Football Season Guide

Palmeiras’s 2025 season was intense and ultimately bittersweet. In Série A they finished 2nd, pushing Flamengo until the final rounds and demonstrating remarkable consistency after the Club World Cup break. In the Copa do Brasil they exited in the round of 16, and in the Copa Libertadores they reached the final but lost 1–0 to Flamengo in Lima. In a word, Palmeiras was significantly strong in 2025, but ultimately succumbed to Flamengo's superior squad. The striker's duo Vitor Roque and José 'Flaco' Lopez was the team's main attraction. The duo stepped up after Esteves mid-season departure and the club's most critical moment on the season, and led 'Verdão' into a surprising positive run in both Série A and Libertadores. Abel Ferreira will start his 7th season as Palmeiras' gaffer. An achievement on itself in modern day football, and something very rarely seen in Brazilian football. Abel is an institution at the club, but an entire 2025 year without any title will bring some pressure over him for the next season. Palmeiras will be competitive as always, as there's no one on the planet more demanding and competitive than Abel Ferreira, who reinvented himself and the club a couple of times during this last 7 years. Just one new signing against a handful of important departures. The window has been clearly negative for Palmeiras, who should be crafting a couple of strong new signings. Otherwise, they can be considered worse than last season. Marlon Freitas is an important addition, and might be a slight improvement over Anibal Moreno, with some financial profit. However, there has been 4 other departures, some of them without any clear compensation. Hhistoric goalkeeper Weverton left, after having lost his status in the end of last season, due to injury. Micael and Facundo torres provided very decent cover in key positions, and their departure means a shortage in depth. The real "new signings" for 2026 are the return of long-term injuries: Lucas Evangelista and Paulinho are two key players for Verdão, but they will need to find their best fitness as soon as possible.