Flamengo's women's team took to the field with a new sponsor last weekend. In its debut match in the Brazilian Super Cup on Sunday the 9th, the team displayed the Virtual Southern Cross logo on the upper back of its Red-Black Jersey. The negotiations were handled by the agency 100 Sports.

The agreement covers Flamengo's entire participation in the competition, which is played in a single-match knockout format. The first match was against Real Brasília at Bezerrão Stadium, broadcast live on TV Globo. Starting the partnership off on the right foot, the team secured a 3-1 victory and will face São Paulo in the semifinals.

The partnership with Flamengo is Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual's first with a professional soccer team. The brand is a major investor in Brazilian sports, with a presence in other sports besides soccer, such as volleyball and futsal. Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional's distance learning brand also sponsors the World Cup qualifiers and five state championships (Paulista, Carioca, Mineiro, Pernambucano, and Paraibano – the latter under the Centro Universitário de João Pessoa – Unipê brand), as well as the Copa do Nordeste, the country's largest regional tournament.

Last season alone, the company sponsored the Brasileirão Séries A and B, and the Copa do Brasil, the main competitions in the national soccer calendar. This year, in addition to the state championships and the Copa do Nordeste, Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional also sponsored the Copinha, a traditional under-20 tournament and the main stage for discovering top Brazilian soccer talent.

Activation with special prize

Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual will also award Flamengo's best player in each stage of the competition. The athlete will be chosen through a popular vote online. The winner will receive a distance learning scholarship for the course of her choice.

"This sponsorship reinforces the importance we place on sports as a tool for connecting with millions of Brazilians, and especially its purpose: to positively impact people's lives and bring fulfillment to individuals," highlights Flávio Janones, Executive Director of Digital Education at Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional. 

"Having the Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual brand on the jersey is a huge boost for our women's soccer team. Besides strengthening the sport, this partnership represents the support of one of the educational institutions that invests most heavily in Olympic sports in Brazil. And this is just the beginning—a first step toward promoting the 10 Olympic sports of the Red-Black team," says Marcus Vinícius Simões Freire, Director of Olympic Sports and Women's Soccer at Clube de Regatas do Flamengo.

About Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual

Cruzeiro do Sul Virtual is the brand that offers, through seven certifying institutions—Cruzeiro do Sul University, City University of São Paulo (Unicid), University of Franca (Unifran), Serra Gaúcha University Center (FSG), João Pessoa University Center (Unipê), Braz Cubas University Center, and Positivo University—approximately 300 distance learning course options, including undergraduate, teacher training, technical, and non-formal courses, at more than 1.730 centers throughout the country and two in Japan. It has over 20 years of experience in distance learning. The brand has over 360 students and is part of the Cruzeiro do Sul Educacional group, one of the most representative in the country, which brings together academically relevant institutions and recognized brands in their respective markets. Visit: www.cruzeirodosulvirtual.com.br.

About 100 Sports

100 Sports is a sports marketing agency focused on providing solutions for generating business and brand recognition in the sports arena, whether for events, clubs, or athletes. Three years after its founding, the company quickly achieved several successful case studies, led by the agency's general director, Felipe Gomiero, a leading figure in the segment in the national arena in over nine years of operation.