Flamengo’s nomination for the ‘Men’s Club of the Year’ award at the Ballon d’Or takes into account their performance between 1 August 2025 and 31 July 2026. During this period, the club won three titles: the Copa Libertadores and the 2025 Brazilian Championship, as well as the 2026 Carioca Championship.

The main highlight came in the Copa Libertadores. From the round of 16 onwards – already within the period considered for the award – Flamengo knocked out Internacional with two victories. They then overcame Estudiantes and Racing in the subsequent rounds before reaching the final.

In the final, played in Lima, Peru, Flamengo beat Palmeiras 1–0, with a goal from Danilo, and won their fourth Copa Libertadores. The title made the Rubro-Negro the first Brazilian club to lift the trophy four times, further cementing their leading role in South American football.

This form also carried over into the Brazilian Championship. Following a consistent campaign, Flamengo secured their ninth Brazilian title in December 2025, completing the domestic and continental double in the same season.

The achievement carried even greater significance as it was only the fifth time a club had won the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores in the same year.

Clubs that have won the Brazilian Championship and the Copa Libertadores in the same year:

  • Santos, 1962

  • Santos, 1963

  • Flamengo, 2019

  • Botafogo, 2024

  • Flamengo, 2025

Flamengo also competed in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December 2025. After beating Cruz Azul and Pyramids, they reached the final against Paris Saint-Germain. The match ended in a 1–1 draw after normal time, and the Rio de Janeiro club were eventually defeated on penalties.

In March 2026, Leonardo Jardim took charge of Flamengo, replacing Filipe Luís. The former manager had done an excellent job at the helm of the team since the end of 2024 and left the club to take charge of Monaco.

With Jardim at the helm, Flamengo beat Fluminense in the final of the Campeonato Carioca. The victory secured the club’s 40th state title in its history, as well as a third consecutive Carioca title.

The period assessed by the ‘Ballon d’Or’ (World Football Awards), therefore, encompasses a run of results that has placed Flamengo at the pinnacle of Brazilian and South American football: Libertadores champions, Brazilian champions and three-time Carioca champions, as well as a campaign that took the club to the final of the Intercontinental Cup.

Now, this recognition extends beyond the continent’s borders. As the sole South American representative amongst the five nominees for the Men’s Club of the Season award, Flamengo is up against Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt and Paris Saint-Germain.

The winner will be announced at the ‘Ballon d’Or’ ceremony in London on 26 October.