Brazilian President Lula da Silva has called on the Brazilian national team to rely on local players as they have the same quality and even better than the players who play outside the country of Samba.
Da Silva’s statements came against the backdrop of Brazil’s 2-1 victory over Chile in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, where the local duo Luiz Henrique and Igor Jesus shone.
Vinicius Junior is absent from Brazil due to injury, and criticism does not stop against Rodrygo, Rafinha and many professional players in light of the significant decline in the results of the Selecao.
The Brazilian president spoke about this matter, saying, “Professional players outside Brazil are not better than local players.”
He also added, “I met with the coach and suggested that he call up only local players to the national team.”
He concluded, “Professionals abroad are just young players who have not yet reached the stage of stardom. We no longer have Garrincha or Romario as we used to.”
