Flamengo secured a place in the FIFA Copa Intercontinental semi-finals by defeating Cruz Azul 2-1 this Wednesday, at Estádio Ahmad Bin Ali, at Al Rayyan, at Catar. Dois goals from Giorgian from Arrascaeta sealed the victory in Dérbi from
The Rio team, coached by Filipe Luís, is now competing in the Copa Challenger against Pyramids, from
The match takes place this Saturday, December 13th, at 2pm (Brasília time), at the same stadium. The winner will face Paris Saint-Germain in the final, scheduled for Wednesday, December 17th, also at 2pm.
- Live broadcast on TV Globo, sportv, ge.tv and FIFA+.
- Expected audience: around 20 thousand fans, with a strong presence of red and black fans.
- Prize for classification: at least 2 million dollars for Flamengo.
CR Flamengo are FIFA Derby of the Americas champions! 🏆
— FIFA (@FIFAcom)December 11, 2025
After beating Cruz Azul, they will now face Pyramids FC in the FIFA Challenger Cup this Saturday — with the winner progressing to the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Final on 17 December.
Congratulations,@Flemish! 👏pic.twitter.com/FDiZaql4Ob
Flamengo’s recent trajectory in the competition
Rubro-Negro entered as champions of Libertadores and Brasileirão 2025. The victory over Cruz Azul came after a balanced first half, with Jorge Sánchez drawing after 43 minutes.
In the second half, Arrascaeta decided in the 26th minute with a low shot after a rebound. The Flamengo defense held off the Mexican pressure in the final minutes.
Filipe Luís praised the team’s focus in the post-game press conference. The coach highlighted the importance of ball possession, which reached 58% in the match.
Pyramids arrives undefeated in the preliminary stages
Pyramids qualified as the winner of Liga of Campeões of África 2024-25. The Egyptian club beat Mamelodi Sundowns in the continental final.
In September, the team beat Auckland City 3-0 at Cairo, in the África-Asia-Oceania play-off. Afterwards, they eliminated Al-Ahli from Arábia Saudita by 3-1.
Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić leads a squad with an average age of 27. The team uses the annual Intercontinental format for the first time since its founding in 2008.
Highlights of the Egyptian squad for the duel
Fadel Sory Nabou, a 25-year-old striker, scored two goals in the previous stages. The Guinean player leads the Pyramids top scorer with nine goals in the African season.
Brazilian Ewerton, a defender signed for 2.8 million euros in July, reinforces the defense. Ele has played in 15 matches for the club since arriving.
Goalkeeper Ahmed Ekramy, aged 42, brings experience from nine Egyptian titles with Al Ahly. Sua participation in Copa of Mundo in 2018 adds international baggage.
- Probable formation: Ekramy; El Zeny, Ewerton, Ali, Hany; Carvalho, El Shahat, Zizo; Mayele, Nabou, El Agouz.
- Injuries: Nenhum confirmed absence for the game.
Red-black preparation in Doha
Flamengo starts training this Thursday at Catar, focusing on offensive tactics. Arrascaeta, scorer of the goals against Cruz Azul, participated in regenerative exercises.
Bruno Henrique and Everton Cebolinha trained with the full group. Full-back Alex Sandro received a yellow card in the previous game, but is fit.
Filipe Luís plans minimum rotation to preserve players. The technical committee monitors wear after intercontinental trips.
The red and black delegation has 28 athletes. The club transported 150 official fans to the tournament.
Stadium and logistics at Catar
The Ahmad Bin Ali, in
Tournaments like Intercontinental maintain the active post-World Cup structure. FIFA invested 200 million dollars in sporting legacies in the country.
The game takes place at 6pm local time of Doha, with an average temperature of 22 degrees Celsius. Arbitragem will be released by FIFA this Friday.
History of clashes with Africans
Flamengo has recorded 16 wins in 23 games against African teams. The last victory was 2-0 over Espérance, from Tunísia, in 2025.
Against Egyptians, the only duel was in 2022, with a 4-2 victory over Al Ahly. The Pyramids represents the second specific test.
The Rio club is looking for the first Intercontinental title in the annual format, launched in 2024. Real Madrid won the inaugural edition.
This continental superiority reinforces expectations for Saturday.
Expectations for the possible final
PSG, directly in the final, evaluates a mixed lineup due to the European calendar. Luis Enrique prioritizes injuries to stars like Mbappé.
A red-black victory at Challenger guarantees the symbolic trophy and 50% more prize money. The tournament total reaches 10 million dollars for the champion.
Flamengo accumulates 151 million reais in revenue from recent Mundiais. The Intercontinental serves as preparation for the Copa of the Mundo of the Clubes of 2029.
Brazilian players in Pyramids
Ewerton Silva, born in Amapá, faces compatriots for the first time at the club. The 30-year-old defender played 12 games in the African Champions.
Pyramids invested in South American talent to raise the bar. Outros reinforcements include Uruguayan Dunga, a 28-year-old midfielder.
The presence of Brazilians in the Egyptian squad adds balance to the confrontation. The Egyptian club plans to expand with more signings in 2026.