Gilvan de Souza on being Gilvan do Flamengo and the photos that defined a decade | OneFootball

After more than 10 years behind Flamengo's lens, club photographer Gilvan de Souza, known as Gilvan do Flamengo, reflects on his journey and the pictures that defined it, while hoping to witness another Libertadores success.

According to Globo.com, he marked World Photography Day at Ninho do Urubu, noting how people now link him to the club despite life behind the camera.

He joined in 2014. His debut, against León at the Maracanã, ended in Libertadores elimination, then came relief as Márcio Araújo struck at 45 minutes of the second half to seal the Carioca title against Vasco.

Absent in 2019, he shot for Jornal O Dia and produced a bus-to-Lima image he sees as summing up that year for Flamengo fans, complete with a flag and a resonant backdrop line.

His own Libertadores arrived in 2022, when Gabigol hit the only goal against Athletico-PR in Guayaquil. Using a slower body, around 5 frames per second versus 40 today, he credited fortune, though the frame became emblematic.

The 2025 final moved him most, with Danilo rising above the Palmeiras defence for the decider, a shot he later gifted to the centre-back. A celebration image, enhanced by Andreas Pereira blurred in front, also gained special meaning.

Now in 2026, with Cruzeiro next in the Libertadores round of 16, he avoids predictions. He focuses on human and emotional detail on and off the pitch, striving to capture the decisive image, whoever scores it.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”