On 25 January 1930 the founding charter of São Paulo was signed, a date the club regards as its great celebration. On 25 January 2027 Brazil's "Tricolor" turns 97 years old. Its story has a rare twist: the club disappeared and was born again within a few months.

Two clubs become one

São Paulo was born from the union of two old clubs in the city. Paulistano had shut down its football section in 1929, and many of its players and officials joined forces with Associação Atlética das Palmeiras. Around sixty people from the two clubs signed the founding.

Palmeiras brought its ground, the Chácara da Floresta, which is why the 1930-1935 period is informally known as "São Paulo da Floresta". Paulistano brought stars, among them the legendary Arthur Friedenreich.

An end and a new beginning

Internal disputes and financial problems led to a merger with Clube de Regatas Tietê. With the decision of 14 May 1935, the football section ceased to exist.

The club's supporters did not give up, however, and in June 1935 they set up Clube Atlético São Paulo. On 16 December 1935 the club was officially refounded as São Paulo Futebol Clube. Since 2006, under a municipal law, that day has been celebrated in the city as "Dia Tricolor".

Red, white, black

The three colours tell a story of union: the red came from Paulistano, the black from Palmeiras, and both clubs shared the white. That is why the team is called "Tricolor Paulista". The flag of the state of São Paulo has the same colours.

The home shirt is white, with horizontal red and black bands across the chest, white shorts and white socks. The second kit has vertical red, white and black stripes with black shorts. Both are among the most recognisable shirts in South America.

A crest with five stars

The crest is a shield shaped like an inverted triangle, with the initials SPFC in a black rectangle and the three colours below. Above it sit five stars, with a story few people know.

The two gold stars are not for football titles but for the records of the club's athlete Adhemar Ferreira da Silva at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and the 1955 Pan American Games. The three red stars recall the two Intercontinental Cups (1992, 1993) and the 2005 Club World Championship.

Telê Santana, Raí and Ceni

The golden era began when Telê Santana took charge in 1990. Back-to-back Copa Libertadores titles followed (1992, 1993) and, on 13 December 1992 in Tokyo, a 2-1 win over Johan Cruyff's Barcelona. Both goals were scored by Raí, the second from a free kick that went down in history.

In 2005 São Paulo won a third Libertadores and in Yokohama beat Liverpool 1-0 with a goal from Mineiro. Goalkeeper Rogério Ceni, who wore the shirt from 1990 to 2015, was named the tournament's best player. The list of idols also includes Leônidas, Zizinho, Kaká and Cafu.

The team's home is the Morumbi, designed by architect Vilanova Artigas, which opened in 1960 and holds more than 72,000 spectators. In the Morumbi era the team collected six Brazilian championships (1977, 1986, 1991 and three in a row in 2006-2008) and, in 2023, its first Copa do Brasil.

Celebrate with us

The club that was born twice turns 97, with the red and black bands on its chest still a symbol of faith for millions of fans. Happy birthday, Tricolor, and may you always fly high!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: São Paulo's Morumbi stadium (2018) – Horcoff, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 4.0.