Playing in finals is nothing new for Corinthians athletes, by far the most successful women’s football club in South America in the last ten years. There have been 28 decisions since the reactivation of the women’s black and white team in 2016, none as challenging as the 29th.
The “Brabas”, as the black and white players are called, will have a great test of bravery this Sunday (1st), at the Emirates Stadium, in London, with a capacity for more than 60 thousand spectators. At Arsenal’s home, they will face Arsenal, a powerhouse in the sport, for the FIFA Women’s Champions Cup title.
“I believe it will be packed, but our fans will also be present,” said striker Andressa Alves, 33, who has extensive experience in European football – with successful spells in Barcelona and Rome – and extensive experience as a Corinthians fan.
According to her, it was the Corinthian spirit and the support of the Corinthians that led to the 1-0 victory over the favorite Gotham FC, from the United States, in the semifinals. The fans performed the “poropopó” choreography in the stands at the Gtech Community Stadium, also in London, and the athletes reciprocated with a hard-earned triumph.
“I just thought I had to play like a Corinthians fan, a Corinthian from the stands, with determination, dedication during the 90 minutes. And what happened happened,” said Andressa.
What happened was that the Parque São Jorge association took part in the decision of the first women’s world football competition – the tournament follows the model of the men’s Intercontinental Cup, with the participation of the winner from each continent.
The South American champions and the European champions were left in the dispute. And, no matter how dominant the “Brabas” are in their home turf, the distance between the teams is undeniable, at least in terms of investment and global recognition.
Last year, Arsenal made the first signing in the history of women’s football worth 1 billion pounds (R$7.4 million at the time), taking Canadian striker Olivia Smith from Liverpool. In the FIFA (International Football Federation) selection for The Best of 2025, 3 of the 11 players were from the London team: Mariona Caldentey, 29, Alessia Russo, 26, and Leah Williamson, 28.
“Football is played on the pitch. It’s impossible to win off the pitch”, said striker Gabi Zanotti, 40, symbol of the winning Corinthians in recent years, scorer of the goal that surprised Gotham FC in the semi-finals.
She, her teammates and coach Lucas Piccinato have used as motivation the fact that the forecasts point to the black and white team as an underdog. The logic of the sport pointed to a decision between the representative of the strong European league –Arsenal won 6-0 against AS FAR, from Morocco, in the semi-finals– and that of the also strong North American league.
“A lot of people don’t understand the size of Corinthians. I think we need to understand that there is a job here that demands respect, a great institution. The game is won in 90 minutes. Defining this before is disrespecting our history, disrespecting Corinthians. It serves as fuel”, said goalkeeper Lelê, 31.
Once the final was decided, the Arsenal players tried to speak respectfully about their upcoming opponents. “There’s no such thing as favoritism. It’s football. Corinthians is a very physical team, and we know it’s going to be a tough game,” said striker Chloe Kelly, 28.
“It’s uncomfortable to play against them, they are very aggressive and very talented with the ball. I played with Andressa Alves at Barcelona. I’m looking forward to seeing her. I hope she has a great season, except on Sunday”, joked midfielder Caldentey.
Bristles bristled on one side, polite statements on the other, there seems to be no doubt about the favoritism of Arsenal, who still play at home.
And the “Brabas”, in addition to facing a powerful opponent on the field, will have a new fight in the difficult journey of women’s football, which was banned in Brazil for almost 40 years. The CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) scheduled the men’s Brazilian Super Cup for 4pm on Sunday.
Perhaps not even the Corinthians management had bet on their team qualifying for the Champions Cup final, at 3pm. So, while they are in the second half of the big decision, most of the black and white people will be watching the men’s team’s duel with Flamengo, in Brasília, in the fight for one of the least important trophies on the men’s calendar.
