The first opponents at the CWC: Fluminense in portrait | OneFootball

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Player in focus

On the evening of 7 June 2024, 55,000 people gathered at the legendary Maracanã Stadium. The return of the prodigal son and world-class defender Thiago Silva was celebrated with a spectacular light show and fireworks. Never before had so many fans come to a stadium in Brazil for the presentation of a footballer. The then 39-year-old centre-back was back at his boyhood club after more than 15 years in Europe. The celebrations were fitting. The presence of tens of thousands of fans at Thiago Silva's presentation was a testament not only to his star power, but also to that of his club.

Alongside former world star Thiago Silva, there is a familiar face from the Bundesliga in the Fluminense squad: Renato Augusto. The central midfielder is now 37 years old and returned to his hometown of Rio just over a year ago. However, his footballing upbringing was at city rivals Flamengo, where he played in the youth team and took his first steps in professional football. In the summer of 2008, at the age of 20, he made the move to Europe and signed for Bayer Leverkusen. He made his Bundesliga debut – how could it be otherwise – against BVB. More than a decade after Renato Augusto's last encounter with Borussia, the two are now set to meet again.

About the club

The Rio de Janeiro club, the oldest in the metropolis and winner of the 2023 Copa Libertadores, find themselves in the middle of the Brazilian domestic season at the time of the Club World Cup – the league matches that were scheduled during the FIFA tournament have been postponed.

Fluminense are not the only historic club in Rio de Janeiro. Botafogo, Flamengo and Vasco da Gama are three other heavyweights from the metropolis playing in the Brazilian first division. City rivals Botafogo and Flamengo are also competing in the Club World Cup. Like Fluminense, they qualified for the tournament thanks to their victories in the Copa Libertadores – the South American equivalent of the UEFA Champions League. Although Fluminense recently celebrated a major success in 2023 with their first ever Copa Libertadores title, the club are no longer among the top teams in the domestic league, having not won a league title since 2012 and only finishing in the top three once in the past ten years. In their only previous appearance in the Club World Cup, in 2023, Fluminense reached the final, ultimately losing 4-0 to Manchester City.