What Happened in Brazilian Soccer Yesterday (Monday, June 16th 2025)

Atlético-MG

• Gabriel Veneno, Atlético-MG's 15-year-old gem often compared to Neymar, draws worldwide attention with his skillful style, Adidas contract, and focus on shining at the club before dreaming of Europe.

• Igor Rabello, under contract until December, revealed that no renewal talks have occurred yet and he’s focused on playing more while evaluating interest with help from his agent and father.

• Cuca is one win away from reaching 100 home victories as Atlético-MG's coach, further cementing his status as one of the club's greatest managers.

Bahia

• Bahia will face Retrô in the Round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil, with the first leg in Salvador on July 30 and the return match at Arena Pernambuco on August 5. The winner will receive an additional R$ 4.7 million in prize money.

• Erick Pulga finishes the semester as Bahia’s standout player, leading the squad with eight goals and eight assists in 33 games.

Botafogo

• After the win over Seattle, Botafogo starters had a recovery session at the hotel, while reserves and less-used players trained on the field. The next match is against PSG on June 19 in the Club World Cup.

• John Textor confirmed that only Igor Jesus and Jair will be sold to Nottingham Forest. Initially included in the deal, full-back Cuiabano will remain at Botafogo for now, though he continues to draw interest from European clubs.

• With the 2–1 victory over Seattle Sounders, Botafogo earned US$ 2 million (R$ 11.1 million) in the Club World Cup. The club plans to receive the amount in Brazil to reduce tax liabilities.

Ceará

• Ceará is boosting its brand internationally by having youth teams compete in European tournaments such as the Festival D’Armor in France, combining athletic performance with cultural development and marketing strategies.

• The club is using the schedule break to renovate the turf and expand the main training field at Porangabuçu, with completion expected in the coming weeks.

Corinthians

• Uruguayan forward Franco Delgado is suing Corinthians, contradicting the “no-cost partnership” claim, potentially costing the club R$ 1.29 million (around €236,000).

• Memphis Depay, with 13 goals and 14 assists in 42 matches for Corinthians, is being monitored by Turkish club Besiktas, which sees him as a potential replacement for Ciro Immobile.

• Franco Delgado, a U-20 player, filed for contract termination due to FGTS delays and is claiming R$ 604,000 (approx. €110,000), including salaries, fines, and future payments through 2027.

Cruzeiro

• Cruzeiro coach Leonardo Jardim, who discovered Mbappé, has been promoting youth players like Kaiki Kenji, Murilo Rhikman, and Kauã Prates.

• Cruzeiro has matched the 24 points earned in the first 12 rounds of its 2013 title-winning campaign and dreams of a new triumph under Jardim.]

• Recovered from a knee injury, Matheus Henrique will return after the league break and announced he is expecting his first child.

Flamengo

• Flamengo dominated Espérance in their Club World Cup debut, winning 2–0 and preparing for a decisive match against Chelsea.

• With the win, Flamengo earned a US$ 2 million bonus and has already secured US$ 15.21 million just for participating.

• Filipe Luís acknowledged a drop in pace after the first goal but considered the 2–0 victory a strong performance.

Fluminense

• President Mário Bittencourt denied that Soteldo was signed while injured, stating that his Grade 2 thigh injury occurred after joining. He’s out for the Club World Cup group stage but may return if the team advances.

• In 2013, Fluminense nearly purchased a U.S. franchise (Charlotte or Jacksonville) to expand its brand but switched to a partnership with Slovakia’s SFK Samorín due to a lack of investors.

• Fluminense could earn up to R$ 160 million if they win all group-stage matches and reach the Club World Cup’s Round of 16. Regardless, participation guarantees around R$ 83.5 million.

Fortaleza

• Marcelo Paz ensured coach Vojvoda would stay by promising a squad overhaul.

• Lucas Sasha will renew his contract with Fortaleza despite interest from Athletico-PR.

• Fortaleza is interested in signing 30-year-old midfielder João Mendes, who is nearing the end of his contract with Vitória Guimarães.

Grêmio

• Coach Mano Menezes is carefully managing the return of 17-year-old gem Gabriel Mec following an ankle fracture.

• Barcelona is advancing in negotiations for Vanderson, ex-Grêmio, competing with Tottenham; a deal could bring millions to the club.

• Grêmio faces challenges in signing a Brazilian center-back due to high costs and strong competition.

Internacional

• Internacional has seven players nearing contract expiry, with five already eligible to sign pre-contracts starting in July. The club must decide between renewals or roster overhaul.

• The club will only release Thiago Maia to an MLS team that pays R$ 15 million and assumes R$ 25.4 million in debts owed to Flamengo.

• A €10 million price tag has been set for defender Victor Gabriel, who is also targeted by Wolverhampton.

Juventude

• Juventude resumes training on June 23 and is close to signing left-back Marcelo Hermes and midfielder Hudson. The club has released nine players and seeks replacements for wide and wing positions.

• The CBF released Série A fixtures for Juventude from Rounds 13–18, including a July 14 debut against Sport at Alfredo Jaconi. Matches vs. Palmeiras and Vasco remain unscheduled.

• Juventude was eliminated from the U-20 Gauchão after a 1–0 loss to São José, despite dominating. They face América-MG in the U-20 Brasileirão on Wednesday (18).

Mirassol

• Paulinho has been promoted to football executive at Mirassol after rejecting offers from Santos and Sport. The former midfielder will now serve as general manager, stepping away from direct coaching duties.

Santos

• Huracán rejected Santos' €1.68 million (approx. R$ 10 million) offer for 50% of midfielder Matko Miljevic's rights. The 24-year-old has played for Newell’s, CF Montreal, and Argentinos Juniors, scoring 5 goals and 5 assists this season.

• Santos is revamping its squad, having parted ways with Soteldo and Léo Godoy. Potential exits include Julio Furch (forward), JP Chermont (full-back), João Paulo (goalkeeper, 29),

• João Schmidt and Diego Pituca (midfielders). Gabriel Veron (forward) remains sidelined due to disciplinary issues.

• Benjamin Rollheiser and João Schmidt are suspended for the July 13 match against Palmeiras after receiving their third yellow cards in a 3–2 win over Fortaleza.

São Paulo

• With the senior squad on break, São Paulo’s U-20 team will be reinforced by Ryan Francisco (17, forward), Matheus Alves (20, midfielder), Maik (20, midfielder), and Henrique Carmo (19, defender) for matches against Athletico-PR and Bahia.

• Hernán Crespo is São Paulo's new coach with a contract until December 2026, with part of a previous debt incorporated into his signing bonus.

• Looking for a versatile attacking midfielder, São Paulo rejected a proposal involving Weslley Patati (ex-Santos, currently at Maccabi Tel Aviv), citing "zero chance" of interest.

Sport Recife

• Sport and coach António Oliveira reached a mutual contract termination agreement. The club will pay R$ 3.22 million in ten installments, avoiding a lump-sum payment.

• Enrico Ambrogini called for full commitment during the mid-season break: "Either we all commit or nothing works. It’s DNA—it’s living Sport. Time to hit the gas!"

• Sport is close to permanently signing defensive midfielder Pedro Augusto from Fortaleza.

Vasco

• Admar Lopes joined Vasco as the new football director with plans to renew key contracts and restructure the scouting department. He faces budget constraints and must resolve cases like Léo Jardim and Puma Rodríguez.

• Lucas Eduardo, a 21-year-old midfielder loaned to Cuiabá, has returned to Vasco after just one Série B match. Back at the club, he has four senior appearances.

• Leandrinho will return from his loan to Al-Shabab on June 23. The Saudi club is interested in signing him but hasn’t made a move yet.

Vitória

• Vitória is eyeing midfielder Calebe from Fortaleza, who may leave during the transfer window.

• Vitória is in an offensive crisis in 2025, with only 14 goals in 12 Série A matches and no striker reaching 10 goals, reflecting inefficiency even with numerical advantages.

• The CBF released Vitória’s Série A fixtures for Rounds 13–18, starting with a July 12 match at Internacional’s Beira-Rio and three straight home games between July 19 and August 3.