Cruzeiro Esporte Clube (Brazilian Portuguese: [kɾuˈzejɾu esˈpoʁtʃi ˈklubi]), known simply as Cruzeiro, is a Brazilian sports club based in Belo 2️⃣ Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
Although competing in a number of different sports, Cruzeiro is mostly known for its association football team.
Its football 2️⃣ team is the most prestigious team in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais.
It plays in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the top 2️⃣ tier of the Brazilian football league system, as well as in the Campeonato Mineiro, the state of Minas Gerais's premier 2️⃣ state league.
The club was founded on 2 January 1921, by sportsmen from the Italian colony of Belo Horizonte as Palestra 2️⃣ Itália.