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; 122 years ago (1902-07-21)
Stadium	Maracanã
Stadium capacity	78,838
President	Mário Bittencourt
Head coach	Mano Menezes
League	Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Campeonato Carioca
2022 2022	Série A, 3rd of 20 Carioca, 1st of 12 (champions)
Home colors Away colors Third colors

Fluminense Football Club is a famous Brazilian sports club. It is located in the Laranjeiras neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. Founded in 1902, it is the oldest football club in the state. Fluminense plays in Brazil's top football league, the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. They also compete in the Campeonato Carioca, which is the state league for Rio de Janeiro. The word "fluminense" means someone born in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Fluminense has won the national championship four times. Their most recent win was in 2012. They also won the 2007 Copa do Brasil and the 1952 Copa Rio. In 1949, Fluminense received the Olympic Cup. This award is given by the International Olympic Committee to groups that help develop the Olympic Movement. Their biggest international success was winning the 2023 Copa Libertadores. They also reached the finals of the Copa Libertadores in 2008.

Fluminense's home uniform is special. It has three colors: burgundy, white, and green stripes. They started using this design in 1904. White shorts and white socks complete the look for O Tricolor.

The club has strong rivalries with other teams. These include Flamengo (the Clássico Fla-Flu), Botafogo (the Clássico Vovô), and Vasco da Gama (the Clássico dos Gigantes). The Clássico Fla-Flu is one of the most famous football matches in Brazil and South America. It even holds a world record for the most fans at a club match, with over 200,000 people at the Maracanã stadium.

Fluminense is also important because the Brazil national football team started there. Brazil played its first game at Fluminense's ground, the Estádio de Laranjeiras. The "Canarinhos" (as the Brazilian team is called) scored their first goal and won their first trophy there. Fluminense has provided many players to the national team over the years.

The Story of Fluminense Football Club

How Fluminense Started

Oscar Cox, who founded Fluminense

Fluminense Football Club began on July 21, 1902. It was founded in the Laranjeiras area of Rio de Janeiro. A group of young football fans started the club. Their leader was Oscar Cox, a Brazilian-born English citizen. He learned about football while studying in Europe. Cox was chosen as the first president. Fluminense was the first football club in the city. At that time, rowing was the most popular sport.

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

In 1911, some Fluminense players had a disagreement. This led them to form the football team for Flamengo. The Fla-Flu derby is now one of the biggest rivalries in Brazilian football. Three years later, the Brazil national football team played its first game. It was at Fluminense's stadium against the English club Exeter City. Brazil also won its first title there in 1919.

By 1922, Fluminense had 4,000 members. They had a stadium that could hold 25,000 people. Their facilities were so good that even European clubs were impressed.

Playing at Maracanã Stadium

Goalkeeper Carlos Castilho, a Fluminense legend

The 1950 World Cup made football even more popular in Brazil. Because of this, big teams started playing against clubs from other states. The Maracanã was built for the World Cup. It was the biggest stadium in the world at the time. It became the main stadium for Fluminense's games.

In 1950, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBD) and FIFA decided to create a new competition. It would bring together champion clubs from different countries. This tournament was called 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 many great players. Some of them played for the Brazilian team. These included Carlos Castilho, Píndaro, Pinheiro, Didi, Orlando Pingo de Ouro, 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 was created. This was a step towards a national championship. Fluminense won this tournament in 1957 and 1960.

Winning National Titles

Fluminense team from 1960

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

In the 1970s, Fluminense signed many famous players. These included Carlos Alberto Torres, Dirceu, Gil, Narciso Doval, Pintinho, 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 their Rio rivals, Vasco da Gama, in the final. In the 1980s, they also won three state championships in a row. They beat their main rival Flamengo in the finals of the first two. Great players like Branco, Delei, Edinho, Ricardo Gomes, Romerito, and the "Casal Vinte" (Assis and Washington) helped them win these titles.

The Copa do Brasil was created at the end of the 1980s. It was like cup tournaments in Europe. Fluminense reached the final of the Copa do Brasil for the first time in 1992. However, they lost to Internacional in a penalty shootout.

Bouncing Back to the Top League

Fluminense had a very bad season in 1996. They were supposed to be moved down from Brasileirão Série A. However, they were allowed to stay in the top league. But they were moved down the very next year. In 1998, the club was moved down from Série B to Série C. In 1999, Fluminense won the Série C championship. They were then 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 the Copa João Havelange's "Blue Group" would stay in Série A. This helped Fluminense return to the top league.

The 2000s: Brazil Cup and First Libertadores Final

Lula, then President, with Fluminense players after winning the 2007 Brazil Cup.

Fluminense played well in the Serie A from 2000 to 2002. They finished in the top four each year. Their first title in the 21st century was the 2002 Campeonato Carioca. In 2005, Fluminense won the Campeonato Carioca and the Taça Rio. They also finished fifth in the Brasileirão. Later that year, they reached the final of the Copa do Brasil again. But they lost to a Serie B club, Paulista, 2–0. This was one of the few times a Serie B club won the Copa do Brasil.

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

Fluminense's 2008 Copa Libertadores journey was exciting. They reached the finals. They had a big 6–0 win against Arsenal de Sarandí in the group stage. They beat Atlético Nacional in the Round of 16. They made a great comeback against São Paulo in the quarter-finals. Then they defeated the defending champions, Boca Juniors, 3–1 in the semi-finals. Fluminense ended up as runner-up. They lost the finals to LDU Quito on penalties after a 5–5 tie over two games. Thiago Neves scored three goals in the second game. Fluminense had already played LDU in the group stage, winning one game and drawing another. The club finished fourteenth in the Serie A that season. They were only one point away from being moved down.

Washington Cerqueira before the 2008 Copa Libertadores final

In 2009, Fluminense was in danger of being moved down from Série A again. They had signed many players and changed managers often. With less than a third of the championship left, they had a 98% chance of being moved down. At this point, manager Cuca decided to use younger players. Also, Fred recovered from a serious injury. With strong support from fans, Fluminense avoided being moved down. They even reached the Copa Sudamericana finals, after beating rivals Flamengo. For the second year in a row, the club played in a big international final. But like the year before, Fluminense lost the finals to LDU Quito.

The 2010s: Two Brazilian Championships

For 2010, Muricy Ramalho became the new coach. Fluminense was eliminated from the 2010 Copa do Brasil quarter-finals. But this allowed them to focus completely on the Brasileirao. That year, with Ramalho's strong defense, Fluminense won the Brazilian championship for the third time. It was their first win in 26 years. They secured the title with a 1–0 win at home against Guarani. Darío Conca was named the best player of the season. Fred, Washington, and Deco were also key players.

For the 2011 season, Abel Braga became the coach. He led the team to a third-place finish in the Serie A. This qualified them for the next year's Copa Libertadores. The club decided to keep Abel Braga for 2012. They invested a lot in the team, bringing back Thiago Neves and signing Wellington Nem. On May 13, 2012, Fluminense won the Campeonato Carioca. They beat Botafogo 5–1 over two games. In the Copa Libertadores, Fluminense was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Boca Juniors. Later that year, on November 11, they won their fourth Brazilian championship. They defeated Palmeiras 3–2. Striker Fred was the top scorer with 20 goals. Goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri had an amazing season.

A Close Call in 2013

In 2013, Fluminense was again eliminated in the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals. This time it was against Olimpia. In the Série A, things got worse. They lost six of their first nine matches. Coach Abel Braga was let go. Seven games without a loss in September helped the club move away from being moved down. But then they went eight games without a win. This put them back in danger. Key players like Deco, Fred, Thiago Neves, Carlinhos, and Wellington Nem were injured. In December 2013, Fluminense won 2–1 against Bahia in the last game. This meant they were mathematically moved down to Série B. However, other clubs, Portuguesa and Flamengo, used players who were not allowed to play. Because of this, they lost points. This allowed Fluminense to stay in Série A. Portuguesa was moved down instead.

Rebuilding the Team Since 2014

In 2014, Fluminense brought back Darío Conca, Walter, and Cícero. With Fred and Carlinhos 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 been a big investor for fifteen years. They helped sign many players like Darío Conca, Deco, Diego Cavalieri, Fred, Rafael Sóbis, Thiago Neves, and Washington. From 2015 onwards, Fluminense started to rebuild. Many 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, a young coach with new ideas. But he left due to problems within the club. The next year, the club brought back Fred, one of its biggest legends. In the 2020 season, they qualified for the Copa Libertadores.

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

Fábio

Nino

Felipe Melo

S. Xavier

Marcelo

André

M. 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 year after year. However, after coach Odair left, the club had trouble keeping a coach. Marcão, Roger Machado, and Abel Braga all took over. In 2022, Fluminense won the Campeonato Carioca against their rivals. 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 achieved its best result in the Brazilian Championship in ten years. They finished third. Their team was known for its attacking style and keeping the ball. This qualified them 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 game 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. They played against River Plate (Argentina), The Strongest (Bolivia), and Sporting Cristal (Peru). Despite this, Fluminense finished first. They gave River Plate their biggest defeat in the competition, winning 5–1 at Maracanã. In the later stages, they faced Argentinos Juniors, Olimpia (Paraguay), and Internacional. The team defeated all these opponents without losing a single game.

The Maracanã stadium was chosen for the final. Their opponent was Boca Juniors. Boca Juniors wanted to win the competition for the seventh time. This would make them tied with Independiente as the team with the most titles. In the final, striker Germán Cano scored first for Fluminense. But Luis Advíncula tied the game for Boca. The match went into extra time. Then, young player John Kennedy, who came from the youth team, scored the second goal. Fluminense won the match 2–1. They lifted the Copa Libertadores trophy for the first time! Winning the Copa Libertadores meant Fluminense played in the FIFA Club World Cup. They beat African champions Al Ahly from Egypt 2-0 in the semi-final. But they lost 4-0 in the final against Manchester City.

Fluminense's Records and Achievements

Highest Fan Attendances at Maracanã

Fluminense fans show a bright mosaic at Maracanã.

Fluminense supporters at the Maracanã

Here 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
• 4. Fluminense 0–0 Flamengo (1976): 155,116 people
• 5. Fluminense 1–0 Flamengo (1984): 153,520 people
• 6. Fluminense 1–1 Corinthians (1976): 146,043 people

Fluminense's Biggest Average Attendances

• Largest average attendance in the Copa Libertadores (Rio de Janeiro): 59,759 fans (2023)
• Largest average attendance in the Copa Sudamericana (Rio de Janeiro): 29,357 fans (2009)
• Largest average attendance in international tournaments (Rio de Janeiro): 48,797 fans (Copa Rio, 1952)
• Largest average attendance in national championships (Rio de Janeiro): 43,541 paying fans (1976)
• Largest average attendance in the Tournament Roberto Gomes Pedrosa (Rio de Janeiro): 40,408 paying fans (1970)
• Largest average attendance in the Brazil Cup (Rio de Janeiro): 27,123 paying fans (2007)
• Largest average attendance in the Rio-São Paulo Tournament (Rio de Janeiro): 33,018 paying fans (1960)
• Largest average attendance in the state championship: 47,814 paying fans (1969, all stages)
• Largest average attendance in the state championship at Maracanã Stadium: 93,560 paying fans (1969, 10 matches)

Who Supports Fluminense?

Map showing where most Fluminense supporters live.

Fluminense Football Club fans are often linked to the higher social classes in Rio de Janeiro. However, the club is popular far beyond the city. Recent surveys guess that between 1.3% and 3.7% of the Brazilian population supports Fluminense. This makes them one of the 11th to 15th most popular clubs in the country. They are behind Rio rivals Vasco, but a little more popular than Botafogo. With a population of 203 million people, this means between 2.6 and 7.5 million fans. The club's website says Fluminense has 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 Cartola, Chico Buarque, Elis Regina, Ivan Lins, Pixinguinha, Renato Russo, and Tom Jobim. Actors like Breno Mello, Chico Díaz, Dalton Vigh, Hugo Carvana, and Thiago Fragoso are fans. Actresses like Deborah Secco, Fernanda Torres, Leticia Spiller, and Sheron Menezzes also support the team. Other notable fans include poet Mário Lago, writer Nelson Rodrigues, architect Oscar Niemeyer, and FIFA president of honor João Havelange. Football legends Gérson and Carlos Alberto Torres (who won the 1970 FIFA World Cup) are fans. Current stars like Thiago Silva and Marcelo also support the club.

Fluminense's Trophies

The cup Fluminense won in the 1952 Copa Rio, displayed at the club's trophy room.

•      record
• ^s shared record

⁽¹⁾ In 1940, the competition was stopped with Fluminense and Flamengo in the lead. The CBD (Brazilian Football Confederation) did not officially confirm the title. However, the clubs and newspapers at the time saw the result as final. They declared Fluminense and Flamengo as the champions. The club now considers itself a champion of this competition.

Other Trophies and Awards

Inter-state

• Taça Ioduran (1): 1919

State

• Copa Rio (1): 1998
• Taça Guanabara (12): 1966, 1969, 1971, 1975, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1993, 2012, 2017, 2022, 2023
• Taça Rio (4): 1990, 2005, 2018, 2020
• Torneio Municipal (2): 1938, 1948
• Torneio Extra (1): 1941
• Torneio Aberto (1): 1935
• Other Campeonato Carioca rounds (6): 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1980, 2012
• Campeonato da Capital do Rio de Janeiro Copa Rio stage (1): 1994
• Torneio Início (9): 1916, 1924, 1925, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1954, 1956, 1965

Friendly Tournaments

• Torneio Internacional do Rio de Janeiro (1): 1973
• Copa Ciudad Viña del Mar (1): 1976
• Tournoi de Paris (2): 1976, 1987
• Teresa Herrera Trophy (1): 1977
• Seoul Tournament (1): 1984
• Kirin Cup (1): 1987
• Kiev Tournament (1): 1989

Awards

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

Timeline of Major Titles

The team that won its first Campeonato Carioca in 1906

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

Fluminense's trophy room at their headquarters

Information about the Rio–São Paulo Tournament in the Fluminense Trophy Room

Club Rivalries

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

Fluminense has strong rivalries with other clubs. The average number of paying fans at Fluminense's main derby matches at the Estádio do Maracanã is:

• 60,107 against Flamengo
• 43,735 against Vasco da Gama
• 34,359 against Botafogo
• 25,127 against America
• 22,527 against Bangu (from 1950-2010)

The 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 de Janeiro. This is also the oldest derby in Brazil. Their first game was on October 22, 1905, a friendly match that Fluminense won 6–0. These two clubs, along with five others, helped create the Carioca Football Championship in 1906.

The Fla-Flu Derby

The Fla-Flu Derby is also called the Derby of Crowds (Clássico das Multidões). It's played against Flamengo. Many football experts and sports media consider it one of the greatest derbies in the world. According to writer Nelson Rodrigues, the rivalry started from a feeling of unfairness. Fluminense players left to form Flamengo's football team. But Fluminense still won the first match. These events helped create the special feeling around the derby.

The Giants' Derby

The Giants' Derby (Clássico dos Gigantes) is played against Vasco da Gama. It got its name because of the many "giant" matches played between the two clubs. These include the final for the 1984 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, which Fluminense won. They also played in the 1985 Copa Libertadores, which had two tied games. They have also met in many Carioca Championship finals.

The Silvio Santos Derby

The Silvio Santos Derby (Clássico Silvio Santos) is played against Corinthians. This match is important because these clubs often play against each other in key moments of their seasons. The rivalry began in 1933. It was a friendly match that was Fluminense's first game as a professional team. It was also Corinthians' first inter-state match as a professional team.

The derby was named on August 17, 2024. It was named after the Brazilian TV host Silvio Santos, who passed away that day. He was a supporter of both clubs.

Key Player and Coach Statistics

Fluminense idols honored by the club (1902-2002)

Here are some interesting statistics and records for Fluminense.

Players with the Most Games

Name		Matches
1st	Castilho	699
2nd	Pinheiro	603
3rd	Telê Santana	556
4th	Altair	549
5th	Escurinho	490
6th	Rubens Galaxe	462
7th	Denílson	433
8th	Gum	414
9th	Assis	424
10th	Waldo	403

Top Goal Scorers

Waldo, a top scorer for Fluminense, playing against Barbosa from Vasco da Gama at the Maracanã Stadium.

Name		Goals	Years
1st	Waldo	319	1954–61
2nd	Fred	199	2009-16 / 2020-22
3rd	Orlando Pingo de Ouro	184	1945-55
4th	Hércules	165	1935–42
5th	Telê Santana	164	1950–61
6th	Henry Welfare	163	1913–23
7th	Russo	149	1933–44
8th	Preguinho	128	1925–39
9th	Washington César	124	1983–89
10th	Magno Alves	121	1998–2002 / 2015-2016

Coaches with the Most Games

Coaches featured at the Club Trophy Room

Name		Matches
1st	Zezé Moreira	467
2nd	Abel Braga	354
3rd	Ondino Viera	300
4th	Renato Gaúcho	202
5th	Fernando Diniz	183
6th	Tim	166
7th	Nelsinho Rosa	156
8th	Carlos Alberto Parreira	146
9th	Sylvio Pirillo	138
10th	Luís Vinhaes	137

Correct as of October 4, 2023

Fluminense's Stadiums

Laranjeiras Stadium

Laranjeiras Stadium in 1919

The Manoel Schwartz Stadium is better known as the Laranjeiras Stadium. It's also called the Álvaro Chaves Street Stadium, after the street where its main entrance is. This was where the Rio team played its games for many decades. However, for safety reasons and because so many fans wanted to attend, they no longer play big games there. They now play at Maracanã.

Flu's first game at Laranjeiras Stadium was a 4–1 win over Vila Isabel in 1919. The stadium opened in 1919 and could hold 18,000 people. By 1922, its capacity was increased to 25,000. Sometimes, even more people than its capacity were estimated to be at games.

The record for paying fans was on June 14, 1925. Fluminense beat Flamengo 3-1, and 25,718 fans paid for tickets.

Stained glass windows at Fluminense's headquarters

Today, Fluminense's main team does not play games at Laranjeiras Stadium. The club decided this because it no longer meets safety rules 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 Fluminense's main team at Laranjeiras Stadium was in 2003. Flu tied 3–3 with Americano in the Carioca Championship.

The club wants to renovate the stadium. But there are challenges. These include protecting the historical building, the small space for a modern stadium, and local residents who don't want a big stadium. The current plan is to make Laranjeiras better. The stadium will stay small. It will host games with fewer fans, like early state championship matches and women's football games.

Maracanã Stadium

The Maracanã was built for the 1950 World Cup. Since then, it has been the main home for the four biggest clubs in Rio de Janeiro. 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 Maracanã. They won the 1952 Copa Rio there. Many believe this was their most important title. They won their first Brazilian Championship in 1970. The Tricolor Machine won the Carioca championship twice (1975–76). They were led by Roberto Rivellino. They also won the Brazilian championship against their rival Vasco da Gama in 1984. They were Rio champions three times against Flamengo (1983–85). In 1995, they won the Carioca championship with Renato Gaúcho's famous "belly goal" against Romário's Flamengo. In this century, they won the 2007 Brazil's Cup and the 2023 Copa Libertadores.

After its 50th anniversary, 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 old stands were removed and replaced with new ones. The stadium's capacity was reduced to 78,838 seats.

From 2013, the stadium was managed by a company called Odebrecht. Because of problems with high costs and the stadium being neglected, Flamengo and Fluminense decided to manage it together. The clubs have kept the stadium in good condition since 2016. In 2019, the government ended its contracts with Odebrecht. Flamengo and Fluminense then created a joint company, "Fla-Flu S.A.", to manage Maracanã and its sports complex.

Fluminense supporters at the Maracanã Stadium during a match against Argentinos Juniors in the 2023 Copa Libertadores.

Images for kids

• 

  Fluminense home shirt (2022)

• 

  Fluminense reserve shirt (2022)

• 

  Fluminense alternative shirt (2022)