Galloway, N.J. — The president of CR Flamengo, the most popular soccer team in Brazil, reached down and touched the grass field at Stockton University’s G. Larry James Stadium.

“We joked with the people here. They said that this is the magic grass, the grama mágica,” Luiz Eduardo Baptista said during a visit on Sunday, June 22. “And since superstition is a part of football, it’s worked really well for us so far, so let’s keep it that way.”

Flamengo has been one of the biggest success stories of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, winning both of its games in Philadelphia to become the first team to win its group and clinch a spot in the knockout round. All while the Rubro Negro (the Red and Black) practiced at Stockton’s Galloway Township campus from June 12 to 23.

Flamengo selected Stockton in large part due to its Bermuda grass field, installed by Hammonton’s Tuckahoe Turf Farm, which also installed the grass at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for the tournament. Flamengo defeated Esperance Sportive de Tunis 2-0 on June 16 and Chelsea FC 3-1 on June 20. The team will play its last game of the first round against Major League Soccer’s LAFC on June 24 in Orlando, Florida.

“I think we developed an unbelievable partnership with Flamengo,” said Jeff Haines, Stockton’s associate director of Athletics and Recreation.

“The thing that stood out for me is that their coach (Filipe Luís) and their administration and logistics manager (Gabriel Skinner) were very respectful of Stockton’s field, very respectful of our staff and the university,” Haines said. “They were very appreciative of all the time and effort that we gave to them. They wanted to go somewhere where they felt welcomed, and they liked the fact that no one was hounding them for autographs and photos.”

Haines, who was instrumental in bringing the team to Stockton, thanked his co-workers in athletics and the university’s police department and grounds crew for creating a safe and welcoming environment for Flamengo.

In addition to practicing at G. Larry James Stadium, Flamengo also used locker rooms, held team meetings and got physical therapy in the university’s adjacent Sports Center. Several of the players also took advantage of the Ospreys’ basketball court to shoot hoops before taking the field.

At least 20 media representatives, mostly from Brazil, attended the beginning of each day’s practice to report on the team’s training, elevating Stockton internationally. Journalist Gabriel Reis created the Paparazzo Rubro-Negro YouTube channel that has 1.5 million subscribers. He also has more than 1.4 million Instagram followers.

“I really love Flamengo. I’m a fan first,” Reis said pointing to a tattoo of the team’s logo on his right arm. “But staying in a place like this and working and talking about my love is simply incredible. For me, the win against Chelsea and the reception we had here at Stockton, it will be a moment I will always remember in my life.”

For FIFA, soccer’s international governing body that runs the Club World Cup, it was important for team base camps like Stockton to provide safe and high-quality facilities to the teams.

“The Stockton facility and staff provided a top-notch experience for both,” said Tim Lenahan ’83, FIFA’s team services venue officer and the coach of Stockton’s men’s soccer team from 1990-1997. Lenahan added that FIFA wants teams to feel like their base camp is a “home away from home.”

“It was clearly evident that this happened during Flamengo’s stay,” he said. “The joy on the players’ faces each day and subsequent performance in games showed the comfort level the team achieved. It was truly a great camp.”

Baptista certainly thought so. The team’s president presented Tony Berich, Stockton’s director of Athletics and Recreation, with a silver plate with the team’s logo thanking the university for its “warm hospitality and exceptional support.”

“We had a really pleasant stay here at Stockton University. It completely met our expectations and our needs,” Baptista said. “We were received here in a terrific way. Thank you to Stockton for these really nice facilities. Hopefully we are going to move forward in the Club World Cup Championship. Thank you very much on behalf of all the fans of Flamengo.”

What’s next? Possibly hosting a base camp for a team in next year’s World Cup. Haines said Flamengo representatives will give Stockton high marks to whatever teams end up playing in the Philadelphia area.

“They said whatever countries that are going to play in Philadelphia, they are going to reach out to those countries and tell them that they need to come to Stockton,” Haines said. “That’s got to be the best glowing endorsement we can get.”

— Story by Mark Melhorn, photos by Susan Allen and Lizzie Nealis