Grêmio

Grêmio

Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense, founded on September 15, 1903, in Porto Alegre by 32 individuals with strong ties to the city's German immigrant community, plays at the magnificent 55,662-capacity Arena do Grêmio since 2013 — a venue that hosted matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The club has won the Campeonato Brasileiro twice (1981, 1996), a record five Copa do Brasil titles, and three Copa Libertadores crowns (1983, 1995, 2017) — with the 2017 triumph particularly emotional as coach Renato Gaúcho had also played in the 1983-winning side. Ronaldinho made his professional debut for the club at 17 during the 1998 Libertadores before his move to Paris Saint-Germain. Grêmio's intense derby rivalry with Internacional — the Grenal — is one of the fiercest local rivalries in world football.