Flamengo

Founded in 1895 as a rowing club, Flamengo added football in 1911 and never looked back. The club became the most supported in Brazil and built a golden era in the late 1970s and early 1980s under the legendary Zico, winning the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in 1981. That generation — with Zico at its heart — is still spoken of with reverence across Brazilian football.

After decades of near-misses, Flamengo entered a new golden era from 2019 onwards. Under Jorge Jesus, they won the Campeonato Brasileiro and Copa Libertadores in the same season — their first continental title in 38 years — sparking extraordinary celebrations across Rio. They retained the Libertadores in 2022, cementing their status as the dominant force in South American club football and a global phenomenon with over 25 million Instagram followers.

The red and black horizontal hoops of Flamengo are among the most iconic in world football. Adopted in the early 20th century, the Rubro-Negro colours — red and black — have become synonymous with passion, flair, and Brazilian football at its most expressive. The hooped shirt is instantly recognisable from Rio to Tokyo, worn with enormous pride by tens of millions of supporters worldwide.

Adidas have been Flamengo's kit manufacturer in recent years, producing some of the most celebrated kits in South American football. The home shirt's bold horizontal stripes remain unchanged in spirit from the original design, while away kits have often featured white or black as a base. Every Flamengo kit carries the weight of a fanbase that is not just the biggest in Brazil — but one of the biggest on earth.