The 2019 Campeonato Carioca (officially the 2019 Campeonato Carioca de Futebol) was the 117th edition of the top‑flight football league in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The competition was organized by the Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FFERJ) and took place from 19 January to 21 April 2019.
Format
- Twenty clubs participated, divided into two groups (Group A and Group B) of ten teams each.
- Taça Guanabara (first stage): each team played a single round‑robin against the ten clubs of the opposite group. The top two clubs from each group advanced to semifinals and a final to decide the Taça Guanabara champion.
- Taça Rio (second stage): clubs played a single round‑robin against the nine other teams of their own group. Again, the two best‑placed clubs from each group progressed to semifinals and a final to determine the Taça Rio champion.
- The winners of the two stages were scheduled to meet in a two‑legged final to decide the overall state champion. If the same club won both stages, it was automatically declared champion.
- The two clubs with the worst overall performance across both stages were relegated to the Campeonato Carioca Série B.
Outcome
- Champion: Flamengo, achieving its 36th Campeonato Carioca title. Flamengo secured the championship by winning both the Taça Guanabara and the Taça Rio, thus eliminating the need for a final playoff.
- Taça Guanabara Final: Flamengo defeated Vasco da Gama 2–1.
- Taça Rio Final: Flamengo defeated Botafogo 2–1.
- Relegated clubs: Nova Iguaçu and Portuguesa (RJ) were demoted to the Série B for the 2020 season.
Top scorer
- Gabriel Barbosa (Flamengo) – 12 goals.
Qualification
- The champion and other high‑placing clubs earned spots in the 2020 Copa do Brasil. State championship performance also influenced qualification for the 2020 Campeonato Brasileiro Série D for clubs not already competing in the national league system.
Participating clubs (selected)
- Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, Vasco da Gama, Volta Redonda, Nova Iguaçu, Portuguesa (RJ), among others.
Historical significance
The 2019 edition reinforced Flamengo’s dominance in Rio de Janeiro football, marking consecutive state titles and highlighting the club’s strong offensive performance, epitomized by Gabriel Barbosa’s scoring record.
All information presented is based on verifiable records from the Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and contemporaneous sports reporting.