Appointed as the main candidates for the title of Brazilian Championship, Flamengo and Palmeiras face off this Saturday (23), at 9pm (Brasília time), at Maracanã, for the 17th round of the competition.
The duel brings together the top two in the table and promises to move the dispute for leadership forward in the first round.
Davi de Oliveira Lacerda will be responsible for refereeing the match.
Current situation
Palmeiras arrives at the top of the table, with 35 points from 16 matches. Just behind is Flamengo, the current Brazilian champion, with 31 points and one game in hand.
If they win in front of their fans, the Rio team will reduce the difference to just one point and will still have a match to play.
The teams go through different moments in the season. Flamengo arrives motivated after the victory over Estudiantes, last Wednesday (20), a result that guaranteed the club in the round of 16 of the Libertadores.
On the other side, Palmeiras is going through a scenario of greater pressure. The defeat at home to Cerro Porteño complicated the team’s situation in Group F of the Libertadores, took away the chance of early classification and reduced the chances of advancing at the top of the group.
The result also increased the pressure on Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira. Mancha Verde, the main organization from Palmeiras, published a manifesto on social media criticizing the coach’s work and calling for his departure.
With the title “Thank you, Abel. It’s over. Bye”, the organizer stated that the team has experienced a “mirage” in recent years and criticized the team’s recent performance.
Even so, the Alviverde campaign in Brasileirão continues to be historic. With 35 points in the first 16 rounds, the club recorded its best start in the points run era, surpassing the mark reached in 2009, when it had scored 34 points in the same period.
In the last round of the championship, Palmeiras drew 1-1 with Cruzeiro. Flamengo also reached equality by the same score, against Athletico-PR, a result that extended the team’s undefeated streak in the competition to seven games, with five wins and two draws.
reunion
This Saturday’s classic will be the first meeting between the clubs in 2026. Last season, the teams faced each other three times, and Flamengo came out on top in all of them.
At Maracanã, the recent record also favors the Cariocas: Palmeiras have not beaten their rival at the stadium since 2015. Since then, there have been 11 matches, with six Red and Black victories and five draws.
The duel will be broadcast on SporTV (closed TV) and Premiere (pay-per-view), in addition to real-time CNN Esportes.
Lineups
Flemish: Rossi; Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira, Alex Sandro; Evertton Araújo, Jorginho, Paquetá; Carrascal, Samuel Lino and Pedro. Technical: Leonardo Jardim
Palm trees: Carlos Miguel, Giay, Gustavo Gómez, Murilo and Arthur; Marlon Freitas, Emiliano Martínez and Andreas Pereira; Allan, Arias and Flaco López. Coach: Abel Ferreira
Where to watch Flamengo x Palmeiras
- TV: SporTV (closed TV) and Premiere (pay-per-view).
- Real time: CNN Sports
Flamengo x Palmeiras technical sheet
- Data: 23/05/2026
- Time: 9pm (Brasília time)
- Local: Maracanã, in Rio de Janeiro
- Round: 17ª
