Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras

In the Perdizes neighborhood of São Paulo, Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras stands as one of Brazil's most decorated sports institutions. Founded on August 26, 1914, by Italian immigrants as Palestra Itália, the club was forced to change its name on September 14, 1942, after Brazil entered World War II against Italy. The government banned references to Axis nations, and the club adopted its current name. Today, Palmeiras commands an estimated 15 million supporters and fields teams in over a dozen sports, including association football, American football, boxing, artistic gymnastics, judo, karate, roller skating, taekwondo, table tennis, and volleyball.

The club's football home is the Allianz Parque, a modern stadium inaugurated in 2014 with a capacity of about 43,713, built on the site of the historic Estádio Palestra Itália (Parque Antártica), which opened in 1917. Palmeiras competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Campeonato Paulista, Copa do Brasil, and Copa Libertadores. Its trophy collection includes a record 12 Brazilian Série A titles, four Copa do Brasil trophies, and three Copa Libertadores victories (1999, 2020, 2021). In 2021, the club topped the IFFHS Men's Club World Ranking.

Palmeiras's biggest rivalry is with Corinthians, the Derby Paulista, dating to 1917. Other fierce rivals include São Paulo (Choque-Rei) and Santos (Clássico da Saudade). The organized supporter group Mancha Verde is known for massive tifo displays at Allianz Parque. The club's green and white colors come from the Italian flag, and its motto is 'Por um Palmeiras maior' (For a Greater Palmeiras).[edit]

Palmeiras was founded on August 26, 1914, by Italian immigrants in São Paulo as Palestra Itália. The club's early years were marked by rapid success: it won its first Campeonato Paulista in 1920 and added titles in 1926, 1927, 1932, 1933, and 1934. The 1942 name change to Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras came after Brazil declared war on Italy, and the club was forced to drop any Axis references. That same year, Palmeiras won the Campeonato Paulista, a symbolic triumph.

The 1950s and 1960s were golden eras. Palmeiras won the Copa Rio in 1951, widely considered the first intercontinental club competition, and claimed multiple state and national titles. Ademir da Guia, known as 'Divino,' led the midfield from the early 1960s through the 1970s, winning the 1967 Taça Brasil and the 1972 and 1973 Campeonato Brasileiro. The club also produced World Cup winners Djalma Santos (1958, 1962) and later Cafu (1994, 2002).

The 1990s brought resurgence under Luiz Felipe Scolari. Palmeiras won the 1993 and 1994 Brasileirão, the 1998 Copa do Brasil and Copa Mercosur, and the 1999 Copa Libertadores, the club's first. Goalkeeper Marcos became a legend after saving penalties in the 1999 final. The 2000s saw a lull, but the 2010s revived the club: Palmeiras won the 2012 and 2015 Copa do Brasil, and the 2016 Brasileirão under Cuca. A new era began in 2020 with Portuguese coach Abel Ferreira, who led the club to back-to-back Copa Libertadores titles in 2020 and 2021, making Palmeiras the first Brazilian club to win the tournament in consecutive years since Santos in 1962–63. Under Ferreira, Palmeiras also won the 2022 Recopa Sudamericana, the 2022 and 2023 Campeonato Brasileiro, and the 2023 Campeonato Paulista.[edit]