Flamengo's training center, officially known as "Ninho do Urubu" (which translates to "Vulture's Nest" in English), is located in Vargem Grande, Rio de Janeiro.

Flamengo's football team was only established after a group of ten dissatisfied players from Fluminense broke away from that club following a board dispute.

In 1927 the prominent Rio newspaper Jornal do Brasil, in partnership with a mineral water company, held a mail-in contest to find "the most beloved club in Brazil."

Though Flamengo enjoyed their largest increase in fan support after the club professionalized in the 1930s, they still defeated popular rivals Vasco da Gama in the vote.

[13] In 1937 Flamengo hired Hungarian coach Izidor "Dori" Kürschner, who introduced the WM system to Brazil and other innovations from Europe such as training without the use of the ball and playing a more defensive, controlled style.

As Rio de Janeiro was the national capital at the time and Flamengo was highly successful in the war years with Zizinho and Domingos da Guia, nationwide support increased.

Brazilian stars like Júnior, Carpegiani, Adílio, Cláudio Adão and Tita were led by Zico to become state champions three times in a row - the club's third tri-championship.

At the National Stadium in Santiago the following week, the Brazilian team received a violent reception on the field and fell 1–0 from a free kick.

Two goals by Nunes and one by Adílio (all in the first half) along with a brilliant midfield performance by Zico earned Flamengo the title of first Brazilian World Champions since Pelé's Santos, shutting out Liverpool 3–0.

With strong performances from Zico, Zé Carlos, Renato Gaúcho and Bebeto, Flamengo conquered the Copa União with major victories over Internacional and Atlético Mineiro.

After winning the Brazilian League title in 1992, the club entered a major financial crisis and domestic and international achievements became less frequent, although the team still won trophies ranked less in importance.

In 1999, Edmundo dos Santos Silva was elected club president, and brought with him a massive contract with sports marketing company ISL.

Following the success of 2009, the club gambled on winning several titles and signed striker Vágner Love to form a pair with Adriano.

Flamengo won the Campeonato Carioca outright in an undefeated campaign, but captured no other trophies that season: eliminations in the Copa do Brasil by Ceará, a heavy 5–0 loss in the Sudamericana by Universidad de Chile, and a fourth-place finish in the league left fans feeling that a strong roster had been squandered.

[48] After a typical series of managerial changes, Jayme de Almeida was appointed as interim manager during which he fought off relegation and won the 2013 Copa do Brasil final against Atlético Paranaense.

In January the club signed forward Bruno Henrique from Santos and secured the loan of striker Gabriel Barbosa from Inter Milan.

[64][65] Europe-based players Rafinha, Filipe Luís, Pablo Marí and Gerson were added to play alongside Flamengo's other record signings.

On 23 November 2019, at the Estadio Monumental in Lima, Peru against defending champions River Plate, Flamengo trailed 0–1 in the final minutes before Gabriel scored twice to secure the 2–1 victory.

The club signed Renato Gaúcho as manager, who brought strong results in league play and took Flamengo back to the Copa Libertadores Final against Palmeiras, but lost 2–1 in extra time on 27 November 2021.

In 2022, after a difficult start to the year under manager Paulo Sousa (runners-up in the Campeonato Carioca and Supercopa do Brasil), Dorival Júnior returned to Flamengo and brought another wave of glory.

[19] Since then, a large number of additional organized supporters groups have formed around Flamengo, notably Torcida Jovem-Fla (Young-Fla), Urubuzada (Vultures), Flamanguaça (FlaBooze), and Raça Rubro-Negra (Scarlet-Black Race).

The idea for the mascot came from Argentine cartoonist Lorenzo Molas, who saw in Popeye the strength and persistence of Flamengo, in addition to its obvious connection with the sea.

During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Dutch National Team used the Estádio da Gávea and all of its facilities as their training ground in preparation for the competition.

An upper stand in the stadium collapsed on July 19, 1992, in the second match of the finals of 1992 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A between Botafogo and Flamengo, leading to the death of three spectators and injuring 50 others.

[133] A three-year agreement was signed with Portuguesa over management of Estádio Luso Brasileiro, named Ilha do Urubu ("Vulture's Island") by Flamengo supporters in a poll.

The Fla-Flu holds the world record for attendance in games between clubs: 194,603 spectators were present at the Maracanã stadium, in the final of the 1963 Campeonato Carioca, won by Flamengo after a goalless draw.

Flamengo has an inter-state rivalry with Atlético Mineiro of Minas Gerais, developed in the 1980s from numerous controversial encounters between the two clubs in that decade's Campeonato Brasileiro and Copa Libertadores editions.

In 2016 Flamengo won the Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol Feminino for the first time against Rio Preto, become the only club outside the state of São Paulo to win the tournament since its creation in 2013.

Flamengo players Norminha, Angelina, Marlene and Delei were champions of the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg with the Brazil women's national basketball team.

Great rowers such as Everardo Paes de Lima, Arnaldo Voigt, Alfredo Correia ("Boca Larga"), Ângelo Gammaro ("Angelú") and Antônio Rebello Junior ("Engole Garfo") came through Flamengo, the latter three being considered Brazilian sports heroes for completing the Rio-Santos crossing in 1932.