It's opening day! Flamengo's first game in the Brazilian Under-20 Championship will be this Friday (20), at 15 pm, away from home, against RB Bragantino, at the opponent's CT, which is located in Atibaia, in the interior of São Paulo. In the initial phase, the 20 participating clubs face each other in a single round.

Following the competition, the top eight teams qualify for the quarterfinals, in two-legged knockout matches. The semifinals and the title match, scheduled for August 26 and September 2, will also be played over two legs.

Flamengo was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Under-20 Championship in 2025. Finishing fourth, Flamengo faced Cruzeiro in a single-elimination match at the Luso Brasileiro Stadium. After a 1-1 draw, Flamengo was defeated on penalties (4-3). RB Bragantino, the current runner-up of the tournament, played the final against Palmeiras, who won the decisive match 4-3 on penalties.

Coach Bruno Pivetti led the last training session before the duel with Bragantino on Thursday morning (19), at CT George Helal, before the delegation's departure to the interior of São Paulo. The Flamengo U-20 team will play three matches in the Brazilian Championship before traveling to Quito, where they will compete in the Libertadores of the category.

The next opponent in the national competition will be Vasco, on Monday (23), at 7 pm, at Estádio Luso Brasileiro, on Ilha do Governador. Following that, Flamengo will face Vitória, on Friday (27), at Gávea. The debut in the Libertadores is scheduled for March 19 (Saturday), at 19 pm (21 pm, Brasília time), against Estudiantes de Mérida (VEN), at Estádio Olímpica Atahualpa, in the capital of Ecuador.