Fla–Flu

Fla–Flu (a truncation of Flamengo–Fluminense) is an association football derby between Flamengo and Fluminense, considered one of the biggest rivalries in Brazilian football. Their matches usually take place at the famous Maracanã Stadium, located near downtown Rio de Janeiro, in the Maracanã district. The Fla–Flu holds the world's record football match attendance of 194,603 people in a 1963 derby.
The name "Fla–Flu" was created by the journalist Mário Filho during the professionalization of Rio de Janeiro's football.
Flamengo is the most successful team in the Campeonato Carioca, with 38 titles, while Fluminense is the second, with 33. At a national level, Flamengo has won the Campeonato Brasileiro seven times and the Copa do Brasil five times, while Fluminense has four Campeonato Brasileiro titles and has won the Cup once. Flamengo has won three Copa Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup, whereas Fluminense has won the Copa Libertadores once and also the Copa Rio once, which it claims to be equivalent to a club's world cup tournament. Fluminense is the only football team in the world that holds the IOC's Olympic Cup ("Coupe Olympique" or "Taça Olímpica"), a non-competitive award for distinguished service in upholding the ideals of the Olympic Movement and to recognise the particular merits of institutions or associations and their services rendered to sport, conquered in 1949.
The rivalry between these two clubs began in October 1911, when a group of dissatisfied players from Fluminense left the club, and went to Flamengo, which at the time had no football department. The first Fla–Flu ever was played the following year, on July 7, 1912, at Laranjeiras stadium. Fluminense won this match 3–2, with 800 people in attendance.
The Fla–Flu matches are mentioned in Lamartine Babo's unofficial, but very popular, Flamengo anthem composed in 1942.
On November 23, 1941, Flamengo and Fluminense disputed the Campeonato Carioca final, at Gávea Stadium. As the stadium is located in Lagoa neighborhood, the match was nicknamed Lagoa's Fla-Flu. The first half of the match ended 2–1 to Fluminense. Flamengo's Pirillo scored a goal in the 39th minute of the second half of the match, but Fluminense only needed a draw in the match, and won the competition. 15,312 people watched the match.
In 1991, the Campeonato Carioca final was again disputed between Flamengo and Fluminense. The first leg, played on December 13, ended in a 1–1 draw. In the second leg, played on December 19, Flamengo beat Fluminense 4–2. The Flamengo goals were scored by Uidemar, Gaúcho, Zinho and Júnior. Both Fluminense goals were scored by Ézio. Flamengo's Gaúcho was the top goalscorer of that competition.
In the Campeonato Carioca history, Fluminense beat Flamengo to the title in 1919, 1936, 1941, 1969, 1973, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2022 and 2023. Flamengo beat Fluminense in 1963, 1972, 1991, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2025. The Cariocão had many formats over the years. However, there is disagreement in the decision criterion on the 1919, 1969 and 1983 championships, won by Fluminense. Discussion that gained strength among Flamengo fans in early 2021, days before the 2021 Carioca Football Championship final, when Flamengo had the chance to pass Fluminense with this new criterion.
One of the most famous matches between the two clubs was the 1995 Campeonato Carioca final stage match, played on June 25 of that year at Maracanã stadium. In this match, Fluminense's Renato Gaúcho scored a belly goal, and his team won the match 3–2. Fluminense finished the stage with 33 points, winning the title, and Flamengo finished one point behind its rival, losing the championship in the year of its centenary.
The 2004 Campeonato Carioca had two matches played between Flamengo and Fluminense. On February 1, Flamengo won by 4–3, after Fluminense had been 3–1 up at half-time. On February 21, Flamengo defeated Fluminense 3–2, which gave Flamengo the Taça Guanabara title of that year.
The Fla–Flu rivalry is one of the most fiery and passionate football rivalries in the world. This deeply rooted rivalry is a microcosm of the socio-economic backgrounds and class divisions that have molded the city’s history. Fluminense was founded in 1902 by the elites of Rio de Janeiro and historically drew fans from Rio’s upper and middle classes. Flamengo, on the other hand, was founded as a rowing club originally and emerged as the club of the working class as football fever was spreading in the early 20th century. One hundred years later, the class distinction evolved in the city, but it remains a critical component of the rivalry’s cultural and social significance.
Looking past the local context, the Fla–Flu rivalry has drawn international adoration for the sheer scale of passion and skill that is on display. Legendary Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano gave Brazilian football the moniker; “the heartbeat of society," and the fixture encapsulates this with an explosive atmosphere and years of historic moments. Matches between Flamengo and Fluminense regularly draws in sold-out crowds, with the Maracanã Stadium being home to several record-breaking attendances. One of these being the iconic 1963 clash that had a staggering crowd of over 194,000 fans. The global attention towards the rivalry has been increasingly bolstered in the recent decades through global broadcasting as well as the increased influence Brazilian players have on Europe.
As previously mentioned, the Fla–Flu rivalry reflects the broader socio-economic fabric of Rio. Kirk Bowman, a sports and politics scholar, stated that football is a unifying force and a warzone for social and political strife. During the military dictatorship of Brazil (1964-1985), football was used for propaganda, with the working-class Flamengo supporters subjugated to harsher standards of living compared to Fluminense’s due to their historical association with the city’s elite. In this instance, the regime capitalized on Flamengo's success during that period to foster national unity and pride and shift the focus away from the vast inequality. A critical point to note is that as Brazilian society has evolved to become less rigid and more economically fluid, fan demographics have evolved as well, blurring some of these historical lines.
Additionally, the Fla–Flu reflects the current urban shifts happening in Rio, with the spread of Favelas and rapid gentrification of some neighborhoods influencing and diversifying many fanbases in Latin America. More than a football match, the Fla–Flu is a living symbol of Rio’s divides, constantly evolving alongside the city.
Numerous short-lived official tournaments held by the Rio football federation and other local entities.
Flamengo considers the Copa União as a Campeonato Brasileiro but, although the Copa União is considered an official title, it is not officially considered a Campeonato Brasileiro. That makes Flamengo officially have 7 Campeonato Brasileiro.
In 1940 the competition was interrupted with Flamengo and Fluminense in the lead, without the CBD making the title official, however, the clubs and newspapers at the time considered the result definitive and declared the Flamengo and Fluminense as the legitimate champions of the competition. Both clubs currently consider themselves champions of the competition and include this title among their achievements.