Danilo Plans Final Year at Flamengo in 2027

Danilo wants to close the circle where it all began – and he has put a date on it.

Speaking at Ninho do Urubu, the veteran defender laid out his plan to sign one last deal with Flamengo and retire in 2027, calling it the “final year” of his career and the ideal end to a journey that has taken him through some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The 35-year-old admitted that, until recently, he barely had the headspace to think about his future.

“In 2026, I had very little time to reflect and assess; there was a World Cup in between, and at 35 years old, I had to dedicate myself immensely physically to measure up and be well prepared,” he said. The focus was on the national team, on squeezing every last drop out of a body that has been at the top level for more than a decade.

Only now, he explained, has the noise quietened enough for him to sit down with Flamengo’s hierarchy and map out what comes next.

“Now is when I've had more peace of mind to think about it. Flamengo and I have been talking, and I hope 2027 is the year we can be together so I can play the final year of my career.”

The message was clear: this is not a negotiation clouded by doubt. It is a shared plan.

Danilo underlined that contract talks have been smooth, with no hint of friction from either side. The tone, he stressed, has been calm, almost intimate, fitting for a player who wants to sign off at the club he calls “the club of my heart”.

“We have spoken very calmly. Both sides share the desire to move forward, to put together another beautiful year, and a year where I can truly say ‘this is the last year of my career’ and finish at the club of my heart, in a project I believed in and that has been working.”

No drama. No brinkmanship. Just a veteran plotting his exit on his own terms.

“I don't think there are any obstacles preventing this from happening,” he added, before pushing the conversation towards what really drives him in these final seasons: silverware. “Hopefully in 2027 we can be together, finish my career at Flamengo, and, God willing, win a major trophy – that would be wonderful.”

For a former Madrid and City defender who has lifted some of the game’s biggest prizes, the target now is simple: one last title, in red and black, to close the book.