February 2 – In the curtain raiser to Brazil’s 2026 domestic season, Corinthians defeated ten-man Flamengo 2-0 to win the domestic Super Cup.
Goals from Gabriel Paulista and Yuri Alberto, nine minutes into injury time, ensured Corinthians won the first prize of the new season against a disjointed Flamengo.
The Rio club were reduced to ten men after Carrascal was dismissed in unprecedented fashion. He received a red card before the start of the second half after he had elbowed Breno Bidon at the end of the first half. The referee went to the touchline monitor to review the footage, sent off Carrascal and then blew the whistle for the start of the second half.
“I had never seen anything like it in my life,” said Flamengo manager Filipe Luis.
“I don’t know if it’s ever happened anywhere else. We prepared the whole plan to play eleven against eleven. Then, when I saw it went to VAR, I started thinking about a strategy, some kind of resource, to try and play better. The team still managed to keep possession, trying to push Corinthians into their own area as much as possible. I don’t want to make excuses for the defeat, or talk about any of that, but I had never seen anything like it.”
Luis reacted by introducing Lucas Paqueta, the most expensive transfer in Brazilian history. Earlier this month, the Brazilian champions staged a coup, signing the West Ham United player on a five-year contract in a deal worth €42 million. However, Flamengo could not claw their way back into the game despite Erick Pulgar hitting the woodwork.
Corinthians will receive $2.2 million in prize money for winning the Brazilian Super Cup, with $1 million coming from Conmebol, while Flamengo get $1.2 million.
Last season, Flamengo won both the Brazilian league title and the Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier club competition.
They will start favourites to defend their league title when the season kicks off in the spring, but the defeat at the hands of Corinthians will serve as a warning to Flamengo and Paqueta that the rest of the field is out to get them.
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