The biggest hoodoos in Brazil's regional derbies | OneFootball

The rivalry between clubs from the same state is fueled mainly by the results achieved on the pitch. When a team goes a long time without beating its rival, it creates an uncomfortable situation, even if the side is doing well in the competition in question. Currently, there are several examples of long streaks in regional derbies, the main one being in Recife, with Santa Cruz having failed to beat rival Náutico since March 2020.

Vasco have not beaten Flamengo since 2023

Next in the ranking, the second-longest drought is in Rio de Janeiro: Vasco have not defeated Flamengo since March 2023, which also reflects the different financial situations of the two clubs. Completing the top 3, Ceará, in turn, have gone since April 2023 without losing to Fortaleza — a streak that remained intact after the 1-1 draw last Sunday (13) in Série B.

Ceará’s Clássico-Rei

In the case of Ceará’s Clássico-Rei, there are records of a Fortaleza win over Ceará on November 24, 2024, by 3-1, in the Taça Fares Lopes, a professional competition organized by the Ceará State Football Federation (FCF). The match, however, is not included in the Clássico-Rei streak count because neither team used its first-choice squad in the competition.

For the streak to continue, one detail that stands out is the influence of Ceará’s youth academy: Melk, a product of Ceará’s academy and one of the team’s main players this season with 8 goals and 8 assists, was one of the standout performers in two results this year: he scored the equalizer in last weekend’s Clássico-Rei and also recorded a goal and an assist in the 2-1 win in May, also in Série B.

Throughout the streak, the black-and-white club has also counted on the performances of players promoted from the youth ranks, such as David Ricardo, a regular presence in previous seasons, and, more recently, names like Giulio (transferred this year to Viborg of Denmark) and Enzo Valentim Lodovico, a starter in the most recent clash.

With a standout youth development project, Ceará have this year included more than a dozen academy products in the professional squad, a mark that reinforces how homegrown players have been helping on the pitch. The youth academy project, in fact, has gained recognition for historic results and new methodologies.

This year, the club reached the final of the Brasileirão B U-20 for the first time, finishing as runners-up, and also had its best-ever Copinha campaign by reaching the quarter-finals. The methodology used also stands out for including individual development plans for the players and projects such as “Formando Dribladores,” launched in July with the aim of encouraging the development of creativity, courage and young players’ ability to change matches through dribbling.

Check below the longest unbeaten streaks in state derbies across Brazil:

1. Santa Cruz x Náutico – Santa Cruz’s last win on 03/01/2020 2. Vasco x Flamengo – Vasco’s last win on 03/05/2023 3. Ceará x Fortaleza – Fortaleza’s last win on 04/01/2023 4. Palmeiras x São Paulo – São Paulo’s last win on 07/13/2023 5. Botafogo x Fluminense – Botafogo’s last win on 04/26/2025 6. Corinthians x Palmeiras – Corinthians’ last win on 08/06/2025 7. Santos x São Paulo – Santos’ last win on 09/21/2025 8. Bahia x Vitória – Vitória’s last win on 10/16/2025 9. Palmeiras x Santos – Santos’ last win on 11/15/2025 10. Sport x Náutico – Náutico’s last win on 01/18/2026

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