Fla–Flu

Fla–Flu
Diego Souza (Fluminense) and Paulo Victor (Flamengo) fight over the ball in the rain.
LocationRio de Janeiro, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
First meetingFluminense 3–2 Flamengo
Campeonato Carioca (LMSA)
July 7, 1912
Latest meetingFluminense 0–0 (4–5 p) Flamengo
Campeonato Carioca
March 8, 2026
StadiumsMaracanã
Statistics
Meetings total459
Top scorerZico (19)
All-time seriesFlamengo: 167
Fluminense: 144
Draws: 148
Largest victoryFlamengo 7–0 Fluminense
Torneio Municipal do Rio
June 10, 1945

Fla–Flu (a truncation of Flamengo–Fluminense) is an association football derby between Flamengo and Fluminense, considered one of the biggest rivalries in Brazilian football. Their matches usually take place at the famous Maracanã Stadium, located near downtown Rio de Janeiro, in the Maracanã district. The Fla–Flu holds the world's record football match attendance of 194,603 people in a 1963 derby.

The name "Fla–Flu" was created by the journalist Mário Filho during the professionalization of Rio de Janeiro's football.

Flamengo is the most successful team in the Campeonato Carioca, with 40 titles, while Fluminense is the second, with 33. At a national level, Flamengo has won the Campeonato Brasileiro eight times and the Copa do Brasil five times, while Fluminense has four Campeonato Brasileiro titles and has won the Cup once. Flamengo has won four Copa Libertadores and one Intercontinental Cup, whereas Fluminense has won the Copa Libertadores once and also the Copa Rio once, which it claims to be equivalent to a club's world cup tournament. Fluminense is the only football team in the world that holds the IOC's Olympic Cup ("Coupe Olympique" or "Taça Olímpica"), a non-competitive award for distinguished service in upholding the ideals of the Olympic Movement and to recognise the particular merits of institutions or associations and their services rendered to sport, conquered in 1949.

The rivalry between these two clubs began in October 1911, when a group of dissatisfied players from Fluminense left the club, and went to Flamengo, which at the time had no football department. The first Fla–Flu ever was played the following year, on July 7, 1912, at Laranjeiras stadium. Fluminense won this match 3–2, with 800 people in attendance.

The Fla–Flu matches are mentioned in Lamartine Babo's unofficial, but very popular, Flamengo anthem composed in 1942.