With three teams guaranteed for the next edition of the Libertadores and a fourth that almost got there, Rio de Janeiro football once again demonstrated its strength in 2025. And these moments of individual and collective brilliance had a decisive participation from the defensive line players. Among the 13 sector athletes most mentioned by the GLOBO team during the election of the best of the year, nine work in Rio.
Traditionally offensive, Flamengo had a relatively atypical year in 2025. The Libertadores and Brasileirão titles came largely thanks to the skill of the defenders, whether in their primary role or in their ability to build the play on the pitch. Unsurprisingly, the Rouge et Noir team had the best defense in Serie A (27 goals conceded) and that of Liberta among the teams qualified at least for the round of 16 (five).
- Goalkeeper: Rossi was chosen as the best at his position in the GLOBO poll
Present during 34 of the 38 Brazilian matches, Léo Pereira previously accused was unanimous. More sure than ever to guarantee the tranquility of goalkeeper Rossi, he also experienced moments of artillery, with six goals scored. This performance led the player himself, best defender of the year according to the GLOBO vote, to question the lack of space in the team.
The year of the other red-black Leo, Ortiz, Pereira’s partner on and off the field and second in the vote, was not much different. Even though he ended up being hampered by the injury that kept him out of much of the decisive part of the season, the number 3 has built a practically impeccable trajectory up to that point. Zaga’s nickname, Camisa 10, courtesy of Zico’s idol, illustrates the player’s exceptional character.
Other defenders also had standout seasons. Veteran Thiago Silva, who has just left Fluminense at the age of 41, was notably mentioned for his performance during the team’s historic Club Cup campaign, as well as his decisive interventions in the home stretch of the season. Fabrício Bruno and Gustavo Gómez were respectively the weapons of Cruzeiro and Palmeiras in the 3 best campaigns of Serie A.
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On both sides, the offensive power made the difference for Paulo Henrique, from Vasco, and Reinaldo, from Mirassol. Even though they had consistent defensive performances, there is no denying that both stood out for their offensive ability. So much so that Reinaldo achieved the feat, despite being a defender, of finishing the Brasileirão in sixth place among the top scorers, with 13 goals. No other name in the industry is among the top 30 scores in the competition.
PH, in turn, also stood out in terms of assists. With eight assists for a goal, the Cruz-Maltino defender was only behind Arrascaeta among the main servers of the Brazilian Championship, which partly explains his arrival in the Brazilian team of coach Carlo Ancelotti. He is well in the fight for a place at the next World Cup and is attracting interest from foreign teams in the market.
In the GLOBO elections, Rio teams dominated the right side. Besides PH, Varela (Flamengo), Vitinho (Botafogo) and Samuel Xavier (Fluminense) were mentioned. To the left of Reinaldo, Alex Sandro in red and black, Cuiabano in black and white and Piquerez de Palmeiras also shone.
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