On 21 July 1902, in a house in Rio de Janeiro, twenty young men founded a team that would become a symbol of the city. Fluminense turns 125 on 21 July 2027. It is a story of Swiss influences, a fabric nobody could find and three colours that became a nickname.

Oscar Cox and a living room in Flamengo

The driving force was Oscar Cox, an English citizen born in Brazil, who had learned football while studying in Lausanne. The first meeting took place at the home of Horácio da Costa Santos, on Marquês de Abrantes street in the Flamengo district, and Cox was elected the first president.

The founders first considered "Rio Football Club", but chose Fluminense instead. The word comes from the Latin flumen, meaning river, and is the name for people from the state of Rio. Within a few months the club had moved to the Laranjeiras neighbourhood, which became its home.

Grey, white and the big change

The first shirt was split vertically into white and grey. The problem was practical: grey cloth was scarce on the market at the time.

On 15 July 1904 an extraordinary general meeting voted for new colours: garnet, green and white, in vertical stripes. The tricolour shirt was made in 1905 and first worn on 7 May, in a 7-1 friendly win over Rio Cricket in Niterói.

Ever since, the club has been the "Tricolor", with white shorts and socks. The old grey came back only as a tribute, in a 2021 third shirt with garnet details.

A Swiss crest and the legend of the powder

The crest is a shield in the Swiss style of the 18th and 19th centuries, and sources suggest it was inspired by Cox's years in Switzerland. In the centre the club's initials are interlaced in Gothic letters, while the three stars above recall three runs of three straight state titles.

The strangest nickname is "Pó de Arroz", rice powder. According to legend, in a 1914 match against America the player Carlos Alberto powdered his face to hide the colour of his skin. Sources disagree, as another version speaks of powder used after shaving, but the fans adopted the name and throw talc when the team comes out.

Laranjeiras, the Maracanã and the Fla-Flu

In 1911 nine players left Fluminense and set up the football section of Flamengo. The first Fla-Flu was played on 7 July 1912 and Flu won 3-2, mostly with reserves.

The Laranjeiras ground opened in 1919 and hosted that year's Copa América. Today the team plays at the Maracanã, where a 1963 Fla-Flu drew 194,603 spectators, a world record for a club match.

From the "Machine" to the 2023 triumph

In the 1970s the "Máquina Tricolor" of Rivellino dazzled Rio, while before him Carlos Alberto Torres and Gérson had worn the shirt. Goalkeeper Castilho is regarded as the club's greatest idol, followed by centre-forward Fred of the 2010 and 2012 titles.

The big moment came in 2023: Flu beat Boca Juniors 2-1 in the final to win their first Copa Libertadores, with John Kennedy scoring the winner. In 2025 they reached the semi-finals of the Club World Cup after getting past Inter and Al-Hilal, and finished 5th in the Brazilian league, earning a direct place in the 2026 Libertadores group stage.

Celebrate with us

From the grey cloth nobody could find to the garnet, green and white stripes of the Maracanã, Fluminense carries 125 years of Rio history. Happy birthday to the Tricolor, and here's to even more powder in the stands next year!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Fluminense fans at the Maracanã – Alexandre M. B. Berwanger, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.