taça guanabara · History

The first Taça Guanabara was played in 1965 and won by Vasco da Gama, with Botafogo as runners-up. The tournament began in the former state of Guanabara, which covered the city of Rio de Janeiro, as a way of choosing the state’s representative in the Taça Brasil, the national competition of that era. It is organised by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation (FERJ). Until 1971 it was played separately from the Campeonato Carioca. Since 1972, with a few exceptions, it has been the opening stage of the state championship.

A route into the Taça Brasil

In each of its first five editions, from 1965 to 1969, the Taça Guanabara gave its winner a place in the Taça Brasil. The number of clubs taking part grew from one year to the next. After Vasco won in 1965, Fluminense took the 1966 title ahead of Flamengo, and Botafogo won back-to-back in 1967 and 1968, finishing ahead of América and Flamengo. Fluminense won again in 1969, and Flamengo lifted the cup for the first time in 1970, with Fluminense second. Until 1971 the tournament sat outside the Carioca calendar.

First round of the Campeonato Carioca

In 1972 the Taça Guanabara became the first round of the Campeonato Carioca. Flamengo won the first edition in that format and retained it in 1973. América had been runners-up several times and won the only title in their history in 1974, with Fluminense second. Flamengo won five editions in a row between 1978 and 1982, the longest run in the competition. The 1979 edition had 18 teams and produced 373 goals in 153 matches, the highest goal total the tournament has recorded.

Alongside the Taça Rio

From 1982 the Taça Guanabara was paired with the Taça Rio, with each serving as one round of the Campeonato Carioca. In 1994 and 1995 the format changed, and only the two best sides from the first phase took part. Clubs from outside the state capital also won the title in this period. Americano of Campos dos Goytacazes won in 2002, and Volta Redonda won in 2005, beating Americano for the title. The lowest-scoring edition on record is 1998, with 77 goals in 28 matches.

Format changes since 2014

From 2014 to 2016 the tournament was a single round. Between 2017 and 2019 it was played home and away, and each group winner went through to the semi-finals. In 2017 an extra four-team tournament for the third- and fourth-placed sides in each group was also held, and Nova Iguaçu won it. In 2020 the Taça Guanabara winner met the Taça Rio winner in a final. Since 2021 the Taça Guanabara has been the first phase of the Carioca, played as a 12-team league. The 2026 rules split the clubs into two groups of six and gave the title to the group winner with the better record.

Rio’s big four on top

The city’s four big clubs have won almost every title. Flamengo lead the list with 25, the most recent in 2025 against Volta Redonda after another win in 2024 ahead of Nova Iguaçu. Vasco have 13, the last in 2019, and hold the record for runner-up finishes with 15. Botafogo have eight, the most recent in 2015. América, Americano and Volta Redonda have one each. Boavista, Madureira, Resende and Nova Iguaçu have all reached the final or finished second without winning the cup.

Recent editions

Fluminense won in 2022 and 2023. In 2023 they came from behind to beat Flamengo in the deciding derby with a late goal. In 2026 they clinched the title before the final matchday, after Botafogo lost to Vasco. They finished the qualifying phase with a 1–0 win over Maricá at the Maracanã, through a Kevin Serna goal, ending on 15 points. It was Fluminense’s 13th Taça Guanabara, which drew them level with Vasco in second place on the all-time list, behind Flamengo’s 25.