“In 1912, the first classic in the history of Brazilian football was played, the first Fla-Flu. Fluminense beat Flamengo 3-2.
Flamengo had been born shortly before for football life. It came from a fracture in the Fluminense club, which split in two after much confusion and many sounds of war and cries of childbirth. Later, the father regretted not having drowned that rebellious and mocking son in his cradle, but there was nothing he could do: the Fluminense had generated his own curse, and the misfortune had no remedy.
Since then, father and son, rebellious son, abandoned father, have dedicated themselves to hating each other. Each Fla-Flu classic is a new battle in this endless war. They both love the same city, Rio de Janeiro, lazy, sinful, that languidly lets itself be loved and has fun offering itself to both without giving itself to anyone. Father and son play for the lover who plays with them. They fight for her, and she goes to the duels dressed as a party".
This is how maestro Eduardo Galeano described in the book Football in Sun and Shadow the greatest rivalry in Rio de Janeiro, the classic Fla-Flu, the duel between Flamengo and Fluminense.
The biggest show in Rio
On July 21, 1902, Oscar Cox, a Brazilian of British ancestry established in the aristocratic neighborhood of Laranjeiras, founded the Fluminense Football Club, the first club with the purpose of playing exclusively football and, considered the dean of the great clubs in Brazil. The Clube de Regatas do Flamengo had already existed since 1895, but its athletes were only dedicated to rowing, as they did not yet have a football section. As Galeano points out, in 1911, a group of footballers from Fluminense, confronted with the management of the tricolor club, decided to go out and found the football section in that rowing club called Flamengo. They didn't know it, but they had just divided Rio into two great passions (with the permission of Vasco da Gama and Botafogo, which also raise hearts in the Rio city).
Their first confrontation was already extremely intense: "It was a lively and violent match, which caused numerous fainting among the public. The box was overflowing with flowers, fruits, feathers, ladies and gentlemen. While the gentlemen celebrated each goal by throwing their straw hats into the playing field, the ladies dropped their fans and fainted, due to the excitement of the goal or the stress of the heat and the corset". Galeano reminds us in his writings.
And since that confrontation that Fluminense won 3-2, there has not been a classic between these two teams from Rio that has not been experienced to the fullest, what's more, the classic between Flamengo and Fluminense records the world record for audience attendance for a match football between clubs; On December 15, 1963, Flamengo was crowned champion of the Rio tournament after drawing 0-0 against Fluminense before 194,603 spectators at the Maracaná stadium.
The classic Fla-Flu continues to draw crowds to the stands almost 500 duels later. Stands populated by followers of Mengao (Flamengo) historically identified with the popular classes of Rio, and also by the great social mass of Flamengo, linked since its origin to the upper class of the city.
The Present
Flamengo and Fluminense are the two great dominators of the Carioca championship, where they face each other again every season. An old championship, won 37 times by Flamengo and 33 by Fluminense, and where the top historical scorers are men of the stature of Roberto Dinamita, Zico and Romario.
Football Host can take you to the stands of the Maracaná temple, to live the Fla-Flu experience from the inside, together with a local host, a Flamengo fan who will tell you the history of this classic, the anecdotes and peculiarities of a duel loaded with a lot of history. In addition, it will update you on the main footballers of each team, since you already know that Brazil is a great talent pool, and in the ranks of both teams there is always some diamond to polish.
The best way to buy Fla-Flu tickets: the experience with a Flamengo host
In Rio, We have the best guide for your visit to Maracanã Stadium. Our host Raphael offers a superb experience to enjoy the Flamengo vs Fluminense classic in the most authentic way. Start off with a barbecue with Flamengo's torcida, and don't worry about a thing—Raphael will bring the tickets on match day. Just enjoy a match about which great football stories have been written, one of the best duels on the planet, the one that divides Rio de Janeiro in two halves. The city will be celebrating. Maracanã awaits you.
