With the absence of Léo Ortiz, who is injured, and Danilo left on reserve after returning from the Brazilian team, the young defender João Victor was selected by coach Filipe Luís in Flamengo’s starting lineup for the second game in a row and is among the 11 who will face Fluminense this Wednesday (19/11), at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the 34th round of the Brasileirão 2025.
It is only João Victor’s second game as a starter. Learn more about the defender.
João Victor: history and how he plays
João Victor was born on January 1, 2007, in São Paulo (SP). He is right-handed and 1.86m tall. The promise arrived at Flamengo in 2018 and did not begin his training in defense. In Gávea’s early years, he played as a midfielder until he reached the Under-15s, when he crossed paths with coach Leonardo Cherede. Newly arrived at the club in 2017 to lead the category, Cherede had the mission of observing talents in the lower divisions – and quickly identified that the young man had characteristics that could flourish even more strongly in defense.
Cherede details that, as a midfielder, the boy had limitations typical of the profile required by the club: he lacked dynamics, a more refined back game and greater offensive participation. On the other hand, there were plenty of defensive attributes.
– He already had height, speed, good reading of the game, great time on the ball and leadership ability, something fundamental for defenders. Furthermore, he used both legs well, anticipated moves and was easy to pass between lines. He had everything to become a defender – recalled the coach, in an interview with the website “ge.com”.
João Victor was reluctant, but ended up accepting the change. The adaptation was quick and fruitful: he began to stand out in youth competitions, played for the Brazilian Under-17 and Under-20 teams and became a central player in Flamengo’s second Intercontinental Under-20 championship, in 2024 and 2025.
Recently, Leonardo Cherede, now a technical assistant at Portuguesa-SP, visited Ninho do Urubu and met his former pupils again. He highlights that several professionals contributed to the formation of the defender, but that the central merit belongs to the athlete himself.
– It’s difficult to break the transition bubble to become a professional. He is still asserting himself, but he is humble, he knows he needs to keep working. In the future, I see João as the protagonist.
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João Victor: value of the termination fine
João Victor’s contract with Flamengo runs until December 2029. The termination fine established for clubs abroad is 70 million euros (around R$430.7 million).
At the age of 16, João Victor was already training with the Under-20s and was a constant presence in the squad for the Under-17 team, with participation in the 2023 World Cup. Afterwards, he also became a recurring name in the Under-20s.
Promoted to the professionals in the pre-season in the United States, João Victor debuted in the main team at just 17 years old, in December 2024, against Criciúma. He was the first athlete from the 2007 generation to play for the main team and the only one of his age to start in the final of the U20 World Cup, won by Flamengo against Olympiacos.
Even integrated into the professional squad, the young man circulated between the two environments throughout 2025: he trained regularly with Filipe Luís, but went down to the base to play in decisive moments – including the world title game over Barcelona.
Filipe Luís praised João Victor after Flamengo 3 x 0 Sport, on November 1st, when the defender entered the final stretch of the match.
– Everyone knows the quality and affection I have for his football. For me it’s performance, it’s what I see during the week, and João doesn’t slow down for a second. I gave him minutes because he deserves it. At any moment, we may need it, and he will be the player of the sequence due to his daily performance – said the coach, in a press conference.
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