Fortaleza Esporte Clube

Not to be confused with Fortaleza C.E.I.F..

Fortaleza Esporte Clube (Portuguese: [foʁtaˈlezɐ isˈpɔʁt͡ʃi ˈklubi]) is a Brazilian multi-sport club based in Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceará. Founded in 18 October 1918,^[3] primarily a football club, is active in other sports such as futsal, handball and basketball. The club's colors are red, blue and white.

Fortaleza

Full name	Fortaleza Esporte Clube
Nickname(s)	Laion Leão do Pici (Lion of the Pici) O Rei Leão do Brasil (Lion King of Brazil) Tricolor Clube da Garotada (Club of the Youth) Tricolor de Aço (Tricolor of Steel)
Founded	23 February 1912; 113 years ago (1912-02-23) (Fortaleza Football Club) 18 October 1918; 106 years ago (1918-10-18) (Fortaleza Esporte Clube)
Ground	Castelão
Capacity	63,903[1]
SAF Owner	Fortaleza EC SAF (100%)[2]
President	Rolim Machado
Head coach	Renato Paiva
League	Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Campeonato Cearense
2024 2024	Série A, 4th of 20 Cearense, 2nd of 10
Website	fortaleza1918.com.br
Home colors Away colors Third colors
Current season

Fortaleza is one of the most successful football clubs in the Brazilian Northeast, having won 46 state league titles and 3 Copa do Nordeste titles. It is placed by surveys as the third biggest fan base in the Northeast, behind only EC Bahia and Sport Clube do Recife.^[4] Its biggest rival is Ceará SC, and clashes between them are called Clássico-Rei (Classic of Kings).^[5]

History

On 23 February 1912, Alcides Santos founded a club called Fortaleza, and participated shortly after in the founding of the Stella Foot-Ball Club. Finally, on 18 October 1918, Fortaleza Sporting Club was born, the first denomination of the Fortaleza Esporte Clube. Its colors represent the colors of the French flag, since the founder spent time in France and decided to put the colors of the European country in the Brazilian club.

In 1920, they participated in the foundation of the Associação Cearense de Desportos. That same year they got their first Cearense Championship title.

In 1951, the Municipality of Fortaleza decided to renovate the Presidente Vargas Stadium. The idea of having a private stadium was reborn in the board since it had its own stadium during the 1920s.

In 1957, the club acquired from the land in Bairro do Pici from Mrs. Hedwing, which during the Second World War was where the American military base was in Fortaleza, called Post Command (Command Post), hence the name Pici, transfers it to the Club of Gentilândia in exchange for the new neighborhood. It changed its name to Leão do Pici, a reference to the neighborhood where the Parque dos Campeonatos is located.

The Alcides Santos Stadium opened its doors in June 1962, beating Usina Ceará in the inaugural match.

After finishing in 4th place in the 2021 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the club qualified for the Copa Libertadores for the first time in history. In 2023 they finished 2nd place in the Copa Sudamericana, losing to L.D.U. Quito.

Shield

Schilde - Fortaleza Esporte Clube
1918	1940s	1940s - 1950s	1940s - 1950s	1960s	2019-

Mascot

Juba, mascot of Fortaleza

Fortaleza's mascot is a lion named Juba. In the 1960s, a journalist suggested that a lion be used as the club's mascot, inspired by the city of Fortaleza's General Tibúrcio Square, popularly known as Praça dos Leões (Square of Lions).

Uniform

• Home Uniform: Blue and red shirt with blue pants and white socks.
• Away uniform: White and blue shirt with blue pants and blue socks.

Uniform Evolution

1918-1922

1922-1926

1926-1938

1997

2013

2014

2015-2016

2016-2017

2017

2018

Statistics

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
  • Player with most goals scored: Rinaldo (23 goals)
  • Player with most goals scored in a single tournament: Rinaldo (16 goals), in 2005
• All divisions taken in consideration
  • Player with most goals scored: Rinaldo (43 goals); in 2004 (14), 2005 (16), 2006 (11) and 2008 (2)
• Topscorers in national competitions (cups and leagues)
  • Bececê (7 goals), Taça Brasil 1960
  • Rinaldo (14 goals), Campeonato Brasileiro Série B 2004
• Best Série A right-back (Bola de Prata award): Louro, in 1974

Club structure

Headquarters

The headquarters of Fortaleza lies in the district of Pici, which is a complex consisting of buildings named after prominent figures of the club throughout their history.

Stadiums

Estádio Castelão

Fortaleza play their games at the 8,300-seater Estádio Alcides Santos, as well as Estádio Castelão, which can hold 63,903 supporters and Estádio Presidente Vargas with a capacity of 20,600.

Past presidents

• Alcides de Castro Santos (1918-1920)
• João Gentil (1920-1923)
• Eurico Salgado Duarte (1923-1924)
• Pedro Riquet Nogueira (1925-1926)
• Francisco Luís de Oliveira (1927-1928)
• Lafayette Tapioca (1929)
• Antônio de Pádua Freire (1930-1932)
• Antenor Vale (1933-1934)
• Osvaldo Moreira Lima (1935-1936)
• João Ramos César de Vasconcelos (1937)
• Heitor Ribeiro (1938)
• Meton Borges (1938)
• Demócrito Freire (1938)
• Francisco Araújo (1939-1940)
• José Milton Holanda Pimentel (1940)
• Pedro Riquet Nogueira (1940)
• Capitão Luís Clóvis de Oliveira (1940-1941)
• Adriano Rodrigues Martins (1941)
• Luís Abner (1941-1942)
• Edmar Vilar de Queiróz (1942)
• Ivan César de Vasconcelos (1942-1943)
• Agapito dos Santos Sátiro (1943-1944)
• Capitão Galileu Saldanha de Menezes (1944-1945)
• Capitão Edmar Rabelo Maia (1945-1946)
• José Mário Belém de Figueiredo (1946-1949)
• Francisco Lorda Filho (1949)
• Mendo Leonel Chaves (1949-1950)
• Otoni Diniz (1950)
• Álvaro Paulo Kruel Viana (1950)
• Amaury Barbosa Gurgel (1951)
• José William Girão Frota (1951)
• Arcelino Costa Leitão (1951-1954)
• Francisco Bezerra de Oliveira (1954-1955)
• Pedro Torres (1955)
• Francisco Bezerra de Oliveira (1955-1956)
• Carlos Rolim Filho (1956-1958)
• Francisco Bezerra de Oliveira (1958)
• Francisco Mozart Cavalcante Gomes (1958)
• José Raimundo Costa (1958-1959)
• Manuel Nunes de Oliveira (1959)
• Antônio Luís do Vale (1959)
• Manuel Nunes de Oliveira (1959-1960)
• Otoni Diniz (1960-1961)
• José Raimundo Costa (1961)
• Otoni Diniz (1961-1963)
• José Orestes Cavalcante (1963)
• Francisco Manhães (1963)
• José Raimundo Costa (1964)
• José Orestes Cavalcante (1964)
• José William Girão Frota (1964-1965)
• Francisco Bezerra de Oliveira (1965)
• José Raimundo Costa (1965-1966)
• Francisco Bezerra de Oliveira (1966-1967)
• José Raimundo Costa (1967)
• Edmilson Barros de Oliveira (1967)
• Renato Brito Bastos (1967)
• Abdias Veras Filho (1967)
• Egberto de Paula Rodrigues (1967)
• Edmilson Xavier Bindá (1967-1968)
• Fares Cândido Lopes (1968)
• Otoni Diniz (1968-1969)
• Egberto de Paula Rodrigues (1969)
• José Raimundo Fontenelle (1969)
• José Cidrão de Oliveira (1970-1971)
• José Edyr Sabóia de Castro (1971-1972)
• General Edmar Rabelo Maia (1972-1975)
• Francisco Alves Maia (1975-1976)
• Airton França Rebouças (1977)
• Cid Liberato Paracampos (1977)
• Deputado Alfredo Machado (1977-1978)
• Otoni Diniz (1978)
• Deputado Alfredo Machado (1978-1979)
• Engenheiro Cássio Borges (1979)
• Ezequiel Menezes Filho (1979)
• José Camilo de Aguiar (1979-1980)
• João de Deus Costa Lima (1980)
• Fares Lopes (1980-1981)
• Silvio Carlos Vieira Lima (1981-1982)
• Hélder Veríssimo de Lima (1982-1983)
• Newton Cavalcante de Castro (1983)
• Ney Rebouças (1983-1984)
• Emanoel Papy Sabóia (1984)
• João de Deus Costa Lima (1984)
• João Gonçalves Monteiro (1984)
• Newton Cavalcante de Castro (1984)
• José Nestor Falcão Filho (1985-1986)
• Silvio Carlos Vieira Lima (1987-1989)
• Mauro Moraes de Lima (1989-1990)
• Paulo Rogério Magalhães (1990)
• Péricles Mulatinho (1990)
• Carlos Alberto Ribeiro (1990)
• Péricles Ribeiro Mulatinho (1991-1992)
• Flávio Novaes (1993)
• Fernando Silva (1993)
• Newton Cavalcante (1994)
• Quintino Feitosa (1994)
• Raimundo Regadas (1994)
• José Raimundo Costa (1995)
• Fernando Silva (1995)
• José Raimundo Costa (1995)
• Souza Filho (1996)
• Ciro Nepomuceno (1996)
• José Raimundo Costa (1996)
• Osvaldo Azim (1996-1998)
• Atanásio dos Santos (1998)
• Ariosvaldo Gomes (1998)
• Leonel Pereira Alencar Neto (1998-1999)
• Jorge Alberto Carvalho Mota (1999-2004)
• Clayton Alcântara Veras (2004)
• José Ribamar Felipe Bezerra (2005-2006)
• Marcelo Desidério (2007-2008)
• Lúcio Bonfim (2008-2009)
• Renan Vieira (2009-2010)
• Paulo Arthur (2011)
• Osmar Baquit (2011-2014)
• Jorge Mota (2014-2017)
• Marcello Desidério (2017)
• Luis Eduardo Girão (2017)
• Marcelo Paz (2017—2023)
• Alex Santiago (2024—2025)
• Rolim Machado (2025—)

Current squad

As of 23 July 2025^[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  BRA João Ricardo 2 DF  BRA Tinga (captain) 3 DF  ARG Gastón Ávila (on loan from Ajax) 5 MF  BRA Matheus Pereira 6 DF  BRA Bruno Pacheco 7 MF  ARG Tomás Pochettino 8 MF  ARG Emmanuel Martínez 9 FW  ARG Juan Martín Lucero (3rd captain) 11 FW  BRA Marinho 12 GK  BRA Brenno 13 DF  CHI Benjamín Kuscevic 14 DF  ARG Eros Mancuso 15 GK  BRA Magrão 16 DF  BRA Diogo Barbosa 17 MF  BRA Zé Welison 18 FW  BRA Deyverson 19 FW  BRA Allanzinho 20 MF  BRA Matheus Rossetto

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 FW  BRA Moisés 22 MF  BRA Yago Pikachu (vice-captain) 23 DF  BRA David Luiz 25 GK  BRA Vinícius Silvestre 26 FW  BRA Breno Lopes 27 FW  PAR Adam Bareiro 29 MF  BRA Rodrigo Santos 30 GK  BRA Eduardo Salvador 33 DF  ARG Emanuel Brítez (4th captain) 38 MF  BRA Lucca Prior 39 DF  BRA Gustavo Mancha 41 MF  BRA Bruninho 42 FW  BRA Caio Wesley 77 MF  VEN Kervin Andrade 80 FW  ARG José María Herrera 88 MF  BRA Lucas Sasha — MF  BRA Luquinhas — MF  BRA Ryan Guilherme

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  BRA Santos (on loan to Athletico Paranaense until 31 December 2026) — DF  BRA Marcelo Benevenuto (on loan to Criciúma until 30 November 2025) — DF  POR Tobias Figueiredo (on loan to Athletico Paranaense until 31 December 2025) — DF  BRA Jhonatan Silva (on loan to Athletic-MG until 30 November 2025) — DF  BRA Habraão (on loan to Santa Clara until 30 June 2025) — DF  BRA Felipe Jonatan (on loan to Mirassol until 30 April 2026) — MF  BRA Amorim (on loan to Athletic-MG until 30 November 2025) — MF  BRA Calebe (on loan to Deportivo Alavés until 30 June 2026)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  BRA Fabricio (on loan to Tombense until 30 November 2025) — MF  BRA Kauan Rodrigues (on loan to Atlético Goianiense until 30 November 2025) — FW  BRA Edinho (on loan to Paysandu until 30 November 2025) — FW  BRA Guilherme Cachoeira (on loan to CSA until 30 November 2025) — FW  BRA Iarley (on loan to ASA until 30 September 2025) — FW  BRA Kauê Canela (on loan to Botafogo-PB until 30 November 2025) — FW  MAS Imanol Machuca (on loan to Vélez Sarsfield until 31 December 2025)

Staff

Current staff

As of 17 July 2025.

Position	Name
Coaching staff
Head coach	Renato Paiva
Assistant head coach	Nahuel Martínez
Assistant head coach	Gastón Liendo
Assistant head coach	Leonardo Porto
Fitness coach	Luis Aspiazu
Fitness coach	Émerson Santana
Fitness coach	Kelmo Bonatto
Fitness coach	Lucas Martins
Goalkeepers trainer	Santiago Piccinini
Goalkeepers trainer	Guto Albuquerque
Development analyst	Henrique Bittencourt
Development analyst	Leonardo Abreu
Medical staff
Team doctor	Cláudio Maurício
Team doctor	Glay Maranhão
Team doctor	Rafael Veras
Team doctor	Roberto Oliveira
Team doctor	Vinícius Castelo Branco
Physiotherapist	Albino Luciano
Physiotherapist	Egberto Oliveira
Physiotherapist	Patrício Teixeira
Physiotherapist	Ranielson Xavier

Honours

Official tournaments

National
Competitions	Titles	Seasons
Campeonato Brasileiro Série B	1	2018
Regional
Competitions	Titles	Seasons
Copa do Nordeste	3	2019, 2022, 2024
Torneio Norte-Nordeste	1s	1970
State
Competitions	Titles	Seasons
Campeonato Cearense	46	1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1933, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1953, 1954, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1974, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
Copa dos Campeões Cearenses	2	2016, 2017

•   record
• ^s shared record

Others tournaments

International

• Panamaribo Cup (1): 1962

National

• Torneio Início do Torneio de Integração Nacional (1): 1971

Regional and Inter-state

• Copa Cidade de Natal (1): 1946
• Zona Norte-Nordeste da Taça Brasil (2): 1960, 1968

State

• Torneio Início do Ceará (12): 1925, 1927, 1928, 1933, 1935, 1948, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1977

Runners-up

• Copa Sudamericana (1): 2023
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A (2): 1960, 1968
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (2): 2002, 2004
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série C (1): 2017
• Campeonato Cearense (28): 1922, 1925, 1929, 1936, 1941, 1944, 1950, 1958, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2024, 2025
• Copa Fares Lopes (1): 2017

Women's Football

• Campeonato Cearense de Futebol Feminino (3): 2010, 2020, 2022