Flamengo won. In Portugal. Against Benfica. Two goals.
Samuel Lino scored the first. Pavlidis equalised from the spot. Then Wallace Yan settled it with a first-time finish. 2-1. Flamengo leave the Algarve with the win.
This was the third and final friendly of Flamengo’s mid-season training camp in Portugal. They won two and drew one. The camp ends on a high.
How It Played Out
Samuel Lino opened the scoring in the first half. Emerson Royal surged to the byline on the right and delivered a low cross. Lino redirected it into the net past Trubin. Clean finish. Flamengo ahead.
Then the penalty. Bah received the ball inside the box and Bruno Henrique brought him down with a sliding tackle. Referee awarded it immediately. No VAR at a friendly — no review available. Pavlidis stepped up and fired low into the right corner. Rossi dived left. 1-1.
Half-time level. Scrappy match in the Algarve. Neither side creating freely. The second half began in much the same way.
Wallace Yan. First Time. Net.
Samuel Lino drove down the right again in the second half. Same direction. Same intent. Low cross into the box. Wallace Yan had come on as a substitute — on the pitch for a matter of minutes.
He met the cross first-time with his right foot. Straight into the net past Trubin. 2-1.
Flamengo’s bench celebrated. Lino had two goal involvements in the match — the opener and the assist for the winner. His contribution was the difference.
Benfica Tried to Level
They pushed in the closing stages. Prestianni connected with a loose ball in the six-yard box but Rossi parried it at point-blank range. Ivanovic headed wide from a corner. Chances came. Nothing went in.
Benfica had no injured players listed coming into this match. Flamengo were without Lucas Paquetá — still out with injury. Despite that, the Brazilian side were clinical when it mattered and defended well enough to hold the lead.
Flamengo’s Camp in Portugal
Three friendlies. Two wins. One draw. This was the best result of the three.
The camp gave Flamengo’s squad minutes together ahead of the second half of the Brazilian season. Copa Libertadores continues. The Série A title race continues. Getting minutes into squad players and building cohesion was the point of the trip.
Winning 2-1 against Benfica — a club competing in Liga Portugal and the Champions League qualifying — is a respectable result to take home.
Benfica’s Pre-Season
Benfica are beginning their preparations for the 2026/27 Liga Portugal season. Marco Silva starts his tenure with the club continuing the work of rebuilding the squad after a third-place finish that cost the previous manager his job.
Pavlidis leading the line. Trubin in goal. Ivanovic and the other new arrivals getting minutes together. A 1-2 friendly defeat to Flamengo does not mean much in itself. The habits and the shape that Silva wants to instil — those are what matter at this stage of pre-season.
For more pre-season and club friendly coverage visit FawaNews football. Follow official fixtures and club news at the official Benfica website.
SL Benfica 1-2 Flamengo Club Friendly | Saturday, 11 July 2026 | Estádio do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
Goals: Samuel Lino (FLA, assist Emerson Royal) | Vangelis Pavlidis pen (BEN) | Wallace Yan (FLA, assist Samuel Lino) Yellow Cards: Bruno Henrique (FLA) + others
Benfica XI: Trubin | (confirmed squad) | Pavlidis, Prestianni, Ivanovic, Bah, Sudakov, Lenglet among starters/subs Subs: Kaminski, José Neto, Ivanovic (for Pavlidis, Sudakov, Lenglet)
Flamengo XI: Rossi | Emerson Royal | Pedro, Bruno Henrique, Samuel Lino, Luiz Araújo among starters Subs: Wallace Yan, Everton Cebolinha (for Bruno Henrique, Pedro) | Joshua, Lorran (for Samuel Lino, Araújo) | Saúl, Jorginho (for Erick Pulgar) | Evertton Araújo Absent: Lucas Paquetá (injury)
HT: 1-1 | FT: 1-2
Flamengo’s Portugal tour: W2 D1 L0
