Fortaleza Esporte Clube

Brazilian football team.

Fortaleza Esporte Clube is a prominent football club based in Fortaleza, Ceará state. Founded in 1918, Fortaleza has established itself as a significant force within Brazilian football. Known for their vibrant red, blue, and white striped shirts, they are affectionately called "Leão do Pici" (Lion of Pici), named after the neighborhood where they were founded. Fortaleza plays its home matches at Castelão Stadium, which can hold over 63,000 fans.

Historically, Fortaleza has achieved remarkable success at the state level with an impressive tally of 45 Ceará State Championships—the most by any team in this competition—reflecting their dominance within Ceará football since their first title win in 1920. At the national level, Fortaleza gained recognition after winning Série B (the second division) in 2018; this victory marked their return to Série A after a long absence of over a decade.

The early years saw Fortaleza competing vigorously but facing challenges against more established clubs until they began to find success regionally and nationally. In recent years under manager Rogério Ceni’s guidance, Fortaleza achieved significant milestones by winning regional tournaments like the Copa do Nordeste twice—in 2019 and again in 2022—further solidifying their reputation within Northeast Brazil.

One of Fortaleza’s most significant achievements was qualifying for the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history back in 2002; this milestone highlighted their growing stature on both national and continental stages. Their biggest rival is Ceará Sporting Club; matches between these two sides are known as Clássico-Rei (King’s Classic) and are among Brazil's fiercest derbies.