Where the Game Lives: A Portrait of Rio’s Football Culture

June 2, 2025

“Whether it ends in celebration or heartbreak, the experience is intense and absolutely unforgettable.”

I’ve tried to capture what it means to be a supporter in this city

There’s a moment — just before kick-off — when the air inside a Rio stadium seems to pause. It’s not silence exactly, but a kind of shared anticipation: fans swaying in rhythm, flags waving overhead, voices warming up for something bigger. “Football lives in the streets, in the corners, in every conversation,” someone once told me, and in Rio de Janeiro, it really does.

As a photographer, I’ve spent the past few years documenting that feeling. My focus isn’t the players or the pitch, but the people in the stands — the fans who turn match days into something closer to a communal ritual than just a sporting event. From the red-and-black sea of Flamengo at the Maracanã to the resilient and loyal crowd at São Januário, home of Vasco, I’ve tried to capture what it means to be a supporter in this city.

“Supporting a club here means carrying a piece of the city on your chest,” one fan explained to me. It’s true — football in Rio cuts across neighbourhoods, social classes, and generations. It shows up in the metro, at work, and at university. “Even after tough years,” said a Vasco fan I met, “we fill the stadium.”

In this piece, I explore what football means in Rio de Janeiro — not just as a game, but as a reflection of identity, tradition, joy, and sometimes heartbreak. Through stories and images, this is a look at the soul of the city as told from the stands of its four legendary clubs: Flamengo, Fluminense, Vasco, and Botafogo.

It’s about experiencing the soul of the city

The football culture in Rio de Janeiro goes far beyond the 90 minutes of a match. It’s something deeply woven into everyday life. On match days — especially the most important ones — it’s impossible to walk around the city without seeing people proudly wearing their team’s jerseys.

You’ll see them on the metro, at universities, and even at work. And the day after a win, the streets are once again filled with shirts, smiles, and conversations about the game.

Football in Rio is something that unites people across all social classes, ages, and neighbourhoods.

It’s not just about passion — it’s about identity, tradition, history, and belonging. Supporting a club here means carrying a piece of the city on your chest.

The supporters are like extended families, passing down songs, rituals, and memories from generation to generation.

Football lives in the streets, in the corners, and in every conversation. It’s one of the city’s greatest cultural expressions.

There is absolutely nothing like the football culture in Rio — and Brazil as a whole — anywhere else in the world. Watching a match at the Maracanã, São Januário, or Nilton Santos isn’t just about the game — it’s about experiencing the soul of the city.

The passion runs so deep

There is absolutely nothing like football in Rio, anywhere else in the world.

Watching a match at the Maracanã, São Januário, or Nilton Santos is not just about football — it’s about feeling the heartbeat of Rio.

The clubs from Rio aren’t just local giants — they have massive fan bases all over Brazil. It’s common for fans to travel from other states just to witness a game here, while also enjoying the city’s beauty.

The passion runs so deep that even when these teams play away, stadiums are often packed with their supporters.

A great example happened recently in the Copa do Brasil. Flamengo played against Botafogo-PB, but the game wasn’t held in João Pessoa, the home of Botafogo-PB. Instead, it was moved to the Castelão Stadium in São Luís, Maranhão, thanks to a record-breaking deal worth around R$6 million (over $1 million USD) — the highest field rental fee in Brazilian football history.

More than 32,000 tickets were sold, making it the highest-grossing football match ever in the Northeast region. This happened because the passion for Rio’s clubs stretches far beyond the city itself.

Attending a match here is witnessing a fusion of sport, culture, emotion, and history. From the pre-match rituals to the final whistle — whether it ends in celebration or heartbreak — the experience is intense and absolutely unforgettable.

These four giants represent much more than trophies

Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense and Vasco are far more than sports institutions — they are cultural treasures of Brazil, carrying stories that have shaped society.

Flamengo is the people’s club. It has the largest fan base in Brazil and represents passion, strength, and community. A full Maracanã is practically synonymous with a Flamengo match, whether it’s in Rio or elsewhere in the country.

Fluminense is a club with deep ties to tradition and elegance, but also a legacy of resistance. The famous “pó de arroz” (rice powder) tradition began when rivals mocked Fluminense for including Black and mixed-race players early on. In response, fans humorously applied rice powder to their faces, transforming an insult into a symbol of pride.

Botafogo is one of Brazil’s most historic clubs, known for producing some of the greatest players ever to wear the national team jersey — legends like Garrincha, Nilton Santos, and Jairzinho. The club carries the magic of its “lone star” and, after years of struggles, recently captured the long-awaited Libertadores title, reigniting its massive fanbase.

Vasco symbolises resistance, inclusion, and social justice. It was a pioneer in fighting racism in Brazilian football, being one of the first clubs to welcome Black players and those from lower social classes. Even through difficult years and relegations, Vasco’s fans remain fiercely loyal, filling São Januário and every stadium the team plays in.

These four giants represent much more than trophies. They embody identity, struggle, love, and the very soul of Rio and Brazil.

I’m capturing feelings, stories, and emotions

While many photos are posed, the most powerful — and best-selling — are the spontaneous moments: a child on their father’s shoulders, couples hugging, the tension in a fan’s eyes, the explosion of joy after a goal, or even the heartbreak of defeat.

My mission through photography is to transform pure emotions into timeless memories. These are images that become physical representations of a day that, for those fans, will never be forgotten. I’m not just photographing people — I’m capturing feelings, stories, and emotions.

Many special moments have stayed with me, but one in particular stands out. A father once approached me at the stadium to show me a photo I had taken of him and his son celebrating a Fluminense goal.

He had bought the photo and set it as his phone’s wallpaper. He came over just to thank me, telling me how much that image meant to him.

Beyond that, being able to photograph the supporters of my own team — singing along with them while I work — is something truly priceless.

Being in the midst of organised supporters, living those moments from the inside while helping to preserve those memories for others, is incredibly meaningful.

It’s also been amazing to get to know other fanbases and to understand the unique traditions and cultures that make each of them so special.