The comparison is obvious, but there are clichés that have value: Giorgian de Arrascaeta ages like a good wine. At 31, the Uruguayan – whose physical ability was the biggest question mark of his career – reached the peak of his performance in the Flamengo jersey. He was the main name of the Libertadores and Brasileiro titles and won the star player of the year award in an election organized by GLOBO. In addition to the newspaper’s Sports team, the coaches and captains who participated in the last edition of Serie A took part in the vote.
Although individual, the prize reveals a direct link with collective success. The proof is that the podium of votes is completed by the striker Kaio Jorge and the midfielder Matheus Pereira, strong points of a Cruzeiro team which, although it has not won major titles, has had good campaigns in the Brasileirão and the Copa do Brasil.
To define the star of 2025, O GLOBO interviewed the captains and coaches of the 20 teams that played in Serie A (see below who participated) and asked them to indicate, on condition of anonymity, their three favorites — the first received three points; the second, two; and the third, one. In addition to the three podiums, five other players received multiple mentions: attackers Vitor Roque (Palmeiras) and Rayan (Vasco), midfielder Jorginho (Flamengo), left back Reinaldo (Mirassol) and defender Léo Pereira (Flamengo).
But it was definitely a year for Arrascaeta. The Uruguayan ended 2025 in style, celebrating not only the best individual season of his career, but also another cycle of victories for Flamengo, in addition to the arrival of his firstborn, Milano. In a video published the day before yesterday on social networks, the Uruguayan brought together the goals and decisive actions of the season, accompanied by the caption “2025” and the greeting emoji, as a sign of thanks to the red and black supporters. The brief message constitutes a symbolic assessment of a year in which the new number 10, with a renewed contract, was a protagonist on the field and a reference in the locker room.
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The numbers help explain Arrascaeta’s weight. In 65 official matches he scored 25 goals and distributed 20 assists, a performance that consolidated him as the main technical reference of the team throughout the sequence of titles won, among which also included the Carioca and the Brazilian Super Cup. The performance was directly linked to the work of the technical commission led by Filipe Luís and the care of the club’s medical service.
Since arriving at Flamengo in 2019, Arrascaeta has managed to have an injury-free season for the first time. To achieve this result, the club adopted a rigorous load prevention and control plan, taking into account the slower recovery of the midfielder between matches. On the pitch, coach Filipe Luís has also been careful in managing the use of the number 10 jersey, preserving it for decisive moments, even in a model that requires great physical intensity.
In the coach’s project, Arrascaeta acquired the status of top scorer — essential in a year in which center forward Pedro found himself struggling with injuries — without losing the characteristic of an articulator who organizes the game and values his teammates. This combination resulted in personal bests in terms of goal participation and number of matches played, in addition to unlocking the contract renewal which, in the first half, was still moving at a slow pace.
In a year of the World Cup – and Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa publicly praised Flamengo’s treatment of the star, whom he defined as “a new player” – Arrascaeta has everything to shine even more, with the celestial jersey and, above all, with the red and black.
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