Mirassol's Meteoric Rise: The Brazilian Club Defying Expectations

The 2026 Copa Libertadores has brought a surprise entrant in the form of Mirassol, a small Brazilian club from the outskirts of Sao Paulo. Their story is nothing short of astonishing, having finished fourth in the Brazilian league despite being favorites for relegation. Former Liverpool player Fabio Aurelio likens them to Wrexham, but without the financial backing, and notes that even Wrexham were never as low as Mirassol's sixth-tier status in 2018. At the start of the decade, Mirassol was in Serie D, but a sell-on clause from Luiz Araujo's move to Lille allowed them to invest in infrastructure, facilitating their rise through the divisions. This transformation turned Mirassol into a destination club, attracting talent from the Sao Paulo region. However, the miracle of Mirassol is attributed to the leadership of head coach Rafael Guanaes, who achieved the unthinkable by finishing as the fourth-best team in Brazil upon their promotion to the top division. Guanaes' success can be attributed to his 'hard work' mantra, where he emphasized the importance of being the team with the highest work rate in the championship. He also valued the metric of winning the ball back within five seconds, a tactic inspired by Jurgen Klopp. Guanaes' love for the game began with Football Manager, where he spent hours building teams and learning about players. This experience prepared him to be a coach, and he now studies neuroscience to better understand how to deliver his ideas to his players. Despite a challenging start to the season, Guanaes remains optimistic, believing that his team can achieve great things and even make a successful run in the Copa Libertadores.