Since 2020, Palmeiras has risen to the top of South American club soccer. Not only has the Verdão won championships, but they have also secured record-breaking sponsorship deals and made major moves in the transfer market. As a whole, Palmeiras stands head and shoulders above other clubs on the continent.
In just under five years, Palmeiras has risen to become the class of soccer in the Americas. Historically, the club is the most successful Brazilian side of all time, but in the past half decade, it has reached new heights both on and off the pitch.
The São Paulo-based team is setting records and achieving milestones, with a clear path ahead. This isn’t just a flash in the pan either — Palmeiras is likely to remain a dominant force in the region for some time.
Two icons in Brazilian football have united! 🤝
Building a partnership set for greatness, our Sportingbet brand has teamed up with the legendary @Palmeiras one of the most successful clubs in Brazilian football. 💚⚽
As Palmeiras President, Leila Pereira, says:
"I’m confident… pic.twitter.com/L6XDO5VXx9
— Entain (@EntainGroup) February 17, 2025
In January of 2025, Palmeiras announced a record-breaking sponsorship deal with gambling company SportingBet. The deal is reported to be the largest sponsorship agreement between a betting site and a Brazilian soccer club.
“Palmeiras has one of the most valuable brands in world football and consistently seeks credible partners capable of contributing to the club’s growth, making it even more successful,” said Leila Pereira, the club’s president, in a press release. “We are very pleased with SportingBet’s arrival and the beginning of this new era. I am confident that together we will build another successful partnership that will forever be part of the history of the Greatest Champion of Brazil.”
Pereira talks the talk, and her club is walking the walk. Since 2020, the team has won two league titles, one Copa do Brasil, one Brazilian Supercup, four Campeonatos Paulista, and internationally, two Copa Libertadores and one Recopa Sudamericana.
Since 2018, when Argentine powerhouse River Plate won the Copa Libertadores, Brazilian clubs have dominated the finals, with Palmeiras and Flamengo winning twice each in that six-year period. Palmeiras was the first club to win back-to-back Libertadores titles since Boca Juniors did it in 2000 and 2001.
It All Starts at the Top
Pereira is one of the richest women in Brazil, and became the first female president of Palmeiras upon taking over in 2021. Along with her husband José Roberto Lamacchia, she is the owner of Crefisa, a financial company that Lamacchia founded and has sponsored the club since 2015.
Under Pereira’s leadership, Palmeiras has seen massive success. She was re-elected president in 2024 for a second term and is also known for promoting gender equality in sports. Additionally, she founded Placar Linhas Aéreas, an airline for football teams.
“(Pereira) gave stability (to the club),” said Filippo Silva, who runs the popular Tactical Manager football social media platform. “In Brazil, coaches get fired very quickly, but she gave Abel Ferreira stability, and it shows. The positives outweigh the negatives.
“On the business side, Palmeiras is making more money than ever. She treats the club like a business, and the professionalism she brought is far ahead of previous presidents.”
Playing the Market
It might seem obvious, but Brazilian soccer players are among the most talented in the world. Despite Brazil’s rich history of huge transfer fees and mega signings, until very recently, Brazilian soccer was plagued by incompetence.
The arrival of privately owned companies, or SADs (Sociedade Anônima do Futebol), has helped Brazilian soccer capitalize on its greatest commodity: the Brazilian player. With the influx of cash from online betting sites eager to make Brazil the biggest market for online betting in South America, Palmeiras has been at the forefront of major outgoing transfers in the country.
Endrick ($48 million), Vitor Reis ($38 million), Estêvão ($35 million), Luis Guilherme ($23 million), Danilo ($21 million), Artur ($16 million), and Matías Viña ($14 million) have been some of the biggest outbound transfers by the club since the Pereira era began.
Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, West Ham, and Roma are just a few of the top European clubs that have purchased players from Palmeiras, positioning the club as one of the top sellers on the continent.
The club has also been shrewd with incoming signings. Recently, they acquired MLS standout Facundo Torres from Orlando City for a relative bargain at $14 million. With a very impressive youth system, Palmeiras has been quick to scout talent from Uruguay and Argentina, adding players like José Manuel López (Lanús), Matias Viña (Nacional), Emiliano Martínez (FC Midtjylland/Uruguay national team), Agustín Giay (San Lorenzo), and Aníbal Moreno (Racing Club).
Abel Ferreira
Perhaps the most significant factor in Palmeiras’ success lies in its Portuguese coach, Abel Ferreira. Ferreira joined the Brazilian club in 2020, at the start of the team’s golden era. A stranger in a country that had long been skeptical of foreign coaches, Ferreira brought tactical discipline to Brazilian soccer’s traditionally free-flowing style, and it’s paid off in a big way.
In his near five years at the club, Ferreira has won 10 championships and boasts an impressive 183-63-74 record, a remarkable achievement given the unpredictable nature of Brazilian soccer.
Ferreira’s tactical style is characterized by defensive solidity, quick counter-attacks, and tactical flexibility. His teams are well-organized defensively, often using formations like 3-4-3, 4-2-3-1, or 4-3-3, focusing on compactness and reducing space for the opposition.
Ferreira emphasizes a fast transition from defense to attack, exploiting spaces with quick, creative wingers and a forward capable of linking play. His teams press intensely when out of possession, seeking to win the ball back quickly. In midfield, he values technical players who control the tempo, and he is known for adapting his tactics based on the opponent, making his approach both balanced and unpredictable.
“Ferreira is the best coach Palmeiras has ever had,” Silva said. “I’ve spoken to people who work at Palmeiras, and they’ve told me they’ve never seen a more hardworking coach.
“The fanbase is a bit divided on Ferreira, mainly because he doesn’t play enough of the youth or is seen as stubborn. But the other half is very devoted to Ferreira, almost like a cult. I’m somewhere in the middle, but without a doubt, I think he’s our best coach ever.”
Ferreira has certainly established himself strongly in Brazil, and with the national team currently floundering, Ferreira could be a name to watch in the post-2026 world.
As Brazilian soccer searches for its identity, Ferreira could break the mold, particularly after the national team has been led by coaches with questionable credentials. Though not a proponent of the “Brazilian way” of playing, Ferreira has all the qualities necessary to be in the conversation for the national team job.
Current Team
2025 is shaping up to be a huge year for Palmeiras, with the Copa Libertadores and the Club World Cup being the two biggest prizes. In the Libertadores, they are already qualified into the group stage and are likely to be one of the major contenders for the title.
Come summer, Ferreira’s side will be in Group A of the Club World Cup, along with Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, FC Porto, and Al Ahly, a group Palmeiras could realistically top. Who knows what could happen after that? The team has a very interesting roster.
Torres, Estêvão, José Manuel López, Raphael Veiga, and Rony are all players to keep an eye on. If you’re into South American soccer, Palmeiras is one of those teams you need to watch.
It’s been a slow but thoughtful climb to the top for Palmeiras, a journey that has turned Verdão into one of the top teams in Brazil and, quite frankly, the team to watch in South American club soccer.
