Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, true to its commitment to excellence and the evolution of Brazilian football, welcomes the decision of the majority of Serie A clubs, who, with a vision for the future and responsibility towards the spectacle and the health of the athletes, decided to immediately suspend the approval of new synthetic turf fields in Serie A.

The decision also reaffirms support for the initiative to establish a World-Class Natural Grass Quality Standard in Brazil, to be defined within the scope of the CBF Working Group to be formed. The decision was taken at the Série A Technical Council on 11/12/2025.

Flamengo, which last Monday filed a technical document with the CBF (RGC / REC) containing suggestions and analyses, making public its position in favor of ending synthetic turf in Série A, implementing a rigorous quality standard for natural fields, and a safe and gradual transition, welcomes the progress of the debate initiated by the club and the decision taken, understanding that it reflects a necessary evolution for Brazilian football.

The End of an Era of Backwardness

Suspending the approval of new artificial pavements is a first step towards the fundamental recognition that:

1. The athletes' opinion is paramount: Flamengo has always maintained that the voice of the true protagonists, the athletes – who have already spoken out in large numbers, including names like Neymar, Gabigol, and Thiago Silva – should carry decisive weight. According to the athletes, the natural grass field is the only surface recognized worldwide as suitable for high-performance football, ensuring the players' health and the technical fairness of the game.

2. Non-negotiable quality: The minority justification that "high-performance" synthetic turf surpasses natural fields in "poor conditions" is an admission of the urgent need for a technical standard and a program to improve the management and maintenance of natural fields in the country, and not a defense of plastic turf. The solution is to invest in maintenance and technology for natural grass, according to the First World Standard that Flamengo and most clubs aspire to.

3. FIFA understands that synthetic turf is not suitable for high-level competitions and therefore does not allow it in its top-tier competitions. Flamengo is interacting with leading FIFA experts on this issue and, as a result, is bringing to Brazil and to the future working group a set of studies from FIFA's research group that will be fundamental to supporting the technical discussion of the subject.

The Future of Gaming is Natural

Flamengo congratulates the CBF for leading the technical debate – including the pace of play and unfair competitive advantages – and, more crucially, for paving the way for a robust governance model that will allow the mandatory transition to natural grass for all elite clubs.

The year 2026 will mark the return of Brazilian excellence, where the field can finally be an ally of talent and technique, and not an obstacle to be overcome.

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo reaffirms its commitment to modernization, transparency, and above all, to the quality of football played in Brazil. The Club will remain at the forefront, actively collaborating with the CBF (Brazilian Football Confederation) and other clubs in defining a World-Class Natural Grass Standard, ensuring that the spectacle on the field lives up to the passion of the fans and the history of the five-time world champion football nation.