamericana finals. They beat rivals Flamengo along the way. But for the second year in a row, Fluminense lost the final to LDU Quito.

The 2010s: Two Brazilian Championships

In 2010, Muricy Ramalho became the new coach. Fluminense was eliminated from the Copa do Brasil. But this allowed them to focus completely on the Brasileirao. With Ramalho's strong defense, Fluminense won the Brazilian championship. It was their third time winning it, after 26 years. They secured the title with a 1–0 win at home. Darío Conca was named the league's best player.

For the 2011 season, Abel Braga became coach. He led the team to a third-place finish in the Serie A. This qualified them for the next year's Copa Libertadores. In 2012, Fluminense kept Abel Braga. They also invested in new players like Thiago Neves. On May 13, 2012, Fluminense won the Campeonato Carioca. They beat Botafogo 5–1. In the Copa Libertadores, they were eliminated by Boca Juniors. Later that year, on November 11, they won their fourth Brazilian championship. They beat Palmeiras 3–2. Striker Fred was the top scorer with 20 goals.

A Close Call in 2013

In 2013, Fluminense was eliminated from the Copa Libertadores again. This time it was by Olimpia. In the Série A, things got worse. They lost many games early on. Coach Abel Braga was let go. A good run of games in September helped them move away from the relegation zone. But then they had a long period without wins. This put them back in danger. Many star players were injured. In December 2013, Fluminense won their last game. They were mathematically moved down to Série B. However, two other teams, Portuguesa and Flamengo, used players who were not allowed to play. They lost points because of this. This allowed Fluminense to stay in Série A. Portuguesa was moved down instead.

Rebuilding Since 2014

In 2014, Fluminense brought back Darío Conca. They also signed other players. With Fred back from injury, Fluminense spent most of the 2014 Série A in the top five. They were trying to get a spot in the 2015 Copa Libertadores. But they didn't reach their goal and finished 6th. In December, Fluminense ended its partnership with its main sponsor, Unimed. Unimed had invested a lot in signing players for 15 years.

From 2015 onwards, Fluminense started to rebuild. Some of their main players left. The club's youth teams became very important. Selling young players became the club's main way to earn money.

In 2019, Fluminense hired Fernando Diniz. He was a young coach with new ideas. But problems within the club led to him leaving. The next year, the club brought back Fred. He is one of the club's biggest heroes. In the 2020 season, Fluminense qualified for the Copa Libertadores.

The 2020s: Copa Libertadores Champions and Club World Cup Finalists

Fábio

Nino

Felipe Melo

S. Xavier

Marcelo

André

Martinelli

Arias

Keno

Ganso

Cano

2023 Copa Libertadores final starting lineup

The team returned to the Copa Libertadores after eight years. They had good seasons in the Brazilian championship. This helped them get spots in the Libertadores in a row. However, after coach Odair left, the club had trouble keeping a coach. Several coaches took over. In 2022, Fluminense won the Campeonato Carioca. It was their first trophy in ten years. Argentine striker Germán Cano was the team's star. After being eliminated from the Libertadores, Abel Braga retired from coaching. Fluminense decided to give Fernando Diniz another chance.

In 2022, Fluminense had its best finish in the Brazilian Championship in ten years. They came in third place. Their attacking style of play was known for its fluidity and ball possession. The team qualified for the group stage of the 2023 Copa Libertadores. At the start of the season, many thought their football was the best in South America. They reached the Campeonato Carioca finals against Flamengo. Flamengo won the first match 2–0. But Fluminense won the second game 4–1. They won the Campeonato Carioca for the second year in a row against their main rival. Diniz won his first trophy with the club.

In the 2023 Libertadores, Fluminense was in a tough group. It included River Plate (Argentina). But Fluminense finished first. They gave River Plate their biggest defeat in the competition, 5–1 at Maracanã. In the later stages, they beat Argentinos Juniors, Olimpia, and Internacional. They won all these games without a single loss.

The Maracanã was chosen for the final. Their opponent was Boca Juniors. Boca Juniors wanted to win the competition for the seventh time. In the final, striker Germán Cano scored first for Fluminense. But Luis Advíncula tied the match for Boca. The game went into extra time. Young player John Kennedy, who came from the youth team, scored the second goal. Fluminense won 2–1. They lifted the Copa Libertadores trophy for the first time.

Winning the Copa Libertadores sent Fluminense to the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final. They beat African champions Al Ahly from Egypt 2–0. But they lost 4–0 in the final against Manchester City.

Season Performance

Fluminense home shirt (2022)

Fluminense reserve shirt (2022)

Fluminense alternative shirt (2022)

Fluminense has played in 57 of the 68 official Serie A championships in Brazil since 1959.

Brazilian Championship Results

Year	Position	Participants	Year	Position	Participants
1991	4º	20	2001	3º	28
1992	14º	20	2002	4º	26
1993	28º	32	2003	19º	24
1994	15º	24	2004	9º	24
1995	4º	24	2005	5º	22
1996	23º	24	2006	15º	20
1997	25º	26	2007	4º	20
1998	19º (Série B)	24	2008	14º	20
1999	1º (Série C)	36	2009	16º	20
2000	3º	25	2010	1º	20

Club Records

Fluminense fans display a luminous mosaic in Maracanã.

Fluminense supporters at the Maracanã

Highest Attendances at Maracanã

These are some of the biggest crowds at Fluminense matches:

• 1. Fluminense 0-0 Flamengo (1963): 194,603 people
• 2. Fluminense 3–2 Flamengo (1969): 171,599 people
• 3. Fluminense 1–0 Botafogo (1971): 160,000 people

Highest Average Attendance

• Largest average attendance in the Copa Libertadores (Rio de Janeiro): 59,759 (in 2023)
• Largest average attendance in national championships (Rio de Janeiro): 43,541 paying fans (in 1976)
• Largest average attendance in the state championship: 47,814 paying fans (in 1969)

Club Supporters

Map showing where most Fluminense supporters live.

Fluminense Football Club fans are found all over Brazil. Some studies guess that between 1.3% and 3.7% of Brazilians support Fluminense. This means between 2.6 and 7.5 million people. The club's website says they have over 5 million fans worldwide.

The biggest crowd ever at a Fluminense match was on December 15, 1963. It was a derby against Flamengo. An amazing 194,603 people came to the Maracanã stadium. This is still the stadium's record for a match between two clubs.

Many famous people support Fluminense. These include musicians like Elis Regina and Tom Jobim. Also, actors like Deborah Secco and Thiago Fragoso. Even the former FIFA president of honor, João Havelange, was a fan.

Club Trophies

The cup won by Fluminense (team displayed below) exhibited at the club's hall of trophies.

Major Titles

•      record
• ^s shared record

Other Notable Achievements

• Olympic Cup (1): 1949
• Carioca Champion of the 20th Century: 1906–2000

Timeline of Main Titles

The team that won its first Campeonato Carioca, in 1906

Ball used in the first-ever match of the Brazil national team at Fluminense

Trophy room at the Fluminense HQ

Information on the Rio–São Paulo Tournament at the Fluminense Trophy Room

Club Rivalries

Leandro Guerreiro from Botafogo fighting for the ball with Washington from Fluminense.

Fluminense has strong rivalries with other clubs in Rio de Janeiro. The average number of paying fans at these big matches at the Maracanã is very high. For example, against Flamengo, it's about 60,107 fans.

Grandpa Derby

The Grandpa Derby (Clássico Vovô) is played against Botafogo. It's called this because they are the two oldest football clubs among the big teams in Rio. This is also the oldest derby in Brazil. Their first game was on October 22, 1905. Fluminense won that friendly match 6–0.

Fla-Flu Derby

The Fla-Flu Derby is also known as the Derby of Crowds. It is played against Flamengo. Many football experts think it is one of the greatest derbies in the world. The rivalry started when some Fluminense players left to form Flamengo's football team.

Giants' Derby

The Giants' Derby (Clássico dos Gigantes) is played against Vasco da Gama. It gets its name from the many important matches played between them. This includes the final of the 1984 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, which Fluminense won.

Rivalry with LDU

A strong international rivalry has grown between Fluminense and L.D.U. Quito from Ecuador. This started when LDU Quito beat Fluminense in the 2008 Copa Libertadores final. They also beat Fluminense in the Copa Sudamericana final the next year. This rivalry became even bigger when they met in a third international final, the 2024 Recopa Sudamericana. Fluminense won this one. This is the only time two CONMEBOL teams have played each other in all three major continental tournaments.

Club Stadiums

Laranjeiras Stadium

Laranjeiras Stadium, in 1919.

The Manoel Schwartz Stadium is usually called the Laranjeiras Stadium. It's also known as the Álvaro Chaves Street Stadium. This was where the Rio team played its games for many years. But now, for safety reasons and because of high demand, they play at Maracanã.

Fluminense's first match at Laranjeiras Stadium was a 4–1 win in 1919. The stadium opened in 1919 with space for 18,000 people. Its capacity was increased to 25,000 people by 1922. Some games had even more fans than its capacity.

Stained glass windows in Fluminense's headquarters

Today, Fluminense's main team does not play games at Laranjeiras Stadium. It is not safe or big enough for large events. It is now used for training, small events, and games for the women's football team and youth teams. The last official match for the main team there was in 2003.

The club wants to renovate the stadium. But there are challenges. These include keeping the building's historical look. Also, there isn't much space for a modern stadium. Neighbors living nearby also have concerns. The current plan is to make Laranjeiras better. The stadium would stay small. It could host games with fewer fans, like early state championship matches or women's football.

Maracanã Stadium

The Maracanã was built for the 1950 World Cup. It has been the main home for Rio de Janeiro's four biggest clubs. The stadium was fully finished in 1965. In 1963, over 194,000 people watched a match between Flamengo and Fluminense there.

Fluminense has won many important titles at the Maracanã. These include the 1952 Copa Rio. They won their first Brazilian Championship in 1970. The "Tricolor Machine" won the Carioca championship twice (1975–76). They were led by Roberto Rivellino. Fluminense also won the Brazilian championship against Vasco da Gama in 1984. They won the Rio championship three times against Flamengo (1983–85). In 1995, they won the Carioca championship with a famous goal by Renato Gaúcho. In this century, they won the 2007 Brazil's Cup and the 2023 Copa Libertadores.

The stadium was renovated for the 2000 FIFA Club World Cup. Its capacity increased to about 103,000. After more renovations, it reopened in 2007 with 87,000 seats. For the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, a big project started in 2010. The stadium's capacity was reduced to 78,838 seats.

From 2013, a company managed the stadium. But due to problems, Flamengo and Fluminense decided to manage it together. Since 2016, the clubs have kept the stadium in good condition. In 2019, the government ended contracts with the old company. Flamengo and Fluminense then created a joint company, "Fla-Flu S.A." This company now manages Maracanã and its sports complex.

Fluminense supporters, at the Maracanã Stadium, during the match between Fluminense and Argentinos Juniors, in the round of 16 of the 2023 Copa Libertadores.

Current Players

No. Position Player 1 GK Fábio 2 DF Samuel Xavier 3 DF Thiago Silva (captain) 4 DF Ignácio 5 MF Facundo Bernal 6 DF Renê 7 FW Yeferson Soteldo 8 MF Matheus Martinelli 9 FW Everaldo 10 MF Ganso 11 FW Keno 12 DF Gabriel Fuentes 13 DF Felipe Andrade 14 FW Germán Cano 16 MF Nonato (on loan from Santos) 17 FW Agustín Canobbio 18 MF Rubén Lezcano 20 MF Victor Hugo (on loan from Cascavel)

No. Position Player 21 MF Jhon Arias 22 DF Juan Freytes 23 DF Guga 25 FW Joaquín Lavega 26 DF Manoel 27 GK Marcelo Pitaluga 28 FW Riquelme 29 DF Thiago Santos 35 MF Hércules 37 MF Isaque 45 MF Lima 50 GK Gustavo Ramalho 55 MF Wallace Davi 77 FW Paulo Baya (on loan from Primavera) 90 FW Kevin Serna 94 MF Otávio 98 GK Vitor Eudes 99 FW John Kennedy

Club Staff

Current Staff

Position	Name	Nationality
Head coach	Renato Gaúcho	Brazilian
Assistant coaches	Wagner Bertelli	Brazilian
	Eduardo Barros	Brazilian
	Marcão	Brazilian
	Cadu Antunes	Brazilian
Technical assistant	Marco Salgado	Brazilian
Fitness coaches	Marcos Seixas	Brazilian
	Flávio Vignoli	Brazilian
	Igor Cotrim	Brazilian
Goalkeeper coach coordinator	Flavio Tenius	Brazilian
Goalkeeper coaches	André Carvalho	Brazilian
	Josmiro de Góes	Brazilian

Head Coaches Through the Years

See also

In Spanish: Fluminense Football Club para niños