Flamengo v Palmeiras: clubs challenge market, poach European stars | OneFootball

Flamengo and Palmeiras are set for another important clash at a decisive moment in the season. The match kicks off this Sunday at 4 PM (Brasília time) at Maracanã, for the 29th round of the Brazilian Championship. However, the teams have not only been battling on the field in recent years.

Financially well-structured, Flamengo and Palmeiras engage in intense transfer battles – this happened, for example, between June and July this year, during the FIFA Club World Cup. The two Brazilian clubs have been challenging the European hegemony in the football market and have been ‘snatching’ players from major European teams.

Flamengo attentive to the European market

This season, Flamengo has been attentive to the market and invested in reinforcements from European football. Six players signed by the club in 2025 came after stints in Europe: midfielders Jorginho, Carrascal, and Saul, defenders Emerson Royal and Danilo, and forward Samuel Lino.

Of these, three were signed for free, with only salaries and bonuses paid by Flamengo: Jorginho terminated with Arsenal, while Danilo did not renew with Juventus – the same happened with Saul, who left Atlético de Madrid after his contract ended.

On the other hand, Flamengo had to shell out high amounts (by Brazilian football standards) to secure Jorge Carrascal, Emerson Royal, and Samuel Lino. The Colombian was acquired from Dynamo Moscow for about 12 million euros (R$ 77 million at the time's exchange rate). Meanwhile, the full-back was signed from Milan for 9 million euros (R$ 58.5 million).

Samuel Lino came from Atlético de Madrid and was permanently signed by Flamengo (Photo: Gilvan de Souza/Flamengo)

Samuel Lino, in turn, was Flamengo's most expensive transfer this season. The forward had a contract with Atlético de Madrid until June 2027 and cost 22 million euros (R$ 143 million) to the Rio club, signing a deal until 2029.

Flamengo has not only recently been ‘snatching’ players with European club experience. In 2024, for example, the management brought in players like Alex Sandro, who was free on the market after leaving Juventus. Additionally, they invested in players like Varela (initially signed on loan from Dynamo Moscow) and Viña, who came from Roma.

There are also cases of players who have already left the club. Gerson is an example. He was bought from Olympique de Marseille and returned to Flamengo in 2023, but was transferred to Zenit this year. Another to mention is Alcaraz, who came from Southampton and cost about 19 million euros (R$ 117 million at the time's exchange rate), but was sold to Everton also this season.

Palmeiras keeps up

On the other side of the clash, Palmeiras is also keeping up. This season, the Alviverde management heavily invested in seven signings from Europe to strengthen coach Abel Ferreira's squad. Joining the club were: goalkeeper Carlos Miguel, full-backs Khellven and Jefté, midfielders Andreas Pereira and Emiliano Martínez, and forwards Ramón Sosa and Vitor Roque.

The most expensive ‘European’ signings that arrived with the highest expectations from the fans were three: Vitor Roque, Andreas Pereira, and Ramón Sosa. The first to be signed was the ‘Tigrinho’. After a long saga involving Barcelona and Real Betis (the club he was loaned to), Palmeiras reached an agreement with the Catalan team to bring the forward for a sum of 25.5 million euros (R$ 154 million at the time's exchange rate).

Signed from Barcelona, Vitor Roque has been shining at Palmeiras (Photo: Cesar Greco/Palmeiras)

In this second transfer window, Palmeiras signed midfielder Andreas Pereira from Fulham for 10 million euros (R$ 63.2 million), as well as forward Ramón Sosa, who came from Nottingham Forest for 12.5 million euros (R$ 89 million).

The other players, in turn, were signed for less significant amounts, but still draw attention for Brazilian football standards. Today the third goalkeeper for Palmeiras, Carlos Miguel, for example, cost 5.5 million euros (R$ 34.7 million) to the Verdão's coffers. Meanwhile, Khellven, a starter for the team, was bought from CSKA Moscow for 5 million euros (R$ 32 million).

Palmeiras also has a history of signing players from Europe. Felipe Anderson, for example, signed a pre-contract with the São Paulo club in April 2024. The forward's contract with Lazio ended in July that year, when he joined the Alviverde team.

Clubs are also showcases for Europe

Flamengo and Palmeiras are also showcases and sell various players to European football. Both clubs are financially well-structured and can negotiate values they believe are fair for player departures, which further enhances their assets.

An example at Flamengo is the young Wesley. The 22-year-old right-back increased his value and was even called up to the Brazilian National Team. Not surprisingly, he was sold for 25 million euros (about R$ 163 million) and includes another five million (R$ 32 million) in achieved targets.

Meanwhile, Palmeiras has two recent deals that stand out: the sales of Richard Ríos to Benfica for 30 million euros (R$ 194 million), and Estêvão, a gem from the Alviverde academy negotiated with Chelsea for an amount that could reach 61.5 million euros (R$ 358 million).

Players with stints at Flamengo and Palmeiras

From the current squads, two players with European football experience have played for both Palmeiras and Flamengo. Midfielder Andreas Pereira and left-back Matías Viña have taken opposite paths and are now on opposite sides.

Andreas Pereira played for Flamengo between 2021 and 2022 and is remembered for his mistake in the 2021 Libertadores final, which gave the title to Palmeiras. He has been wearing the Verdão jersey since September this year. Viña, on the other hand, joined the Alviverde in 2020 and was sold in 2021. In 2024, he was announced as a reinforcement for the Rio club.

Decision atmosphere: the situation of the clash

Palmeiras is the leader of the Brazilian Championship, in isolation, with 61 points. The team led by coach Abel Ferreira won its last two matches, including a postponed fixture, and took the lead from Flamengo. The Rio club is the runner-up, with 58 points.

The match is considered an “early final” of the Brasileirão. However, Verdão has the lead guaranteed for at least one more round. If they lose, the São Paulo team remains at the top because they have two more victories than the Rio team. If they win, they extend their lead.

Details of Flamengo vs. Palmeiras

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