Brazil has never been short of surprises and the latest one comes from the mouth of its president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva who has made Brazil sit up with his proposal that could change the complexion of the Brazilian national football team. Interviewing with O Povo/CBN Radio, Lula complained in articulate terms about the Brazillian players who played for European teams concluding that they are not yet real stars. It was considered a criticism of football players such as Vinicius Junior, Endrick, Eder Militao, Raphinha, Gabriel Martinelli, and the like.
Lula also said that more emphasis should be placed on the players in the domestic league – the Brasileirao – when it comes to selection for the national side. He also said that the talent that is currently in Europe is not any better than that of the talents in Brazil; he said there is no Garrincha or Romario currently playing but young talent who have not yet qualified to play in Brazil’s top football clubs.
Indeed, Lula said he had talked about his concept of a national team with only Brasileirao-based players with the CBF Ednaldo Rodrigues.
But the outcry increased in volume when Lula paved the way for Brazillian players in the country by offering them standardized ‘safe passage’ services from agencies across the globe.
What Did Lula Say About Brazilian Players?
A staunch Corinthians fan, Lula expressed these opinions after Brazil thrashed Chile 2-1 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. In this match two Botafogo players, namely, Luiz Henrique and Igor Jesus scored both of Brazil’s goals; an event that supported Lula’s argument.
“For some time I have been claiming that the national team of Brazil should be invited to play with representatives of the Brasileirao,” Lula said during the interview. Speaking of his recent meeting with the president of the CBF in Brasília, Cavalcante said ‘I told him, ‘Why not assemble a team of the Brazilian league players only?’ Ho(main) ‘Instead of that, I want to remind individuals that those who play their music abroad are not better than those playing their music here.”
Lula added: “We do not have a Garrincha or a Romario in Europe.” Among our ranks, we have so many young talents that, with the Lord’s blessing, will succeed, but they are not ‘stars’ yet. What we have there are well-endowed and high-quality players here in Brazil. And yesterday, during the Chile match, what I’ve been saying all along happened: both goals were scored by players from Brazil’s domestic league, for Botafogo. Therefore, let the local players have their shot.”
Potential Impact and Reaction
By infacting Lula’s idea, it would result in a severe change of selection for Brazil’s national team away from Europe-based players. Still, the plan could be resisted by FIFA because international football policies dictate that governments should not get involved in football administration.
Still, the reaction that Lula’s statements have caused inside the sport has already been somewhat heated and people continue to question the wisdom behind providing more chances to Brasileirão players.
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