Soccer
7 surprising facts about Red Bull Bragantino, Brazil’s rising football club
From a sausage-loving hometown to a goalkeeper who scores goals, discover the unexpected rise of Red Bull’s Brazilian football team and why they’re shaking up South American football.
Wearing a training shirt in an official match might sound like a mistake, but for Red Bull Bragantino, it was a bold first in Brazilian football’s top divisions. And that’s just one of many surprising moments from the club’s unusual journey. Here are seven things you probably didn’t know about this rising team from São Paulo.
Go behind the scenes with Red Bull Bragantino in The Next Goal – now streaming on Red Bull TV.
01
The first goal of the Red Bull Bragantino era was scored by Bruno Tubarão
Bruno Tubarão scored Red Bull Bragantino's first goal
© Ari Ferreira/Red Bull Bragantino
When Red Bull officially took over Bragantino in 2019, their debut match in Brazil’s Série B (second division) was a 1–0 away win against Brasil de Pelotas. The only goal came from forward Bruno Tubarão, who went on to score twice more that season. Tubarão remained with the club until 2022, when he transferred to Vasco da Gama.
02
The bold international coaching gamble that didn’t pay off
In 1994, Red Bull Bragantino (then simply Bragantino) made an ambitious move by hiring Montenegrin coach Dušan Drašković. Fresh off leading Ecuador to a fourth-place finish at the 1993 Copa América, Drašković arrived in Bragança Paulista with high expectations. But his time at the club was short-lived – a disappointing 11th-place finish in the São Paulo state championship (Paulistão) led to his early departure. He was replaced by Otacílio Pires de Camargo, better known as Cilinho, a more well-known figure in Brazilian football.
03
When a training shirt became matchday kit
In a rare moment of football history, Red Bull Bragantino became the first club across Brazil’s four main national divisions to wear a training shirt in an official match. The incident occurred in 2023, when the team took the field in a burgundy-coloured top, typically reserved for training, during a league match against Grêmio.
The training shirt worn for the match against Grêmio
© Ari Ferreira/Red Bul Bragantino
And the reinterpretation of the classic carijó-inspired shirt in 2019
© Lucas Figueiredo/CBF
It wasn’t the first time the club made headlines for unusual kits. In the final round of the 2019 Série B season, with the title already secured, Bragantino played against CRB wearing a special-edition shirt inspired by the iconic Carijó design from 1991, demonstrating a flair for symbolism and one-off style statements.
04
The World Cup-winning goalkeeper who scored from his own half
Ado, a member of Brazil’s legendary 1970 World Cup-winning squad, ended his professional career at Bragantino, but not before leaving his mark in dramatic fashion. Known for his skill with the ball at his feet, the veteran goalkeeper scored an improbable goal in the 1981 Paulista Série B (São Paulo state second division). Facing Palmeiras de São João da Boa Vista, Ado launched a long clearance from his own half. With the help of a favourable bounce and a strong gust of wind, the ball soared over the opposing goalkeeper and into the net. He retired the following year, in 1982, with Bragantino as his final club.
05
Bragantino’s quiet legacy in the Brazilian national team
Red Bull Bragantino may be better known today for producing modern talents like Léo Ortiz and Artur – both called up to the Brazil senior squad in 2021 – but the club’s history with the Seleção goes back much further.
In the early 1990s, when the team was enjoying a golden era under coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, several Bragantino players earned national team call-ups. These included Mauro Silva, Gil Baiano, João Santos, Mazinho Oliveira and Silvio. Among them, only Mazinho scored for Brazil while still playing for Bragantino, netting goals against Ecuador and Chile during the 1991 Copa América.
06
The power words behind the locker room doors
The personalised lockers in the Nabizão changing room
© Ari Ferreira/Red Bull Bragantino
Inside the changing rooms at Red Bull Bragantino’s home stadium, the Nabizão, every player has a personal reminder of what drives them, literally on the locker doors. Each squad member chooses a single word or phrase that best represents their mindset, values, or motivation. Words like resilience, unity, overcoming, kindness, family, and persistence are displayed across the lockers, forming a collective portrait of the team’s identity, both on and off the pitch.
07
Bragantino’s modern-era goal king – and his Zlatan-inspired nickname
Veteran striker Lincom has played for more than 15 clubs throughout his career, both in Brazil and abroad, but it was at Bragantino where he truly made his name. With 73 goals, he holds the title of the club’s top scorer in the 21st century.
Standing at 1.93m (6ft 4in) and known for his strength in the box, Lincom earned the affectionate nickname 'Ibrahimolincom' from fans, an homage to Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimović, whose size and scoring instincts he seemed to echo during his time at the club.