S.C. Corinthians Paulista

Sport Club Corinthians Paulista is a Brazilian sports giant based in São Paulo, best known for its men's football team competing in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A and the Campeonato Paulista. Founded in 1910 by five railway workers inspired by London's Corinthian Football Club, the club wears a white and black home kit. Its crest, introduced in 1939 by modernist painter and former player Francisco Rebolo, features the São Paulo state flag, two oars, and an anchor, nodding to early success in nautical sports. Since 2014, Corinthians has played at the Neo Química Arena, a venue for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and host of the tournament's opening match. The club shares fierce rivalries with Palmeiras (Derby Paulista), São Paulo (Clássico Majestoso), and Santos (Clássico Alvinegro). With over 30 million fans, Corinthians is the second most supported club in Brazil behind Flamengo. It has won seven national titles, four Copa do Brasil trophies, two Supercopa do Brasil titles, and a record 31 São Paulo state championships. Internationally, Corinthians won the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship in 2000 as the host nation's representative, repeated the feat in 2012 after claiming its first Copa Libertadores that same year, and also secured a Recopa Sudamericana title. In 2017, Forbes valued the club at $576.9 million, making it the most valuable football club in the Americas.[edit]

Five railway workers gathered in the Bom Retiro neighborhood of São Paulo on September 1, 1910, to form a football club. They named it after the amateur English side Corinthian F.C., which had toured Brazil earlier that year. The club played its first match on September 14, a 1-0 loss to União da Lapa, but quickly established itself in the local scene. By 1914, Corinthians won its first Campeonato Paulista, a title it would go on to collect a record 31 times.

The 1970s brought a golden era under the leadership of midfielder Sócrates, who captained the team to three consecutive Paulista titles from 1977 to 1979. The 1977 victory ended an 11-year drought and sparked the Democracy Corinthiana movement, a player-led push for democratic governance within the club during Brazil's military dictatorship. Sócrates, along with players like Casagrande and Wladimir, became symbols of resistance.

Corinthians entered the national stage in 1990, winning its first Campeonato Brasileiro. The 1990s and 2000s saw consistent success, including three more Brazilian titles (1998, 1999, 2005) and the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship, where the club defeated Vasco da Gama in the final. The 2012 season was historic: Corinthians won its first Copa Libertadores, beating Boca Juniors in the final, and then defeated Chelsea 1-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup final in Yokohama. The club also added the Recopa Sudamericana in 2013.

The opening of the Neo Química Arena in 2014 marked a new chapter. The stadium, built for the World Cup, hosted the tournament's opener between Brazil and Croatia. Corinthians continued to add domestic silverware, winning the Brasileirão in 2015 and 2017, and the Copa do Brasil in 2018. Recent years have been more turbulent, with the club finishing 13th in 2023 before rebounding to 7th in 2024 under Ramón Díaz, along with a Paulista title. The coaching carousel has been frequent, with Díaz the ninth manager since 2020.[edit]