- The Mengão were crowned champions in the 1981 edition, on their first appearance in the CONMEBOL Libertadores, with Zico as the star and leading figure of their continental triumph.
- The Rio de Janeiro side would have to wait 38 years to lift the Eternal Glory trophy again and pave the way for their true golden era on the international stage.
Under manager Paulo César Carpegiani, the Brazilian side announced their credentials beyond their domestic borders with a memorable campaign that culminated in a Final featuring a third and deciding match against the surprise package Cobreloa at Montevideo's Estadio Centenario.
The draw placed Flamengo, making their CONMEBOL Libertadores debut, in a demanding Group 3 alongside Atlético Mineiro, Cerro Porteño and Olimpia.
On the opening matchday, Nunes and Marinho scored in a 2-2 draw against the 'Galo' in Belo Horizonte, after Flamengo came from 2-0 down. The result would prove decisive when the group was settled. Zico began to make his mark on the competition in the second round, scoring twice in a 5-2 victory over Olimpia at the Maracanã before Flamengo recorded two consecutive home draws (1-1 against Olimpia and 2-2 against Atlético Mineiro).
Flamengo travelled to Asunción to play two decisive matches against Cerro Porteño and Olimpia respectively. They defeated the 'Ciclón de Barrio Obrero' 4-2 — with their captain Zico scoring a hat-trick — and drew 0-0 with the 'Decano' to finish level on points with their fellow Brazilians and force a play-off to determine who would progress.
The match was played in Goiânia and ended in an unexpected manner. In the 37th minute of the first half, the game had to be abandoned after Atlético Mineiro had Osmar, Chicao, Palinha, Reinaldo and Eder sent off, leaving them with just six outfield players, and the match was subsequently awarded to the Mengão.
Flamengo advanced to Group A of the Semi-finals alongside Deportivo Cali and Jorge Wilstermann. The Brazilian side produced emphatic performances, beating the Colombian team 1-0 in Cali and then defeating Wilstermann 2-1 away in Cochabamba. At home, in front of their supporters, they sealed qualification with two convincing wins (3-0 against the Colombian side, with a Zico brace and a goal from Chiquinho Carioca; and 4-1 against the Bolivian team, with goals from Nunes, Adílio, Anselmo and Chiquinho Carioca).
The decisive stage brought Flamengo face to face with Cobreloa, the surprise Chilean representatives managed by Vicente Cantatore.
The Maracanã hosted the first leg. Zico, who had already played at the 1978 FIFA World Cup — held in Argentina — with Brazil and had shown his quality in high-pressure situations, underlined his class by scoring twice in a 2-1 victory (Víctor Merello pulled one back from the penalty spot). The second leg, a week later, was played at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, in front of almost 60,000 spectators. With 11 minutes remaining, Merello, who had enjoyed a relentless campaign, scored the goal that gave Cobreloa a 1-0 victory and forced a third and deciding match.
Montevideo's Estadio Centenario was ready to host its 15th CONMEBOL Libertadores Final. And Zico was ready to write his name into the history of the Rio de Janeiro club. In the 18th minute, he opened the scoring with a powerful strike after a series of rebounds inside the box. Then, 12 minutes from full time, he put the finishing touch to the 'Fla' triumph with a precise free-kick that gave Chilean goalkeeper Óscar Wirth no chance.
Carpegiani's side, who would reaffirm their triumph just months later on the world stage against English side Liverpool in Tokyo, built their own identity match after match on their way to lifting the Eternal Glory trophy for the first time.
Flamengo won eight matches, drew four and suffered just one defeat — by a single goal. Their defensive solidity, built on the assuredness of goalkeeper Raul Plassmann and the tenacity of their centre-back pairing of Marinho and Mozer, combined with an attacking force led by Zico (11 goals in 13 matches), Nunes and Adílio, shaped an efficient, combative and entertaining side.
The Mengão would have to wait 38 years to reach another Final. That came in 2019, in the first single-match Final in the competition's history, when they beat River Plate 2-1 in a memorable encounter to claim their second CONMEBOL Libertadores title.
