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After a disappointing 0-0 draw in regular time, Flamengo won the 2026 Carioca by beating Fluminense 5-4 on penalties.
Rossi made the difference for the Rubro-Negro to claim the State Championship for the 40th time in its history in front of 69,315 spectators.
He made two saves, compared to one by Fábio.
It's Flamengo's third consecutive title after winning in 2024 and 2025.
A debut with a trophy for Leonardo Jardim.
And relief for the Rubro-Negro after frustrations in the Supercopa and Recopa.
Lack of football in the 1st half 🙄
The tricolor's mission was to reach the opponent's goal with as many players as possible.
Which happened only a few times in the first half.
Flamengo had more possession. But also didn't pose any real danger.
Both teams succeeded without the ball, closing down spaces well.
But they fell short in creativity. This was due, for example, to the lack of inspiration from those who usually make the difference: Acosta and Arrascaeta.
More excitement on the pitch
Good football was still missing at Maracanã.
A rare moment of quality came from a one-two between Acosta and Hércules, which ended with Rossi saving Flamengo at the start of the second half.
There were plenty of hard tackles, arguments between players with calls for cards, and even an act that was far from Oscar-worthy.
The Rubro-Negro's response only came in the 32nd minute, when Arrascaeta threatened with a header.
And that was it. The second half had a bit more excitement. But still far less than expected.
Penalties
Jorginho beat Fábio, who guessed the right corner but couldn't reach the ball (1-0);
Ganso sent Rossi the wrong way to equalize (1-1);
Luiz Araújo saw Fábio save his shot (1-1);
Savarino struck powerfully to beat Rossi, who went the right way (1-2);
Cebolinha sent Fábio the wrong way to score (2-2);
Guga saw Rossi save his shot (2-2);
Léo Pereira beat Fábio, who got a touch but couldn't keep it out (3-2);
Arana shot almost down the middle to equalize (3-3);
Paquetá saw Fábio get a touch, but still celebrated (4-3);
John Kennedy ensured sudden death by sending Rossi the wrong way (4-4);
Léo Ortiz beat Fábio (5-4);
Otávio shot down the middle for Rossi to save (5-4).
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
