Accustomed to winning from an early age, this is the reality for every athlete who dons the red-and-black Sacred Mantle. And with the U-12 team, the Ninho Boys were no exception. With a strong campaign and demonstrated excellent technical quality and organization on the field, the team led by coach Márcio Barbosa (voted the competition's best coach) had a near-perfect record of seven wins and only one draw (1-1 in the final against Inter Milan) throughout the tournament, with a significant positive balance of 45 goals for and only 8 goals against. Thus, they more than deservedly won the Brazilian leg of the IBERCUP World Qualifier, held at the Hélio Dourado Training Center in Porto Alegre.

With the title secured, the "Mais Querido" (Most Beloved) has stamped its passport to represent Brazil in the category's World Championship, at the end of May, in Bolton, England. There, it will face the champions of the Qualifiers held in Portugal, the United States, and Denmark, in the quest for another world title for the red-and-black youth soccer team.

Right from the start, the Garotos do Ninho showed they entered the competition with the intention of being champions, delivering a historic 14-3 thrashing of Argentina's Andres Guacirari. In the second round, a Brazilian duel against Grêmio Maranhense resulted in a comfortable 3-0 victory for the Mais Querido. In the final two games of the first stage, the red-and-blacks suffered two more defeats: a 6-0 victory over FSA, from Bahia, in the third round, and a 4-1 victory over Juventude, from Caxias do Sul, in the fourth and final round of the group stage.

Then came the semifinal, and the national derby against Grêmio, which at first might have seemed tough, was easily and quickly resolved by the Garotos do Ninho, who handed their opponent another thrashing in the competition: 5-1. Their place in the final was guaranteed.

In the final, Inter Milan faced Italy, and it was the toughest match of the entire tournament. Like any international match, the duel was very tight and contested from the first minute. The Italians took the lead early in the game and held it until halftime. Flamengo returned for the second half determined to be champions and pressed from the first play. In the opening minutes, the Mais Querido hit the post and saw the Italian defense save another on the line. 

Midway through the second half, David Viana, the competition's top scorer with an impressive 19 goals and named the tournament's best player, unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box. The goalkeeper rebounded, and Matheus appeared well-positioned inside the box to equalize, sending the match to penalties. Each team's first five penalties were 100% successful (Rubro-Negro goalkeeper Leo saved one, but the referee ruled it back, signaling an offence, and the Italian player scored on the second attempt). The match continued to be thrilling until the end, but it wasn't until the seventh penalty that things were decided. Inter Milan missed the penalty, and it was Matheus' turn to take the decisive penalty, squandering the net, and sealing the Rubro-Negro's place in the World Cup in England in May.

"It was a unique experience, especially for these 11- and 12-year-old boys. The positive result we achieved only reflected the excellent work done by all members of the coaching staff, who embraced our project from the beginning. We trained hard in the intense January heat of Rio de Janeiro so we could take the field prepared and play this difficult competition at the high level that a club like Flamengo deserves. Our qualification for the World Cup in England is sensational. Having the opportunity to offer this experience to these boys is unique, and it further strengthens the Flamengo brand on the global youth soccer stage," said Rodrigo Nunes, Technical Coordinator of the category and one of those responsible for another promising and successful start to the season for Flamengo's youth soccer.