Thiago Silva (striped shirt, right) and goalkeeper Fabio are two veterans over 40 who made a big impression at the tournament - Photo: REUTERS
That fairytale story is about Fluminense - the "poor man's team" from Brazil.
The weakest among the Brazilian giants.
To be precise, there are no financially struggling teams at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, except for the amateur team Auckland City from New Zealand. All four Brazilian representatives – Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo, and Palmeiras – have won the Copa Libertadores (the European equivalent of the Champions League) in the past four years. It's impossible for a team with limited resources to win the "South American Champions League".
But among them, Fluminense claims to be the poorest team. In the 2025 season, Fluminense's total wage bill was approximately $23.4 million per year, equivalent to $449,907 per week. This figure is significantly lower than Botafogo ($32 million), Palmeiras ($38.49 million per year), and Flamengo ($51.39 million per year).
Among the four Brazilian representatives, Fluminense also has the lowest revenue ($126 million) and the lowest squad value ($102 million). The other three Brazilian teams have figures that are double or even triple Fluminense's. And compared to the powerful European representatives, Fluminense is even smaller. Chelsea, Fluminense's opponent in the semi-finals, has a wage bill of $240 million, ten times higher, and a squad value even fourteen times higher ($1.4 billion).
Success with old men
Lacking the vast financial resources to buy star players, Fluminense focuses on upgrading its squad through smart recruitment. They develop young players and recruit aging but still useful stars.
Thiago Silva is the epitome of that success. In the summer of 2024, the Brazilian center-back returned to his homeland to play after his contract with Chelsea expired. Fluminense didn't have to work hard to convince Thiago Silva, who had come through the club's youth academy.
But what's remarkable is that Fluminense only had to pay a very low salary to Thiago Silva, a mere $27,000 per week, or $1.4 million per year. It's worth noting that Thiago Silva consistently earned over $6 million in salary for the previous 15 years of his career.
Thiago Silva has earned the admiration of the entire league - Photo: Reuters
And then what the former Brazilian captain and central defender accomplished in the US this summer truly made history. Thiago Silva earned the respect of the entire tournament for his incredible resilience.
Except for the match against Sundowns at the end of the group stage where he was rested, Thiago Silva played the full 90 minutes in the remaining four games, helping his team keep clean sheets against Dortmund and Inter Milan. At times, fans felt like they were witnessing a Thiago Silva from 10 years ago.
That also includes Fabio – the goalkeeper who holds the record for the most clean sheets in football. Fabio isn't an international star like Thiago Silva; he's spent his entire career playing domestically. The reason Fabio broke Gianluigi Buffon's proud record is simply because his career has been so long. Fabio will celebrate his 45th birthday this September and has played professional football for 28 years.
The current Fluminense squad hardly has any big stars from Brazilian football. Their most valuable player is actually a Colombian – Jhon Arias (valued at 17 million euros according to Transfermarkt).
The fairytale story of Fluminense holds immense significance; it symbolizes the pristine beauty of Brazilian football, demonstrating that any player from the land of samba can take the football world by storm.
Great benefits
Despite their relatively weak financial situation, Fluminense will benefit greatly from progressing deep into the Club World Cup. According to NBC Sports statistics, the Brazilian team will receive a prize of at least $61 million for reaching the semi-finals. If they beat Chelsea, this prize money will increase to $91 million, and will rise to $131 million if they win the tournament.
Is this a dream? Perhaps, but with a team that has drawn with Dortmund, defeated Inter Milan, and even deciphered the Al Hilal phenomenon, talking about winning the championship now is no longer an exaggeration.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/fluminense-net-dep-cua-bong-da-20250705231538855.htm
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