A Guide to Football in Rio
- Will Gerson
- May 17
- 3 min read
Brazil is famous around the world for futebol, but Rio is arguably the city that best encapsulates the Brazilians’ approach to the sport.
The cariocas live and breathe the jogo bonito: on the beach, in the botecos, or inside the stadiums, their passion for football is palpable. The best way to experience this culture is to attend a match, whether in the mythical Maracanã or any of the city’s other great stadiums. Read on for a guide to the four biggest teams and how you can get tickets to their matches.
What's in this Guide to Football in Rio:
Flamengo
You can’t walk down any block in Rio without seeing at least one person in a Flamengo shirt. The team is without a doubt the most widely supported in the city and is actually the most popular in the whole country as well. The club’s youth academy has produced many of Brazil’s great players––Zico, Júlio César, Adriano, and Vinícius Júnior, to name a few––and its red-and-black striped jersey is among the world’s most iconic football shirts.
Flamengo play their home matches at the Maracanã, one of the most legendary stadiums in world football. Once the biggest stadium in the world, with a record crowd of 173,850 for the deciding match of the 1950 World Cup, the Maracanã is still the largest in Brazil, even though its conversion to an all-seater ground has brought the capacity down to around 73,000.
How to get tickets to Flamengo
Flamengo do well to fill the stadium, but they usually don’t completely sell out, meaning that it is possible to get tickets for most matches. You can buy tickets on the team’s official website, just register your ID and a face scan beforehand. Tickets usually go on sale a couple of days before the game––you can check the website for details.
For the most raucous atmosphere, sit in the north end with the most passionate fans. Before the game, check out Bar dos Chicos on the east side of the stadium. The bar is a traditional meeting point for Flamengo fans, and the streets around it turn into a huge outdoor party on matchday.
Vasco da Gama
Though the club has fallen on hard times of late, Vasco’s fans are known for their undying loyalty and commitment to their team. The club plays their home matches at the São Januário, one of the oldest stadiums in South America, located in a hardscrabble neighborhood in the city’s Zona Norte. Vasco fans are proud of their working class roots, and the club has long been a symbol of progressive ideals and anti-racist activism, ever since it refused to bow to demands from Rio’s football league to ban black players in the 1920s.
Vasco enjoys extremely passionate support from its fans at the São Januário as well as at the Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, where the club usually hosts derby matches against its crosstown rivals. Head to a Vasco match for an atypical Rio football experience, and be ready to throw your beer in the air when the home team scores a goal.
How to Get Tickets To Vasco da Gama
You can buy tickets at the official team stores located around the city; check the club’s website for information about when they go on sale.
Fluminense
Founded in 1902, Fluminense is the oldest team in Rio, and the club’s support is traditionally associated with the city’s upper class. Flu also plays its home games at the Maracanã, but it doesn’t usually draw the same numbers as Flamengo, and its atmospheres tend to be much more calm and family-oriented. The club has produced great players like Carlos Alberto, Marcelo, and Thiago Silva, and their matches are still worth a visit while you are in town.
How to Get Tickets to Fluminense
You can buy tickets at the official team stores located around the city; check the club’s website for information about when they go on sale.
Botafogo
Rounding out Rio’s big four is Botafogo, who are enjoying a purple patch of late, finishing 2024 with a double as Brazilian and South American champions. The club plays at Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos, which was originally built to host the Pan American Games and later the Rio Olympics, but the botafoguenses have made the ground their own, with strong support at home matches. For the best experience, sit in the Leste Superior section with the most passionate fans.
How to Get Tickets to Botafogo
You can buy tickets on the team’s official website, just register your ID and a face scan beforehand. Tickets usually go on sale a couple of days before the game––you can check the website for details.