Does Arrascaeta play today? Where to watch Flamengo x Cruz Azul today for the Intercontinental Cup By Carolina Costa
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Flamengo enters the field this Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 5pm UTC, against Cruz Azul in Estádio Ahmed bin Ali, in Al Rayyan, in Qatar. The clash is worth a place in the semi-finals of Copa Intercontinental FIFA 2025, a new annual tournament that brings together continental champions. Giorgian De Arrascaeta is confirmed in the starting lineup and will be the main articulator of the red-black attack.
Filipe Luís uses the traditional 4-2-3-1 formation. Rossi defends the goal, with Varela, Léo Ortiz, Léo Pereira and Alex Sandro in defense. Erick Pulgar and Jorginho form the midfielder duo, while De Arrascaeta acts centrally in the offensive trio alongside Carrascal and Samuel Lino. Bruno Henrique, captain, complete the attack.
Uruguayan De Arrascaeta, 31 years old, participated in 32 games in the 2025 season and has 12 goals and 18 assists. Sua presence increases the chances created by Flamengo in decisive matches by 28%, according to club data.
- Position of Arrascaeta: central midfielder with total freedom.
- Tactical function: link midfield and attack with vertical passes.
- Immediate bank: Nicolás De La Cruz, Everton Cebolinha and Michael.
Cruz Azul arrives with important absences in defense
Cruz Azul suffers from absences in defense for the match. Jesús Orozco remains out due to a broken ankle and Andrés Montaño did not travel due to a knee injury. Nicolás Larcamón confirms Andrés Gudiño in goal and line of three defenders formed by Willer Ditta, Erik Lira and Gonzalo Piovi.
The Mexican attack has Gabriel Fernández as a reference, supported by José Rivero and Ángel Sepúlveda. Omar Campos and Ignacio Rivero act as wingbacks in the 3-4-3 formation. Lorenzo Faravelli will be responsible for marking De Arrascaeta closely.
The celestial team won 12 of the last 17 games in Apertura 2025, but lost defensive intensity in the last knockouts. The average number of goals conceded rose to 1.6 per match in knockout matches.
The Mexican delegation held its last training session on Tuesday, December 9, focusing on aerial balls and high pressure on the Flamengo midfielders.
Final preparation of teams at Qatar
Flamengo disembarked at Doha on Sunday, December 7, and used Aspire Academy for acclimatization. Tuesday’s training confirmed De Arrascaeta without physical restrictions after full recovery from muscle fatigue. The technical committee simulated 30°C to reproduce game conditions.
Cruz Azul arrived on Monday and trained at Education City Stadium. Larcamón adjusted the individual marking on Arrascaeta, a key part of the red-black system. The Argentine coach highlighted the importance of neutralizing the Uruguayan in the first 20 minutes.
The referee will be the Swedish Glenn Nyberg, assisted by Mahbod Beigi and Andreas Söderkvist. Nyberg has an average of 4.3 yellow cards per game in FIFA competitions and is rigorous against simulations.
Where to watch live Cruz Azul x Flamengo
The match has wide coverage on Brasil and abroad. TV Globo broadcasts on an open channel from 1:45 pm on Brasília, with pre-game at 1:30 pm. SporTV broadcasts on pay-per-view with narration by Gustavo Villani and comments by Paulo César Vasconcellos.
Free streaming on FIFA+ with simple registration, available in Portuguese, English and Spanish. CazéTV broadcasts on YouTube free of charge, with Casimiro Miguel in the narration. GE TV covers you in real time with exclusive videos.
Nos Estados Unidos, Fanatiz and beIN Sports screen for North American audiences. No Qatar, local time is 8pm, broadcast on Al Kass. Globoplay includes paid option with full replay.
Decisive role of De Arrascaeta in the scheme of Filipe Luís
From Arrascaeta he plays as the classic number 10 in Flamengo’s 4-2-3-1. Ele receives between the lines, rotates the game and activates Bruno Henrique on the diagonals. In 2025, the Uruguayan has 82% accuracy in progressive passes and creates 3.4 clear chances per match.
Cruz Azul plans to double mark with Faravelli and Márquez on the red-and-black midfielder. Larcamón advised compaction of the lines to reduce spaces in zone 14, Arrascaeta’s preferred area. The Mexican tries to force the Uruguayan to play with his back to the goal.
Projections indicate a 58% chance of victory for Flamengo with Arrascaeta on the field for 90 minutes. The expected goals average rises to 2.1 when the number 10 participates fully. The winner faces Pyramids FC on Saturday, December 13th.
Fan expectations and logistics at Ahmed bin Ali
Around 8 thousand red and black fans bought tickets for the visiting sector. The Cruz Azul crowd occupies approximately 3 thousand seats. Ingressos range from 50 to 200 Qatari riyals, around R$75 to R$300.
The stadium has a capacity for 45,000 people and hosted seven games from Copa to Mundo 2022. Temperatura was expected to be 24°C at game time, with humidity of 55%. FIFA reinforced security with 1,200 agents in the surrounding area.
Flamengo is looking for its second intercontinental championship, while Cruz Azul is trying for its first world title since 1971. The duel marks the first official meeting between the clubs.
