Cruzeiro Esporte Clube

Cruzeiro is the largest club in Minas Gerais and one of the most successful in Brazil, with four Brazilian Championship titles and three Copa do Brasil titles. Mineirão is its historic fortress.

History

Founded in 1921 by Italian immigrants as Società Sportiva Palestra Italia, it adopted the name Cruzeiro in 1942. In the 1960s and 1970s, it revealed talents such as Tostão and Reinaldo. In 1976 and 1997, it won the Copa Libertadores. With Ronaldo in 1994, it gave the young star his first major stage before moving to Europe. In recent times, it won four consecutive Brazilian Championships between 2013 and 2014.