Rio do Sul

Rio do Sul is the capital of the Alto Vale do Itajaí, in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, and its geography defines it entirely: the city stands at the confluence where the Itajaí do Oeste and Itajaí do Sul rivers meet to form the Itajaí-Açu. That same river that gives it its name and sustenance is also its greatest threat. The 1983 flood, the largest in its history, saw the Itajaí-Açu reach 15.30 metres on 12 July, and flooding has recurred ever since. Settled mainly by German and Italian immigrants following the 'stadtplatz' model along the riverbed, Rio do Sul grew into the economic and services hub of a wide region of the Santa Catarina interior, with 72,587 inhabitants in the 2022 census and a GDP per capita of 63,673.98 reais in 2023.

In sport, the municipality has gained visibility through Santa Catarina Clube, which after moving to the city in 2022 strung together promotions from Serie C to Serie A of the Santa Catarina Championship in just a few seasons, with sold-out crowds at the Estádio Municipal Alfredo João Krieck —the 'Alfredão'— and an unbeaten record at home. Sport is run by the Municipal Sports Foundation, which has sustained yearly facility upgrades and hosts state-level competition within the tradition of the Jogos Abertos and Joguinhos of Santa Catarina.

In December 2024, Rio do Sul was chosen South American City of Sport 2024 by ACES —in coordination between ACES Europe, ACES América do Sul and ACES Brasil—, after a five-day on-site assessment of its facilities, programmes and management, and a presentation at the European Parliament. The city prevailed over Diadema (São Paulo) and Manaus (Amazonas), extending the Santa Catarina lineage opened by Indaial in 2022. The jury highlighted its projects with children, adults and seniors, para-sport, and access in the most vulnerable communities.