How Samuel Lino became Flamengo’s main man in Portugal

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Coluna do Fla

·11 July 2026

How Samuel Lino became Flamengo’s main man in Portugal

Samuel Lino became a standout player in Leonardo Jardim’s Flamengo

Coluna do Fla traveled to Portugal, more precisely to Algarve, to closely follow Flamengo’s mid-season training camp. In addition to the matches against River Plate (ARG), Lausanne (SUI), and Benfica (POR), the team also covered the day-to-day training sessions and activities. As a result, Samuel Lino’s performances during the period stood out.

In training, Samuel Lino always looked well connected and involved with his teammates. Later, in the matches, the number 16 shirt fully showed that he can be one of Flamengo’s main stars.

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How many goals and assists did Samuel Lino record in the mid-season camp?

Overall, Lino was involved in four goals across the three matches, scoring two and providing two assists. First, Flamengo drew 2-2 with River Plate. In that match, the number 16 scored and assisted Bruno Henrique for Flamengo’s second goal. Beyond the goal contributions, Lino was the most involved player while he was on the pitch.

In the last match, the Rubro-Negro beat Benfica 2-1, and Samuel Lino delivered again. The forward opened the scoring and, late on, provided the assist for Wallace Yan’s goal, which sealed Flamengo’s win.

His goal contributions were not the only good news for Lino in Portugal. After all, the player established himself as one of the main figures in Leonardo Jardim’s team. With Fla missing Arrascaeta and Paquetá, Samuel Lino played in a more central area of the pitch and showed the coaching staff a strong tactical alternative.

Shining under Jardim is nothing new

Since Leonardo Jardim arrived, Samuel Lino has changed roles and started putting up better numbers at Flamengo. The player himself has already spoken about the adjustments the Portuguese coach made to maximize his qualities.

“With Filipe Luís I played wider, and sometimes it was more difficult. With Leonardo Jardim, he gives me freedom. It’s a style of play I identify with more. I’m feeling good in this run, and I hope to keep helping Flamengo.”

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Simon Lédo, a sports journalist for Coluna do Fla who attended all of Flamengo’s matches in the Algarve Trophy, gave his opinion on Lino’s strong form:

“Samuel Lino showed that he can be one of Flamengo’s main stars. Without Arrascaeta and Paquetá, he took responsibility for creating the team’s main chances. And not just from the left: Lino showed up in every area. The player keeps proving that he still has more room to grow under Leonardo Jardim, and Flamengo has a lot to gain from that.”

What is Flamengo’s next match?

After beating Benfica 2-1 in Portugal, Flamengo returns to Brazil and already has another friendly scheduled. The Rubro-Negro will face Olimpia (PAR) next Friday (17). It is worth noting that this match will be the team’s final commitment before returning to Brasileirão action.

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