The 2025 Carioca Championship started with several surprising results, many of them motivated by the lineups of alternative teams by Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco.
At the moment, none of the big four of Rio football are in the G4 that leads to the Cariocão semi-finals. The first four positions are with Maricá, Volta Redonda, Nova Iguaçu and Portuguesa-RJ, respectively.
Among the big players, the most complicated situation is that of Botafogo. The current champion of the Libertadores and Brasileirão is Carioca in 11th place, among 12 teams.
The first phase of Cariocão, the Guanabara Cup, has 11 rounds. Four of them have already been contested.
In the Carioca Championship, which has existed since 1906, a club from outside the city of Rio de Janeiro has never been champion.
Another curiosity is that the last time that a club other than Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense or Vasco was state champion in Rio was in 1966, with Bangu’s title.
Carioca 2025: how relegation works
The Campeonato Carioca regulations provide for the relegation of the last placed team, 12th place, to the second division. In 2024, Audax-RJ fell, with no points won.
MORE: Deivid Washington: Atlético, Botafogo, Santos and Palmeiras’ search for reinforcement
Interestingly, the relegated team competes in the second division in the same year. Audax-RJ played in the second half of 2024 and did not gain access, given only to the champion, which was Maricá.
Now in 2025, Bangu is the one with the top spot, with one point.
Carioca 2025: distribution of places in the Copa do Brasil
Another important issue involving Cariocão is the number of places the competition offers for the 2026 Copa do Brasil. There are five places at stake.
The first five get a place. The winners will be the four semifinalists and the champion of the Taça Rio, which will be played for the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th of the Guanabara Cup.
If Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense or Vasco do not get a place with Carioca, they will have other opportunities throughout the year, via national and international competitions.
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Classification of the Carioca Championship 2025
| Position | Time | P | J | V | E | D | GP | GC | SG | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1º | Marica | 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 83 |
| 2º | Round Round | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 75 |
| 3º | Nova Iguaçu | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 58 |
| 4º | Portuguese-RJ | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 50 |
| 5º | Vasco | 6 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 50 |
| 6º | Fluminense | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 41 |
| 7º | Boavista | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 41 |
| 8º | Sampaio Corrêa-RJ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 41 |
| 9º | Flemish | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 33 |
| 10º | Madureira | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 33 |
| 11º | Botafogo | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 25 |
| 12º | Bangu | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | -7 | 8 |
