The redemption of football in Rio: Club World Cup shows off power of Brazilian city

The Club World Cup is taking place in the United States, but this is also a tournament for Rio de Janeiro. The ‘Marvellous City’ is the only one to have three representatives in the competition.

It’s a vibrant landmark for the place with its breathtaking views and also a symbol of redemption for its clubs, which in the not-so-distant past were plagued by difficult situations. 

Botafogo, the reigning Copa Libertadores champions, have transformed themselves after the advent of the SAF and their purchase by American businessman John Textor.

Flamengo became an economic powerhouse after debts of over R$750 million, while Fluminense ‘survived’ the end of a 15-year partnership with Unimed.

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There was a time when many treated football in Rio de Janeiro as bankrupt. But this phase has changed to the extent that the Spanish daily AS, for example, will treat the city during the Club World Cup as the football capital of the world.

Aerial view of the Maracanã, the home of Rio footballFABIO TEIXEIRA / ANADOLU / Anadolu via AFP

Flashscore follows this story of the redemption of Rio’s three representatives at the World Cup.

A change of attitude

Before 2013, Flamengo, which has the largest fan base in the country, always lived with a nagging ‘what if?’ in the back of its mind: “What if the club with the biggest revenue potential in Brazil got organised, what could happen?”. Well, it happened.

Flamengo’s debt at the end of 2012 was R$737 million, of which R$400 million was related to tax debts. Under the management of Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, the red-and-black club began to develop plans to restructure its situation.

Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, former president of FlamengoDivulgação

And the process became a success story in the country, with the debt already down to R$660 million in the 2013/14 season, and the club also buoyed by an exponential growth in the fan membership programme, which jumped from R$25 million in 2012 to R$83 million the following campaign.

Year after year, Flamengo took successful steps to change, and the initial austerity gave way to bolder moves in the market, as the team became financially balanced.

Furthermore, in 2017, the team bore great fruit: Vinicius Junior. The young talent of Ninho do Urubu was sold to Real Madrid for 45 million euros, another definitive step towards boosting Flamengo’s finances, which began to combine administrative success with results on the pitch.

Gabigol, one of the symbols of Flamengo’s recent golden eraCRIS BOURONCLE / AFP

With a turnover of more than R$1 billion and two Libertadores in four editions, as well as Brasileirao and Copa do Brasil titles in the same period, then president Rodolfo Landim’s Flamengo went to another level in 2022. 

It has been rare for the team to go unbeaten in a season since then, something that even happened in 2023, but was repeated last year with the Carioca and Copa do Brasil triumphs, the latter already under former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid full-back Filipe Luis and which also represented the end of the Gabigol (Gabriel Batistuta) era at the club.

“My greatest pride is to see Flamengo being an example on and off the pitch. I hope there’s no legacy. I hope it’s the start of a phase that will last for many years. A legacy is when it started and ended. I hope these moments never end,” said Luiz Eduardo Baptista, BAP, Flamengo’s current president.

Flamengo’s fans are also an asset in this process of changing the teamRafael Ribeiro/CBF

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There’s life after the break-up

In 2014, Brazilian football saw the break-up of one of the country’s most successful partnerships: the relationship between Fluminense and health insurance provider Unimed.

During their time together, the partners reaped rewards such as signing great players and winning three national titles (Copa do Brasil in 2007 and Brasileiro in 2010 and 2012).

The arrival of Unimed represented an important moment of redemption for Fluminense, which in 1999 was languishing in Serie C.

Over the years, the agreement became prolific and led to the arrival of names such as Romario, Edmundo, Ramon, Roger, Fred, Deco, Conca, Washington, Thiago Neves, Diego Cavalieri and others.

2012 Brazilian champions Fluminense, still in partnership with UnimedANTONIO SCORZA / AFP

But as time went by, the sponsor began to face serious financial problems. Divorce became the only viable course of action. Many said that Fluminense wouldn’t be able to sustain itself after the break-up and that it would return to the problematic stage of the late 1990s.

But with the arrival of President Mario Bittencourt, the Tricolour remained on an even keel and reached ‘eternal glory’ in 2023, when it won the first Libertadores in its history by beating Boca Juniors at the Maracana. 

In a recent balance sheet, Fluminense announced that it had the highest operating revenue in its history – R$684 million – an increase of 174% compared to 2019. It was the third consecutive year of positive financial results.

Arias with the Libertadores trophyLUCAS MERÇON / FLUMINENSE F.C.

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A light at the end of the tunnel

Being at the Club World Cup is a treat for Botafogo fans. Exactly four years ago, the Glorioso were struggling in Serie B of the Brasileirao, and the scenario was one of complete uncertainty, with huge debts and even the risk of bankruptcy.

But the advent of SAF and the arrival of US investor John Textor changed Glorioso’s history forever. 

In 2022, with heavy investment, the team returned to the top flight with 11th place in the table, returning to the international stage with qualification for the Copa Sudamericana. But Botafogo wanted more.

Joel Carli’s Botafogo in Serie B 2021JORGE RODRIGUES / AGIF / AGIF via AFP

The following year, after winning the Rio Cup, the team embarked on a journey of illusion and expectation in the Brasileirao, where they flirted with the trophy, but ran out of steam in the final stretch, falling to fifth place and seeing Palmeiras snatch the national title.

But Botafogo knew how to wait for their turn. In 2024, the team turned things around, dominating the Brasileirao and winning the Libertadores, a trophy that gave them an entry ticket to the Club World Cup in the United States, as well as the intercontinental title at the end of last season.

Botafogo lift the Copa Libertadores trophyVítor Silva/Botafogo

Follow Botafogo vs Seattle Sounders live on Flashscore

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