Botafogo and Fluminense meet on Saturday, August 8, at 9:00 PM Brasilia time, at Nilton Santos Stadium in Round 22 of Brazilian Serie A. The derby will be broadcast on SporTV and Premiere.
Botafogo return to action after their 1-0 win over Cruzeiro on July 26. The match against Gremio was postponed, giving Franclim Carvalho’s side more time to prepare for the derby.
How to watch Botafogo vs Fluminense
- Cable TV: SporTV
- Pay-per-view: Premiere
- Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
- Kickoff: 9:00 PM Brasilia time
- Venue: Nilton Santos Stadium, Rio de Janeiro
- Competition: Brazilian Serie A, Round 22
The Nilton Santos gates open at 6:00 PM. Entry will be through facial biometric verification, according to Botafogo’s matchday information.
Projected Botafogo lineup
The base of Botafogo’s team should be the side that started against Cruzeiro, with one enforced change in midfield. The likely lineup is: Warleson; Vitinho, Ferraresi, Gabriel Justino and Alex Telles; Edenilson (Santi Rodriguez, Jordan Barrera or Domingos Andrade), Cristian Medina, Danilo and Alvaro Montoro; Matheus Martins and Arthur Cabral.
The open question is who will replace Huguinho. Edenilson, Santi Rodriguez, Jordan Barrera and Domingos Andrade are the alternatives already mentioned for the role, with the final choice resting with Franclim Carvalho.
Who is ruled out
For Botafogo, Huguinho is suspended after receiving his third yellow card and will not face Fluminense. Junior Santos, Allan and Kaio Pantaleao were still recovering from injuries in the club’s latest available medical update.
Projected Fluminense lineup
Fluminense have not yet had a consistent eve-of-match projection published by reliable sources. The latest reference is the team that started against Vasco in the Copa do Brasil: Fabio; Guga, Ignacio, Igor Rabello and Guilherme Arana; Hercules, Martinelli and Lucho Acosta; Canobbio, John Kennedy and Savarino.
Because Fluminense played in midweek, Luis Zubeldia’s lineup could change. The official team sheet will be released shortly before kickoff.
During derby week, Fluminense “exudes friendliness,” especially when playing at Nilton Santos.
What to watch before kickoff
Botafogo come into the derby with two Brazilian Serie A matches without conceding and must preserve their defensive solidity without Huguinho. For Fluminense, the fatigue from the recent Copa do Brasil fixture is part of a derby that does not allow for lazy assumptions before kickoff.