One of Brazil’s most iconic and globally beloved soccer teams has announced that it will train at Stockton University this summer, ahead of its first two matches for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.
CR Flamengo, based in Brazil’s largest city Rio de Janeiro, has an estimated fan base of nearly 50 million and is reportedly the country’s most valuable soccer team.
The team will arrive at Stockton’s Galloway campus on June 11, ahead of its first game in the global tournament at 9 p.m., June 16, against Tunisian squad Espérance Sportive de Tunisie.
The team will continue to practice at Stockton before its second name against English Premier League standouts Chelsea FC at 2 p.m., June 20. Both games will be played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
“Stockton is proud to welcome the CR Flamengo to the United States and New Jersey,” said Stockton President Joe Bertolino. “Our Athletics Department has worked hard to prepare our top-notch facilities for this event, and this will be a great opportunity to showcase our beautiful campus to CR Flamengo and the world.”
The team will have access to two natural grass outdoor fields, including G. Larry James Stadium, and the air-conditioned Sports Center, which includes physical therapy facilities and meeting rooms for the coaching staff.
“We are extremely excited to serve as the Team Base Camp for CR Flamengo this summer. We had a wonderful visit in late December and could not be happier to partner with them in their quest for the FIFA Club World Cup. We look forward to providing the ‘Rubro-Negro’ with a home away from home this summer,” Tony Berich, Stockton’s executive director of Athletics & Campus Recreation, referring to a nickname for CR Flamengo that refers to the team’s black and red colors.
“At Stockton, we have a proud, rich history of hosting for FIFA going back to the 1994 World Cup, and thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our Associate Athletic Director Jeff Haines, we are able to continue that tradition,” Berich added.
In 1994, Stockton University hosted the Saudi Arabia national soccer team that competed in that year’s World Cup. The university also hosted a friendly match with Trinidad and Tobago.
CR Flamengo cited Stockton’s proximity to Philadelphia as one of the main reasons it picked Stockton in a release on the team’s website.
“This strategic decision aims to minimize physical exertion and enhance logistical efficiency for the team,” the release said. “The decision followed a technical visit to available venues led by manager Gabriel Skinner and received the approval of football director José Boto.”
CR Flamengo is one of six South American teams to qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 after winning the 2022 CONMEBOL Libertadores tournament. The FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 11 United States cities from June 14 to July 13 and features 32 teams divided into eight different groups from six confederations around the world. Flamengo’s final game in the group stage will be against León, from Mexico, in Orlando on June 24. The top two teams from each of the groups will advance to the knockout stage. The tournament’s final will take place July 13 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
