Zico warns Flamengo about 2026, recalls challenges from the 80s

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·27 de dezembro de 2025

Zico warns Flamengo about 2026, recalls challenges from the 80s

Flamengo Idol Zico Won Everything for the Club and Knows the Pressure That Comes After the Titles

Flamengo won the Brasileirão, Libertadores, Carioca, and Supercopa in 2025. Now, the red-and-black team enters the new season with the mission of maintaining dominance in all competitions. For idol Zico, the team needs to be prepared, because the opponents will come even more motivated.

I think this needs to be addressed at the start of the season. I usually say that the hardest year for us, for our generation, was '82, because we were coming off all those achievements—Campeonato Carioca, Libertadores, the World Cup. We had been eliminated in the Brasileirão, which was in the first half of the year,” said Zico, before continuing:

— And, of course, when we got together in '82, we said: ‘look, this year the guys are going to come at us with knives between their teeth. So we have to improve, evolve, and grow even more.’ So that's the message that needs to be passed on. Against Flamengo it's different. Everyone wants to beat us, they come at us differently. So the squad has to be prepared for that, the challenges will be greater -, he stated.

Vídeos OneFootball

— So, that year (1982), right in the first half, we won a Brasileirão, and it was all comebacks. The guys came at us, and we went there, and people thought: ‘no, they're done, they're arrogant,’ all that, but no one let that happen. And so it was also a wonderful year for us -, he concluded, in an interview with GE.

WHAT COMPETITIONS DOES FLAMENGO HAVE AHEAD IN 2026?

In 2026, Flamengo faces important challenges from the very first months, competing on several fronts. Additionally, the team is chasing up to nine trophies in the season, maintaining its reputation as the team to beat on the continent.

Among the titles at stake are the Supercopa, Campeonato Carioca, Recopa Sul-Americana, Brasileirão, Libertadores and Copa do Brasil, as well as, possibly, the Derby das Américas, Copa Challenger, and the World Cup. It's worth remembering that the team's first challenge will be in the state championship, and the Rubro-Negro will need to start strong to set the pace for the season.

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