The Campeonato Carioca (officially the Campeonato Estadual do Rio de Janeiro) is the top professional football league in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, organized by the Rio de Janeiro State Football Federation (FERJ) since its first season in 1906. The competition is famous for its fierce rivalries among four of Brazil's most prestigious clubs—Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama—with Flamengo leading the all-time title count with 40 championships, followed by Fluminense (33), Vasco da Gama (24), and Botafogo (21). Early history saw Fluminense win the inaugural title, while the 1907 season ended in a controversial tie between Botafogo and Fluminense that was only resolved in 1996 when both clubs were declared co-champions. The league experienced several splits, most notably in 1924 when the "aristocratic" clubs (Flamengo, Fluminense, Botafogo, America) formed the AMEA with racial restrictions, while Vasco da Gama won the rival "String League" (LMDT) title, which was later recognized as official. The professional era began in 1933 when Bangu, Fluminense, Vasco, and America founded the first professional league, marking a shift from amateurism. Today, the Cariocão remains a historic and intensely competitive state championship, deeply woven into the cultural fabric of Rio de Janeiro.