PM Modi arrives in Rio de Janeiro for BRICS Summit; city’s football spirit shines through

Rio de Janeiro: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday as part of his four-day visit to Brazil, where he will participate in the 17th BRICS Summit and undertake a state visit at the invitation of President Lula.

The visit marks the fourth leg of his five-nation tour. Upon his arrival at Galeao International Airport, Modi was given a ceremonial welcome.

Sharing his thoughts on social media, the Prime Minister wrote on X. “Landed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where I will take part in the BRICS Summit and later go to their capital, Brasília, for a state visit on the invitation of President Lula. Hoping for a productive round of meetings and interactions during this visit.”

While diplomacy took centre stage, the passion for football that defines Rio was on full display. The city, famous for its vibrant football culture, is home to one of the world’s most iconic sporting arenas — the Maracana Stadium.

Built for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the stadium once held over 200,000 spectators and hosted the unforgettable 1950 World Cup final, where Brazil suffered a shock defeat to Uruguay in a match that became known as the Maracanazo.

Flamengo is a Brazilian multi-sports club based in the Gávea neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, best known for its professional football team. Founded in 1895 as a rowing club in the Flamengo neighborhood, the club did not play its first official football match until 1912.

Flamengo is one of only two clubs, alongside Sao Paulo FC, to have never been relegated from the top division and is the most popular football club in Brazil, with over 46.9 million fans.

The team’s traditional uniform features red and black striped shirts, white shorts, and red and black striped socks, and its home matches are usually played at the iconic Maracanã Stadium. Since 1969, the club’s mascot has been the vulture (urubu in Portuguese).

A young local footballer, speaking to IANS, shared his pride in both his team and the historic stadium. “Maracanã, very, very big, very, very cool. Yes. And Flamengo is the best team in Brazil”

A young footballer says, “Flamengo is one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, I think it’s the best. They’re so strong, many teams fear them. About the stadium? It’s beautiful. It feels like home to me. It’s big, and I love it”

–IANS