SE Belford Roxo

Belford Roxo begin the season back in the Campeonato Carioca Série B2, sent down in 2024 after finishing bottom without a single win — one season after going up.

The club was founded on 26 June 2020, in the Rio de Janeiro suburb of Belford Roxo, set up as a school for young players rather than a side assembled to win straight away. It reached the Série C in 2021 and topped its group on debut; a year later it won the division outright.

2023 was the high point: an unbeaten run through the Taça Maracanã brought the title, then a run to the Série B2 final. São Cristóvão won that game, but Belford Roxo were promoted to Série B1 anyway.

The club's base is the Vila Olímpica de Belford Roxo, the training ground that produced Fabrício Rodrigues, known as Bill, who went on to play for Flamengo and Dnipro, and Ronaldo Barcelos, who moved through Flamengo, Grêmio and Portimonense.

Heliópolis Atlético Clube, also from Belford Roxo, is the closest thing the club has to a rival, though the fixture carries no name of its own. Followers know the side by its red, blue and white colours and the nickname Sinistros de Bel — there is no official website, only Facebook and Instagram pages. Home games are played at the Estádio Nélio Gomes, which holds 5,000.