Flamengo Aims to End 31-Year Drought Against English Teams

Filadélfia, EUA — Flamengo faces Chelsea this Friday at 3 p.m. (Brasília time) in the second round of Group D in the FIFA Club World Cup. The match marks a chance for the Brazilian team to achieve something it hasn’t done in 31 years: defeat an English team. The last victory came in July 1994, with Rodrigo Mendes scoring his first professional goal.

This historical context includes Flamengo’s struggles in 1993, where the team ended the season without any titles. The 1994 season started with many key players leaving, including Casagrande and Renato Gaúcho. To cope with the financial crisis, Flamengo made several loan signings and promoted young talents from its youth academy, one of whom was Mendes.

During the 1994 World Cup break, Flamengo participated in a friendly tournament in Malaysia, playing against Leeds United, who were crowned champions of England two years before. Mendes recalls the intense pressure of this match after the team’s goalless draw against the Australian Olympic team. “We had a young team that was forming. Playing against Leeds was tough, but we managed a 2-1 victory. I scored my first goal for Flamengo, and it was a significant moment for me,” Mendes stated in an interview.

That match led Flamengo to the final against Bayern Munich, where they secured a 3-1 victory and claimed the tournament title.

Since that win, Flamengo has faced English teams just twice. They lost to Chelsea 5-0 in a friendly in 1998 and drew Liverpool in the 2019 Club World Cup final, only to lose 1-0 in overtime. Mendes, now the sporting director of Al-Ain in the UAE, remains hopeful about the matchup against Chelsea. “I believe Flamengo is in good shape and can secure a win,” he expressed.

While Flamengo prepares for this pivotal match, Mendes is also in the U.S. to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup with Al-Ain. However, his debut there was disappointing as his team lost 5-0 to Juventus. Al-Ain will face Manchester City on Sunday at 10 p.m. (Brasília time).