The Flamengo delegation of the under-16 category left Ninho do Urubu towards Macaé, in the North-Fluminense Region, in the early afternoon of this Saturday (18), right after lunch. Flamengo will compete in the Brasil Soccer Cup starting this Sunday, when they will face Rio Branco, from Espírito Santo, at 11:30 am, at the Cláudio Moacyr de Azevedo Stadium, the Moacyrzão.

Before departure, coach Diogo Calhau led the team's final training session before their debut, on field 4 of the George Helal Training Center. Flamengo is in Group B, alongside Independente, from the host city of the tournament, and Friburgo Sporting, from the municipality of Friburgo, located in the Mesoregion of the State of Rio, as well as Rio Branco, their first-round opponent.

The Brasil Soccer Cup features 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 16, which begins on July 22nd, followed by the quarterfinals the next day, and the semifinals on July 24th. The final is scheduled for July 25th. Vasco, Palmeiras, Red Bull Bragantino-SP, Santos, Atlético-MG, Goiás, Juventude-RS, and Cuiabá are some of the clubs that will also compete in the tournament.

Following the Brasil Soccer Cup, Flamengo's under-16 team will play the first leg of the Copa Rio final on July 29th at the José Bastos Padilha Stadium in Gávea. The second leg, which will determine the champion, is scheduled for August 22nd at the Marcelo Vieira Stadium in Xerém. Between the two title matches, Flamengo will participate in the Adidas Cup in Lima, Peru, from August 3rd to 8th.

The Brasil Soccer Cup – organized by the Macaense Sports League (LMD), with supervision from the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation (FERJ) – has been played in the same format since 2022. In addition to Macaé, the competition has four other cities in the state of Rio as host cities: Quissamã, Carapebus, Nova Friburgo, and São Gonçalo.

It is worth noting that the Brasil Soccer Cup meets the specific criteria that Clube de Regatas do Flamengo follows for participation in tournaments.