Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva voiced his support on Friday for the idea of selecting only players from the domestic league, the Brasileirao, for the national team. He argued that there are no “star players” abroad who are better than those playing in Brazil.
“Those playing overseas aren’t superior to those here,” Lula said during a radio interview, following Brazil’s dramatic 2-1 win over Chile in the World Cup qualifiers, with goals from Botafogo players Luiz Henrique and Igor Jesus.
Lula mentioned that he recently discussed with the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) the possibility of focusing solely on domestic players, which would exclude stars like Vinícius, Rodrigo, Militão, and Endrick from Real Madrid, as well as Raphinha.
He remarked that there are no “Garrinchas or Romários” playing abroad, only “young players who aren’t stars yet.”
Lula suggested giving more opportunities to local talent, noting that Brazilian players of similar quality are already available within the country.
An avid Corinthians fan, the president often shares his thoughts on sports. Recently, he has been critical of both his team, which is in the relegation zone, and the National Team, currently fourth in the qualifiers, just three points from the playoff spot.
