The World Cup has always been a place where Brazilians shine. However, the day after Botafogo lost to their fellow countrymen Palmeiras, Flamengo also exited, defeated by Harry Kane.
The vibrant colors of red and black will be missed, both on and off the field. Flamengo put up a fight, scoring twice at the Hard Rock Stadium, where their supporters filled gaps left by empty seats. But it was Bayern Munich who advanced after Kane secured the win with his second goal late in the match. His two strikes, along with Leon Goretzka’s effort and an own goal from Erick Pulgar, sealed a 4-2 victory, setting up a quarterfinal clash with Paris Saint-Germain.
For Flamengo, it was a disappointing exit, one they may feel did not reflect their performance. Yet they will also look back on mistakes that contributed to their downfall. Errors proved costly early on, leaving them with too much to overcome. Bayern’s first goal came just six minutes in, and two more followed before halftime, aided by defensive uncertainty under pressure.
Flamengo’s goalkeeper Agustín Rossi had already dealt with a dangerous inswinging corner, watched a poor clearance rebound off Pulgar to set up a shot by Joshua Kimmich, and been relieved when a punch deflected off a balloon rather than leading to another dangerous play. But Pulgar became the unfortunate figure this time—jumping alongside Goretzka, he inadvertently headed the ball into his own net.
Bayern couldn’t have asked for a better start, but Flamengo refused to surrender. Gonzalo Plata surged down the right, delivering a cross that Giorgian de Arrascaeta headed just wide. Despite their mistakes, Flamengo showed grit, feeding off their fans' energy. The match remained competitive, even as Kane extended Bayern’s lead with a long-range strike that took a deflection past Rossi.
That goal had an element of luck, and Flamengo had reason to feel hard done by, especially after Manuel Neuer’s stunning save denied Luiz Araújo. Soon after, Araújo missed another chance, volleying wide. But Flamengo got their reward when Gerson fired a fierce shot past Neuer to cut the deficit to 2-1 before halftime.
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