The Copa Libertadores title and the dispute of two other finals gave Palmeiras another productive year in the Folha Ranking of national football. Second on the list, the team closed its gap to Flamengo, which, however, still enjoys a comfortable lead in the lead.
The club alviverde scored 67 points in the 2021 season, which ended in 2022 with the World Cup. There were, in order, 7 points for the vice in the Paulista Championship, 35 for the triumph in Libertadores and 25 more for the second place obtained in the intercontinental tournament.
The painful defeat to Chelsea in the United Arab Emirates prevented a bigger jump, but Palmeiras reached 1,052 points. The difference to Flamengo, which was 136 points in the previous edition of the ranking, dropped to 124.
“It’s important to always win, to win titles, even more so for us, who are at Palmeiras. It’s always good to win, and we got used to winning,” said midfielder Raphael Veiga, who recently celebrated another title. Palmeiras triumphed in the Recopa Sul-Americana, in a decision against Athletico Paranaense, a result that will earn them 5 points in the 2022 edition of the ranking.
Despite a new year full of decisions for the Alviverdes, the drop in distance to Flamengo was relatively small because Flamengo also had an expressive score. Even with disappointments in several of the competitions they played, the red-black club managed to add 50 points in 2021: 5 for the title of the Supercopa do Brasil, 10 for the conquest of the Carioca Championship, 20 for the vice in Libertadores and 15 for the vice in the Brazilian Championship.
The 2021 edition of Ranking Folha is the first to award the winners of the Supercopa do Brasil. One of the criteria established since the publication of the first list, in 1996, is the continuity of the tournaments.
Held in 1990 and 1991, the Supercup had a hiatus of almost 30 years and was relaunched in 2020. Including the 2022, there are already three disputes since the championship resumed, well established in the calendar and public success.
Thus, Grêmio retroactively took 5 points for the 1990 title, and Corinthians won 5 for the 1991 triumph. Flamengo, in addition to the 5 in 2021, added 5 for the 2020 victory. Atlético-MG, the most recent champion, already has 5 points guaranteed in the 2022 ranking.
Even without these points, the white team from Belo Horizonte did enough to enter the top 10. The triumphs in the Campeonato Mineiro (7), the Brasileiro (25) and the Copa do Brasil (15) made the club reach 687 points, assuming tenth position and leaving Fluminense behind.
Athletico Paranaense, champion of the Copa Sudamericana (15) and runner-up of the Copa do Brasil (10), continued the climb they have been doing since 2018, when they won the Sudamericana for the first time. In 2021, it reached 327 points and gained two positions, taking 17th place.
Rival Coritiba was left on the way, stopped at 322 and also overtaken by Paysandu. With the conquest of the Campeonato Paraense, the team from Belém reached 323. It surpassed a team from Curitiba, was surpassed by another and, thus, maintained the 18th place.
Brasiliense won two places in the table. Far from the time when he attended the Série A do Brasileiro and became a finalist in the Copa do Brasil, he continues to score in the Candango Championship. Winner in the Federal District in 2021, he added 5 points, enough for the 27th position, with 73, alongside Chapecoense. Thus, Bangu (70), Brazilian vice-champion of 1985, and Guarani (69), Brazilian champion of 1978, fell on the board.
The Folha Ranking of national football, published 25 years ago, is a historical ranking of the performance of Brazilian teams. It distributes points for titles and runners-up in state, regional, national and international first division competitions.
Since the first edition, in 1996, the list has undergone modifications, corrections and revisions. The last major revision took place in 2010.
There is also a world version of the ranking, which takes into account the international titles won by clubs from all continents. This list has been around since 2002 and will have its 2021 version published in the coming days.
In the national ranking, only teams that scored points —that is, were champions or runners-up — appear in national or international competitions. There are 36 clubs that meet these parameters — from Flamengo, with a good margin, to Paulista and Santo André, which share the 35th place.
Questions and answers about Ranking Folha
Since when is the Folha de Futebol Ranking created?
The first edition of the national ranking dates from 1996. Since then, the list has undergone modifications, corrections and revisions. The last major revision took place in 2010. The world ranking began to be published in 2002 and follows the same guidelines as the national list.
Who enters the Folha Ranking?
In the national ranking, only teams that scored points (were champions or runners-up) in national or international competitions appear. In the world ranking, only those who scored in international tournaments.
Which tournaments are considered?
To enter the ranking, a tournament must have great representation, official character and sequence. Thus, championships played only once and with no prospect of new editions, such as the super championships held in some states in 2002, are disregarded. Tournaments such as Copa Rio, Copa Suruga and Florida Cup, among others, also do not earn ranking points.
Why are the states of Rio and São Paulo worth more?
Rio and São Paulo have the two most traditional and strong state championships in the country, which is why they earn more points in the ranking. Following are the states of Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, which also have teams of great prominence on the national scene. There is still a third level, where the state ones are with teams that are often in the elite of Brazilian football and, finally, state championships with less tradition in the national football scene.
Why is the Brazilian of 1987 counted for both Flamengo and Sport?
The ranking tries to take into account both the official aspect and the technical aspect of the considered championships. From the official point of view, as already decided by the STF, the champion is Sport. However, from the technical point of view, Flamengo’s merit as champion of the Green Module, which brought together the main teams in the country, is undeniable. Therefore, both are considered.
Why do tournaments played by only two clubs, such as the Recopa Sudamericana, not give points to the runner-up?
Every team that participates in a tournament like this has already been rewarded, as it gathers winners from previous competitions. It wouldn’t be logical to have a team scoring where it just failed.
Why is the São Paulo title of São Paulo da Floresta not counted for São Paulo?
Achievements from the last foundation of the clubs are considered. In case of mergers, such as that of Paraná, the achievements of the teams that gave rise to the new team are not valid.
Are second division championships worth points?
Do not. The ranking aims to reward excellence, and lower division championships have the main function of distributing places for the elite division.
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