Bap unfazed by criticism, outlines Flamengo ‘Real Madrid of Americas’ plan | OneFootball

Why does Bap want to turn Flamengo into the Real Madrid (ESP) of the Americas?

President of Flamengo, Luiz Eduardo Baptista has a bold goal for the club’s future. That is because Bap wants to turn the Rubro-Negro into the ‘Real Madrid (ESP) of the Americas.’ Thus, Fla’s president pushed back against the criticism and explained the comparison.

— Nonsense. People think it’s arrogance. It isn’t. It’s about following the example of a club that never denied its roots, kept reinventing itself over the decades without ever losing its relevance. (Flamengo) grew without selling itself out, monetized its strengths, on and off the pitch. We live in an era with little depth, so these shallow comments have no impact here -, he said, before concluding:

— We want to be the Real Madrid of the Americas. It’s not arrogance; it’s an implicit compliment to what Real has managed to build. They live in a different commercial and financial reality, but Flamengo is taking its steps in Brazil, in the region where we operate. And things change in the world. Who knows where we’ll be in 10 years? Dreaming big or small costs the same -, Bap concluded, to ‘Uol’.

What was Flamengo’s revenue in 2025?

One of Flamengo’s goals is to reach Real Madrid’s financial level, a mission that Fla is already moving toward. After all, in the 2025 season, the Rubro-Negro posted gross operating revenue of R$ 2 billion, the highest in the history of Brazilian football.

However, the goal is to move forward ‘one step’ at a time. According to Bap, the idea is to reach R$ 3 billion by 2030. Flamengo’s recent revenue growth shows that the dream is not so impossible after all. That is because, in 2021, Fla managed to break the one-billion mark for the first time and, four years later, the club reached R$ 2 billion.

What is Flamengo’s plan?

At the moment, Flamengo’s squad is enjoying its vacation due to the break in the calendar because of the World Cup. Flamengo’s next match in 2026 is scheduled for July 22, against Chapecoense, in the 19th round of the Brasileirão.

Before that, however, Flamengo will hold a preseason training camp in Portugal, including three friendlies. Thus, on Portuguese soil, the Rubro-Negro will face Falkirk (SCO), Birmingham (ENG), and Benfica (POR).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.