Flamengo remained the team with the biggest fans in Brazil, according to the latest Datafolha survey.
According to the survey, the fans of the current Rio champion comprise 19% of Brazilians. In last year’s survey, 21% had responded that they were fans of the club, the highest level in the historical series that began in 1993, in which Flamengo always remained in the lead.
Also since the surveys began, Corinthians has remained in second place overall, with 14% of responses, which represents a drop of one percentage point compared to last year.
Palmeiras (7%) and São Paulo (6%) come next, with Alviverde isolating itself in third place, after the Morumbi team fluctuated by one point.
Grêmio and Vasco, both stable with 4% of responses, complete the top positions of the biggest fans.
Copa Libertadores finalists, Atlético Mineiro and Botafogo are tied in 10th place, together with Fluminense and Bahia, with 2% each.
The survey interviewed 2,004 people over the age of 16 between November 5th and 7th, in 113 Brazilian municipalities. The margin of error for the total sample is two percentage points, plus or minus.
According to experts, the influence exerted by national TV broadcasts has historically exerted important weight in favor of Flamengo’s leadership.
In the Northeast, for example, red-black is the overwhelming favorite, mentioned by 25% of fans, followed by Corinthians (8%) and Palmeiras (6%). Sport, which guaranteed access back to Série A in 2024, is the first team in the region, remembered by 5%.
The same phenomenon repeats itself in the Center-West and North, where 29% say they support Flamengo, and 11% for Corinthians. The only teams from the regions mentioned are Remo (4%), Paysandu (2%) and Goiás (1%).
“The North and Northeast historically have many fans of teams from Rio de Janeiro due to Globo’s broadcasts, which were concentrated on Rio teams”, says Fábio Wolff, specialist in sports marketing.
In the Southeast, Flamengo is second, with 15%, behind Corinthians, with 20%. In the South, only third, tied with Corinthians (9%), behind Grêmio (23%) and Internacional (18%).
Among black and brown fans, 23% say they support Flamengo, compared to 12% of white fans. Geographical distribution can help explain this difference, as the regions of the country in which the club leads are also those with the highest concentration of black and brown people, according to the 2022 census by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) — 76% in the North, 72.6% in the Northeast and 61.6% in the Central-West, against 55.4% of the national average.
The racial profile is more balanced in the case of Corinthians, with 14% (brown and black) and 13% (white), Palmeiras (6% and 7%) and São Paulo (6% and 6%).
The lowest range of monthly family income considered by Datafolha, of up to two minimum wages, is also the one that Flamengo leads by far, with 22%. It drops to 12%, in Corinthians, to 6%, in Palmeiras, and to 5%, in São Paulo.
When breaking down by religion, Flamengo and Corinthians have the same number of fans who declare themselves Catholic and evangelical, with 19% and 13% each, respectively. In Palmeiras, Catholics predominate —9% to 5%, and there is a tie at 6% to 6%, in São Paulo.
For questions of gender, family income and religion, the margin of error can range between three and seven percentage points.
Wolff points out that family tradition also influences the choice process, with many parents transmitting — or at least making an effort to transmit — their football passion to their heirs.
Furthermore, a relatively recent trend that has been gaining more and more space among young fans, as a result of globalization, is the preference for teams abroad. “Today, we are talking about a multitude of sports broadcasts through different vehicles, including YouTube, which is free. This can contribute and reflect on these transformations”, says the expert.
Sports marketing consultant and professor at Insper, Eduardo Corch states that European giants are able to attract the public by displaying the brand on tours of star teams around the world, and also by offering complete experiences and facilities to fans.
“We live in a world of experiences, in which brands, companies and football clubs need to deliver a good experience to their customers”, says the professor. He says that these are aspects that need to go beyond a clean, modern and safe stadium, with actions that bring clubs and players closer to fans, with benefits from fan membership programs and the creation of daily content for the networks.
Marketing and sports manager for the fan partner company Somos Young, Jorge Duarte also highlights that, especially in inland cities and smaller capitals, he notices that local clubs have gained greater attention from the region’s residents, supported by new technologies.
According to him, the internet and the advancement of digital communication allowed them to enhance their visibility and engagement. “Thus, the focus is no longer exclusively on the Rio-São Paulo axis, making room for greater representation of other teams in Brazil.”
More than 70% of Cruzeiro and Santos fans are against betting
In a Brazilian Championship in which most Series A clubs are sponsored by bets, the Datafolha survey highlights important differences in fans’ support for sports betting companies.
Those from Cruzeiro (73%), Santos (71%) and Internacional (68%) were those that most spoke out against bets, defending their ban, with the lowest support for the idea coming from Palmeiras (58%) and Grêmio (60 %) — the margin of error varies from five to nine percentage points when considering the relationship between fans and sports betting.
Flamengo (35%), Palmeiras (32%) and São Paulo and Vasco (31%), on the other hand, have the fans most likely to support the operation of the business in Brazil, with Santos (18%) and Cruzeiro (20% ) on the opposite end.
The São Paulo people are the ones who most said they had already bet through bets, with 31% of the answers, followed by the Flamengo fans (28%) and the Colorado fans (25%). Cruzeirenses (11%) and Santos (14%) are those who bet least.
When considering the habit of betting in a broader sense, including bets, online games, lotteries and Jogo do Bicho, Santos fans are the most gamblers (61%), while Vasco residents are the least prone to the habit (34%).
With 61%, Santos residents are those who most consider betting and online gaming to be an addiction. At the other end, only 43% of Internacional fans have the same interpretation.
