Corinthians rub salt in Palmeiras’ Club World Cup wound | OneFootball

Corinthians were quick to reignite one of Brazilian football’s most notorious rivalries, mocking Palmeiras online following their exit at the hands of Chelsea in the Club World Cup quarterfinals, according to Globo.

Shortly after Palmeiras fell 2-1 to Chelsea, Corinthians took to social media to remind their rivals of their own storied success on the world stage. The Timão posted an image of their mascot, the musketeer, holding replica trophies of their 2000 and 2012 Club World Cup victories, smiling and looking at a pig—the animal commonly used to caricature Palmeiras—dressed in a green suit and holding a “deported” sign at a U.S. airport setting. The image’s message was clear: “World titles are for the few.”

This jab was, in part, a riposte to Palmeiras’ own social media dig earlier in the year. In May, after Corinthians crashed out in the preliminary phase of the Conmebol Libertadores, Palmeiras mocked them with a “access denied” post, fueling the ongoing banter between the clubs’ digital teams.

Corinthians, uniquely among Brazilian rivals, have parlayed their global titles into both pride and internet currency, often referencing their 2012 final win over Chelsea. The visual posted after Palmeiras’ recent defeat not only played on the clubs’ long-standing rivalry but also on the cultural tradition in which each side seeks a measure of comic revenge at every disappointment.

Palmeiras’ loss to Chelsea once again denied the club the world crown its supporters crave. For Corinthians’ fans and official channels, that drought remains a reliable source of amusement—a detail not lost on their social media strategists.

Photo by Pedro H Tesch/Getty Images