The first day of March marks Rio de Janeiro's birthday. And on this momentous occasion, as the city turns 445, Flamengo, one of the city's most iconic symbols, couldn't help but offer its congratulations.

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Brazil's greatest soccer champion, with six titles, champion of the Americas and the World Cup in the early 80s, and the dominant force in the Campeonato Carioca, the Rubro-Negro is almost unanimous amidst the contrasts of Rio de Janeiro. After all, the team has a 51% preference among Rio residents in a survey published by Folha de São Paulo on January 3rd.

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Born and raised in the Marvelous City, President Patricia Amorim believes there's no better place in the world to live than Rio de Janeiro. Especially if it's Flamengo.

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"I'm a Carioca, born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, and we undoubtedly live in a blessed city. Starting with Christ the Redeemer, who protects us with open arms, and all the natural beauty that surrounds us. Rio is 445 years old today and remains beautiful. And precisely for all of this, Flamengo had to be in this fascinating city. In short, being a Carioca is like this: loving Rio de Janeiro and having Flamengo in your heart," said Patrícia Amorim.

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Wonderful and Olympic – In the coming years, Rio de Janeiro will become an even more sports-oriented city. In 2014, Brazil will host the World Cup, and Rio has a strong chance of hosting the World Cup final, erasing its defeat in the 1950 final once and for all. Two years later, the Olympic Games will be held in the Marvelous City.

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Maracanã, one of the city's landmarks, is also known as the home of Flamengo. The Red-Blacks boast the stadium's top scorer, Zico, the biggest win, a 12-2 victory over São Cristóvão, and also boasted the largest crowd in an interclub match at the World's Biggest Stadium, with over 177 fans in attendance for the 1963 Carioca final.