Taça Rio (English: Rio Cup) is an annual football tournament attached to Campeonato Carioca, the state football league in the Rio de Janeiro state. It has been organized since 1982 by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation. It has had different formats throughout its history. Since 2021, it has been played between clubs that finished 5th to 8th in the Taça Guanabara.

Vasco da Gama is the most successful club in the tournament's history, having won the title eleven times.[1]

Format edit

The Taça Rio and Taça Guanabara has become, throughout its history, recognized for the various changes in its format, causing confusion for many spectators.[2][3]

Since 2021, it has been played between clubs that finished 5th to 8th in the Taça Guanabara, the first single round-robin phase of the Campeonato Carioca. There are two semi-finals, sixth place will face seventh and fifth will face eighth. The two winners compete in the final. All games are two-legged tie format.[4]

History edit

Taça Rio was created in 1982, as an equivalent to Taça Guanabara. While Taça Guanabara is the name of the trophy given to the Campeonato Carioca first stage winner, Taça Rio is the trophy given to the second stage champion.[1]

Taça Rio was not held only in 1994 and 1995, during the time format of Taça Guanabara was changed. During these two years, though teams were still divided into two groups, the matches that played against teams from other group, traditional matches of Taça Rio, became the second phase of the group stage of the Taça Guanabara. Therefore, there was no need for the Taça Rio to be held.

In 1996, the traditional competition format returned, and the Taça Rio was contested again and the trophy was again given to the Campeonato Carioca second round champion.

List of champions edit

Year Champions Runners-up
1982 America (1) Botafogo
1983 Flamengo (1) Bangu
1984 Vasco da Gama (1) Fluminense
1985 Flamengo (2) Bangu
1986 Flamengo (3) Fluminense
1987 Bangu (1) Vasco da Gama
1988 Vasco da Gama (2) Fluminense
1989 Botafogo (1) Vasco da Gama
1990 Fluminense (1) Botafogo
1991 Flamengo (4) Botafogo
1992 Vasco da Gama (3) Flamengo
1993 Vasco da Gama (4) Flamengo
1996 Flamengo (5) Vasco da Gama
1997 Botafogo (2) Flamengo
1998 Vasco da Gama (5) Fluminense
1999 Vasco da Gama (6) Flamengo
2000 Flamengo (6) Vasco da Gama
2001 Vasco da Gama (7) Flamengo
2002 Americano (1) Vasco da Gama
2003 Vasco da Gama (8) Fluminense
2004 Vasco da Gama (9) Fluminense
2005 Fluminense (2) Flamengo
2006 Madureira (1) Americano
2007 Botafogo (3) Cabofriense
2008 Botafogo (4) Fluminense
2009 Flamengo (7) Botafogo
2010 Botafogo (5) Flamengo
2011 Flamengo (8) Vasco da Gama
2012 Botafogo (6) Vasco da Gama
2013 Botafogo (7) Fluminense
2014 Boavista (1) Friburguense
2015 Madureira (2) Bangu
2016 Volta Redonda (1) Resende
2017 Vasco da Gama (10) Botafogo
2018 Fluminense (3) Botafogo
2019 Flamengo (9) Vasco da Gama
2020 Fluminense (4) Flamengo
2021 Vasco da Gama (11) Botafogo
2022 Resende (1) Nova Iguaçu
2023 Botafogo (8) Audax
2024 Botafogo (9) Boavista

Titles by club edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Vasco tenta vencer Taça Rio pela 10ª vez; Botafogo luta pelo 6º título em 11 anos". globoesporte.com (in Portuguese). April 14, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  2. ^ Feitosa, Luis (June 19, 2020). "História, formato e mais: entenda a diferença entre a Taça Rio e a Taça Guanabara". Torcedores.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  3. ^ "Novo regulamento da Taça Rio gera confusão". www.band.uol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). December 26, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "Regulamento do Campeonato Carioca: entenda!". Gazeta Esportiva (in Brazilian Portuguese). March 29, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2023.

External links edit