Fortaleza Feminino

Fortaleza Feminino is the women's football department of Fortaleza Esporte Clube, created to meet the CBF's requirement that professional clubs maintain women's teams to compete in men's competitions such as the Copa do Brasil. The team competes in the Ceará Women's Championship and divisions of the Brazilian Women's Championship.

History

Women's football at Fortaleza was structured from 2019 onwards, in the context of a new rule by the Brazilian Football Confederation that began requiring clubs from the men's Series A and B to maintain active women's teams. The initiative followed a national movement toward the late professionalization of women's football in clubs traditionally focused only on men's football. Since then, Fortaleza Feminino has competed annually in the Ceará Women's Championship, where it has become one of the state's strongest forces, and has been seeking space in the divisions of the Brazilian Women's Championship, competing for a place in the national elite. The team uses the club's traditional colors (blue, red, and white) and is affectionately called the Leoas do Pici, in reference to the men's team's nickname, the Leão do Pici, and to the neighborhood where the club's training center is located. The team has invested in youth development to develop local athletes and increase regional competitiveness.