Ex-Flamengo denies bad blood after exit, recalls facing Ronaldo: “A dream”

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Coluna do Fla

·23 giugno 2026

Ex-Flamengo denies bad blood after exit, recalls facing Ronaldo: “A dream”

Matheus Gonçalves left Flamengo in September 2025

Developed through Flamengo’s youth academy, Matheus Gonçalves was considered one of the club’s new prospects. Even so, the player was unable to establish himself in the senior team and left Fla in 2025. Now at Al-Ahli (SAU), the youngster denied having any hard feelings toward the Rubro-Negro.

— I am very grateful to Flamengo and I will always have affection and admiration for the club. It was the place that gave me the conditions to become a professional, to pursue my biggest dream, and gave me all the support so I could get to where I am today. I still receive affection from Flamengo fans to this day, when I meet them on the streets or through social media -, he said, before concluding:

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— We know the quality of Flamengo’s squad, the quality of the stars who play for the club, so I think that weighed in the end. I believe I was ready to play more regularly, I have a lot of confidence in my potential, but that is all in the past. I have absolutely no hard feelings at all—quite the opposite, only gratitude to Flamengo for everything it did in my life and for making it possible for me to be where I am -, he concluded.

Did Matheus Gonçalves face Cristiano Ronaldo?

Playing in Saudi football, Matheus Gonçalves fulfilled a career dream: sharing the pitch with Cristiano Ronaldo, Al Nassr’s (SAU) forward. The former Flamengo player commented on the opportunity to face the legendary No. 7.

It was incredible, it felt like I was living a dream. I grew up watching these guys on TV and in video games, like Cristiano, Messi, Neymar, and being on the pitch with them is a huge privilege. There’s not much to say about CR7—he is one of the greatest in history, a reference for everyone who likes football, so it was a very emotional and important moment for me,” added Matheus Gonçalves, in an interview with ‘Lance!’.

How much did Flamengo sell Matheus Gonçalves for?

In the annual financial report released by Flamengo, the club stated that Matheus Gonçalves was sold for R$51 million. The youngster had lost space in Filipe Luís’ squad and, despite being passionate about the Rubro-Negro, chose to leave in order to get more playing time.

In short, in 2025, Matheus Gonçalves played 15 matches in a Flamengo shirt and scored two goals. However, due to a lack of opportunities in the senior team, the midfielder was even ‘loaned’ to the under-20 side and took part in the match that secured the junior world title against Barcelona (ESP).

What is Flamengo’s current situation?

Meanwhile, Flamengo continue preparing for the rest of the 2026 season. After resuming training, the Rubro-Negro squad will travel to Portugal this Sunday (28). In Europe, Leonardo Jardim’s team will play friendlies against River Plate (ARG), Lausanne-Sport (SUI), and Benfica (POR).

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