Flamengo and Palmeiras on similar runs after 26 rounds v 2025 Brasileirão | OneFootball

Rubro-Negro took the lead after beating Remo and moved back ahead of Palmeiras, just like in the 2025 title-winning campaign

Flamengo and Palmeiras are once again at the center of a fierce battle for the top spot in the Brazilian Championship. On top of that, the numbers after 26 rounds in 2026 stand out because of how similar they are to last season’s scenario. After all, in 2025, the two clubs had also reached this stage of the competition practically side by side in the table.

In the current edition, Flamengo has 54 points, while Palmeiras has 53. Therefore, only one point separates the two main title contenders right now. In 2025, on the other hand, the gap was even smaller: after 26 rounds, the rivals were tied on 55 points each.

FLAMENGO RECLAIMS THE LEAD

Last Sunday (06), Flamengo did its job and returned to the top of the table. At Mangueirão, in Belém, Rubro-Negro beat Remo 1-0 and reached 54 points. The game’s goal was scored by forward Samuel Lino.

With the result, the team led by Rubro-Negro head coach Leonardo Jardim took advantage of its main rival’s slip-up to take over first place. That is because Palmeiras later took the field against Botafogo and failed to win.

At Engenhão, the teams played to a 0-0 draw. As a result, Palmeiras moved to 53 points and lost the lead to Flamengo. In this way, Rubro-Negro begins another week in first place in the Brasileirão. However, the advantage is still minimal and keeps the title race completely open.

THE SCENARIO REPEATS ITSELF COMPARED TO 2025

The closeness between Flamengo and Palmeiras is not happening only in 2026. Last season, the two clubs also posted very similar numbers after 26 rounds.

At that point, both had 55 points. Later, Palmeiras and Flamengo traded places in the table as the title race intensified down the stretch. In the end, Rubro-Negro came out on top. Flamengo maintained its consistency in the decisive rounds and finished 2025 as Brazilian champion.

AUTHOR’S OPINION

— For the more superstitious fan, what has been happening in the 2026 Brasileirão is exciting for Rubro-Negro supporters. Just like last year, Palmeiras has been losing momentum at this point in the season. On top of that, the São Paulo club’s coach, Abel Ferreira, has started resorting to ‘mind games,’ which did not work, with statements that shift responsibility away from his team. Let’s see whether the ending will be the same as in 2025 —, opined Pedro Paulo Catonho, journalist at Coluna do Fla.

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