Sports
Payet, Bolasie and Depay — why are so many random European players heading to Brazil?
A recent segment on a sports bulletin on Brazilian television neatly captured the excitement — and bafflement — caused by an influx of European players.
It started with a montage of goals scored by Memphis Depay, signed by Corinthians last week in a move that has sent large sections of the Sao Paulo club’s fanbase into delirium. Clips of supporters mimicking the Dutch forward’s trademark fingers-in-ears goal celebration were only a small sample of what can be expected in the months ahead.
Then came images of other players: Denmark international Martin Braithwaite; Maxime Dominguez, a midfielder from Switzerland; French 20-year-old Mohamed El Arouch; the former Norwich City and Newcastle United full-back Jamal Lewis.
All have signed for clubs in Brazil since the end of the 2023-24 European season. The TV segment playfully labelled the rundown a “Tour of Random Gringos”.
This is not even the full extent of it, however. The complete version of the list would also include former France playmaker Dimitri Payet, who has been playing for Vasco da Gama since August 2023, and Tobias Figueiredo, once a Portugal player at youth level and now at Criciuma on loan from Fortaleza. Spaniard Hector Hernandez is a possible strike partner for Depay at Corinthians. There is also Yannick Bolasie, also at Criciuma. He may have played 50 times for DR Congo, but he was born in France and raised in England, making him plenty European enough to count as an import from what Brazilians call the Old Continent.
An historic move for @Jamal_lewis1 🇧🇷🔥
Congratulations to our client Jamal Lewis who has completed a loan move to Brazilian giants @SaoPauloFC ✍️ #SPFC #NUFC pic.twitter.com/DakkLuKHb8
— PLG (@PLG_agency) September 3, 2024
It is an eye-catching trend whichever way you cut it. There have been Europeans in Brazil before — Serbian playmaker Dejan Petkovic is considered a legend at Flamengo and Clarence Seedorf had a memorable late-career spell at Botafogo — but never before have there been so many at once in the modern era. With numbers likely to swell further, it seems an appropriate time to ask the obvious question: what the heck is going on?
For one thing, the laws governing the use of players from outside Brazil have been slackening. Two years ago, clubs could use a maximum of five foreigners in a matchday squad. That was changed to seven in 2023. In March, the clubs in the top division of the Campeonato Brasileiro voted unanimously to raise the cap again, up to nine.
The impact of those alterations has been felt most keenly within South America. Brazil has hoovered up talent from Argentina, Uruguay and its other neighbours for years; now they can really cut loose. Current league leaders Botafogo have six non-Brazilian South Americans in their ranks, as do second-placed Palmeiras. Gremio, the traditional home of many such ‘hermanos’, have nine. The extra leeway, though, has also brought other markets into the equation.
It helps that Brazilian football has, broadly speaking, become more accommodating of outside voices over the last decade. Portuguese coaches Jorge Jesus and Abel Ferreira have enjoyed enormous success, beating a path that many others have followed. The local football federation wanted to break with tradition and appoint Carlo Ancelotti as coach of the men’s national team. Funding from abroad has led to modernisation behind the scenes. It makes sense that these patterns would be replicated on the pitch, too.
It is tempting to see the wave of Europeans as a sign that the Brazilian game is thriving. From afar, one might assume Brazilian clubs have acquired the financial clout to compete for players they would not previously have been able to sign, or the kinds of international scouting networks that would have been anathema to past generations. Maybe recent structural changes — the 2021 law that allowed clubs to become public companies (SAFs), increasing foreign investment, talk of a breakaway league — have moved the Campeonato Brasileiro up in the world.
This, though, would be an incredibly rosy-eyed reading. It would be one thing if these signings were concentrated among clubs who have their act together, but there is no real correlation. Gremio, who signed Braithwaite to replace the departed Luis Suarez in July, are on a solid financial footing, for example, but Corinthians have debts of more than two billion Reais (£278million, $368 million). If Depay cannot help them claw themselves out of the relegation zone in the remaining 12 matches of the season, they face financial ruin.
Martin Braithwaite playing for Gremio last month (Albari Rosa/AFP/Getty Images)
For Rodrigo Capelo, Brazil’s foremost expert on football finances, the recent spate of European arrivals is nothing to be excited about.
“These recent signings seem much more like a fad than anything strategic or based on structural change in Brazilian football,” he tells The Athletic. “Opportunities have arisen and club owners sensed they would go down well with fans. In the past, they only signed Brazilians or South Americans. Now they also have the chance to sign European players. They look good in photos.”
The comparison between Seedorf and Depay is interesting. Seedorf was 36 and some way past his prime when he joined Botafogo in 2012. Depay is 30 and still a mainstay of the Dutch national team. It would be a stretch to call it a coup, given that none of Europe’s top teams appeared to want him this summer, but it doesn’t feel like nothing.
Depay was keen to paint himself as a kind of envoy from the future at his first Corinthians press conference. “We always come to take the Brazilian talents to Europe because they have something special,” he said. “This league needs a light from the other side. It is time to show its potential. It will happen in the next few years.”
Capelo is not convinced. “It would be positive if this was a true sign that Brazilian football was getting stronger, more profitable, more responsible, more sustainable,” he says. “If that was the truth, it would be cool to pass that message on to the wider world by signing players who were still in demand in the European market, but it’s not the case.
“None of the players here today could find clubs in Europe. It’s interesting that they saw Brazil as an alternative but it doesn’t change our image on the global scene.”
For Capelo, the Seedorf example also serves as a cautionary tale. For all the excitement about that signing, for all that Seedorf proved to be an inspiration on the pitch, the move also symbolised the kind of financial irresponsibility that has so often defined the Brazilian game. When the sponsorship deals and a round of TV bonuses that had funded Seedorf’s arrival dried up, Botafogo were left on the brink of collapse. A year after the Dutchman retired, they were relegated to Serie B.
Seedorf playing for Botafogo in 2013 (Ricardo Ramos/Getty Images)
A decade on, plenty has changed. The rise of SAFs, including Botafogo, Cruzeiro, Fortaleza and Bahia, has been widely credited with bringing in fresh ideas and much-needed investment. The ownership model also tends to shape transfer policy: without presidential elections every few years, there is less temptation for these clubs to go for splashy, big-name signings that might previously have swayed fans in the short term.
Botafogo, for instance, spent heavily this summer, but on players who might reasonably be expected to increase in value. “We spent €20million on Luiz Henrique (from Real Betis), which is no big deal in Europe but was a record fee in Brazil,” John Textor, the owner of the club’s SAF, tells The Athletic. “We then broke it again for Thiago Almada (from Atlanta United). But we think these are investments and we have also invested money in our facilities. When (former Manchester United defender) Alex Telles joined, he told me that our training ground is the best of any club he’s played for.”
These advances have not been universal, however. Capelo, for one, still sees lingering similarities with the Seedorf era. He points to the recent boom in the Brazilian gambling industry, which has brought money into the game but may not be sustainable. “Certain practices still resemble those of the past,” he says.” A lot of clubs are spending money they don’t have.”
You can understand the appeal to the players. Depay is rumoured to be earning around £96,000 ($127,000) a week at Corinthians — not top European wages but hardly to be sniffed at. He will probably be one of the best players in the league. Like Telles, he has been impressed by the facilities at his new club. “The structure here is similar (to that at top European clubs), maybe even better in some respects,” Depay said at his unveiling.
There are also intangibles. The lifestyle available to rich footballers in Brazil will be markedly different to that they might experience in Saudi Arabia, say. There is also the allure of playing in what Depay called “the Mecca of football”, plus the undeniable feeling of adventure to it all.
It is much less clear whether deals like this augur anything good for the league. Bolasie is fast becoming a cult hero for Criciuma but it would be no great surprise if some of the other signings go the same way as Jese and Hugo Mallo, two Spaniards who pitched up last year and made minimal impact. And while not all of the European signings represent huge financial gambles, there does still seem to be an appetite for the outlandish: UEFA Champions League winners Mario Balotelli and Sergio Ramos have been linked with money-spinning moves in the last couple of months.
As for Depay, his contract includes an escape clause if Corinthians are relegated. The deal has largely been funded by one of the club’s sponsors, a betting company.
“These moves aren’t happening because Brazilian football became richer,” says Capelo, “but because there’s still a lot of irresponsibility.”
(Top photo: Memphis Depay training in Sao Paulo; by Nelson Almeida/AFP via Getty Images)
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The wait is officially over. The FIFA World Cup has arrived.
For the first time ever, three nations—the United States, Mexico, and Canada are co-hosting the tournament. It is also the largest FIFA World Cup in history, expanding to a 48-team field. Squads from around the world have arrived in North America with one ultimate goal: capturing the iconic World Cup trophy.
Here’s the latest look at some of the most notable news surrounding the World Cup.
June 12:
Official Injury Update On Neymar
Brazilian star Neymar Jr. will officially miss Brazil’s opening match against Morocco on Saturday. Neymar was named to Brazil’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad despite a calf injury, and now won’t be available early on. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said that “Neymar is working very hard to recover as quickly as possible.
“The expectation is that he will recover and rejoin the group next week.”
Google Doodle Has World Cup Fever
In case fans didn’t already have World Cup fever, they can open their web browser.
Google is officially ready for USA’s opener against Paraguay, as the home page features a custom, USA-themed Google Doodle.
The Doodle features red text with a blue outline, as well as a soccer ball along with an interchanging USA crest replacing the “O’s” in Google.
James Cordon Stretches With Christian Pulisic
James Corden joined Christian Pulisic and the United States men’s national team for a training session ahead of their World Cup opener against Paraguay.
After meeting with head coach Mauricio Pochettino and going through a film session with the players, Corden and Co. hit the pitch for practice, where he helped serve as a water boy.
Corden tried to help Pulisic stretch out his legs after practice before he was stopped by a member of the coaching staff. As Corden walked off, Pulisic sprayed him with a water bottle.
DR Congo Arrives to the World Cup in Style
The DR Congo men’s national team isn’t set to play until Wednesday, June 17, against Portugal in Group K, but they’ve already made a statement upon arrival in Houston, Texas.
The squad arrived in style, stepping off the plane in striking black, jaguar-inspired outfits that quickly turned heads. The bold look fits their nickname, Les Léopards, and sets the tone for their World Cup presence before they even face Portugal.
DR Congo may be heavy underdogs, but they’re already winning where it counts off the pitch, taking the fashion battle before kickoff.
Canada’s Jesse Marsch Takes Dig At USA
The Canadian men’s national team is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday afternoon. Ahead of the match, head coach Jesse Marsch took a subtle jab at the United States men’s national team during his remarks on Thursday.
“In the U.S., we had to beg players to sing the national anthem,” Marsch said.
The United States conducted a months-long search for a new head coach in 2023, with Marsch emerging as the frontrunner and making it clear he wanted the job. Instead, they chose to rehire Gregg Berhalter, a decision that may have left Marsch with some lingering resentment.
Marsch’s subtle jab could take on added stakes if the United States and Canada meet during the FIFA World Cup. The two nations could potentially face off as early as the Round of 32 or the Round of 16.
June 11:
The pressure of competing in the 2026 FIFA World Cup is high, but that hasn’t stopped players from enjoying some downtime with their teammates. Norway star Erling Haaland was spotted at the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Haaland appeared to be enjoying himself as the Hurricanes secured a Game 5 victory, taking a 3-2 series lead over the Golden Knights. The Manchester City striker drew plenty of attention from fans in attendance as he took in the action from the stands.
The Norway star was seen celebrating in the stands before turning his attention back to international duty, with Norway set to face Iraq in Group 1 play on Tuesday, June 16.
Australia Coach Popovic Signs Extension
Australia coach Tony Popovic has signed a contract extension through early 2027 on the eve of his team’s World Cup opening match against Turkey on Saturday.
Football Australia said Friday that the 52-year-old Popovic’s deal now extends through the Asian Cup, which will take place in January and early February in Saudi Arabia.
The former Australia international was hired in September 2024 and led the Socceroos to qualification for the 48-team tournament.
“I’m proud to lead my country into a World Cup, but most importantly, I want to ensure that our team is fully prepared and focused on our group matches against Turkey, the United States, and Paraguay,” he said of Australia’s opponents in Group D.
Canada Captain Sidelined For Opening Match
Canada’s captain and star defender Alphonso Davies will miss Canada’s World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Davies’ status has been questionable due to an ACL tear and other injuries during the club season, which limited Davies to appearing in two of Canada’s last 21 games.
Davies is one of the co-host’s more valuable players in terms of talent and experience, including 58 appearances in nine years with the national team. However, Davies’ injury does not rule him out of the entire tournament. His injury update and restraint from the opening match serves as a caution to heal his injury as the group stage unfolds.
After playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS, Davies transferred to Bayern Munich, where he’s played since 2019. Canada is set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 12, followed by Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.
Captain Wataru Endo Withdraws From World Cup
Just ahead of Japan’s opening match against the Netherlands on June 14, captain and midfielder Wataru Endo has withdrawn his name from Japan’s World Cup squad and paired it with his national team retirement, per his statement on X. Endo has been dealing with an ongoing ankle/foot injury since February.
Endo has played for the Japan national team for over a decade, where he made 73 appearances and scored four goals. As a veteran anchor in the midfield, Endo has also served as Japan’s captain since their previous World Cup in 2022, where they reached the Round of 16.
As for Endo’s professional career, he first played for Shanon Bellmare from 2010-15, followed by the Urawa Red Diamonds from 2016-19, VfB Stuttgart from 2019-23 and has played for Liverpool FC since 2023. With Liverpool, Endo played a prominent role in the team’s Carabao Cup victory in 2024.
With Endo out, Japan has officially called Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Shuto Machino to join the 26-man roster. Machino is entering his second World Cup and his fifth year with the Japan national team.
Marco Senesi Called Up To 26-Man Roster
Following the injury of defender Leonardo Balerdi, Argentina has officially called up defender Marcos Senesi to the 26-man roster. Argentina is set to open their World Cup campaign on June 16 against Algeria.
Senesi has been training prior in case of a last-minute call-up, and was named to the roster after Balerdi’s muscle injury was ruled out. Senesi has played professionally since 2016, playing for clubs like San Lorenzo, Feyenoord, AFC Bournemouth and is currently with Tottenham Hotspur.
Joining Senesi in the back are defenders Lisandro Martínez, Nicolás Otamendi and Cristian Romero.
In what’s likely to be Lionel Messi’s last World Cup, Argentina will look to repeat their historic 2022 World Cup win this tournament.
Tyler Adams, USA Celebrate Shocking Knicks’ W
Tyler Adams, United States’ midfielder, is a fan of the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks. The Knicks are in the NBA Finals, on the eve of the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, so members of the United States’ squad gathered together to watch what turned out to be the largest NBA Finals comeback in history, with the Knicks coming out on top.
When New York won, the room erupted, with Adams especially going wild. And we know this because the reaction was caught on camera in the moment.
That couch is destroyed, but at least no one watching the game ended up as damaged as it did after Adams went climbing and kicking all over it! If the United States ends up having a major comeback or win in the World Cup, maybe keep the players away from any obstacles like that, though. Just to be safe.
Morocco Loses 2 Players To Injury Before World Cup
Morocco replaced two injured players in its World Cup squad ahead of an opening game against Brazil, including star winger Abde Ezzalzouli.
FIFA confirmed late Wednesday that former Barcelona player Ezzalzouli and Marseille defender Nayef Aguerd were withdrawn from the Morocco squad for the tournament.
Ezzalzouli helped Real Betis qualify for next season’s Champions League and was a potential breakout star at the World Cup. Aguerd was a cornerstone of Morocco’s historic semifinals team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
They were replaced by Amine Sbai of French club Angers and Marwane Saadane, who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al Fateh.
Morocco opens against Brazil on Saturday at MetLife Stadium near New York, then plays Scotland on June 19 near Boston and finishes Group C against Haiti on June 24 in Atlanta.
Ezzalzouli injured his right knee in a warmup game against Norway last weekend, though initial tests suggested he could be retained in coach Mohamed Ouahbi’s squad to play in the knockout rounds.
Surprise World Cup Comeback For Austrian Midfielder
The last time Dejan Ljubicic played for Austria was nearly three years ago. Now a teammate’s injury has given him a surprise comeback at the World Cup.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick called up Ljubicic late Wednesday to replace key midfielder Christoph Baumgartner, who injured his right thigh while warming up for a pre-World Cup friendly against Tunisia last week and needed surgery.
Ljubicic is set to join Austria at the team camp in Santa Barbara on Thursday, ahead of the team’s first game on Tuesday against Jordan. Austria also plays Argentina and Algeria in Group J.
He’s more of a defensive midfield option than Baumgartner, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for Leipzig in Germany last season and has remained in camp to support the team.
Ljubicic also plays in Germany on the Schalke team which secured promotion from the second division last month.
Ljubicic has nine games for Austria but none at a major tournament. His last appearance was in a friendly against Moldova in September 2023, and he wasn’t in the squad for any World Cup qualifiers.
CHICAGO — Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was out of the lineup Friday against the White Sox after exiting the game before with discomfort in the back of his left knee.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani had imaging done on the knee and showed “the normal wear and tear.”
“He feels fine-ish,” said Roberts, who hopes Ohtani will be back in the lineup this weekend. Ohtani remains in line to make his next pitching start on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium.
Especially at this point in the season, the Dodgers have incentive to play it safe with Ohtani’s recovery. Pushing him to return early and exacerbating the injury would be a larger blow to a team seeking its third straight World Series championship.
With Ohtani out, left fielder Alex Call was in the leadoff spot, and Santiago Espinal served as the designated hitter.
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With the largest World Cup field in the history of the tournament, 32 of the 48 teams will be fighting for a spot in the knockout stage.
66.6% of nations will advance out of the group stage this summer, which is a massive upgrade from 50% in past World Cups. Because of this, sportsbooks have adjusted with less favorable odds.
Prior to the start of the tournament, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, England, and Germany entered with the strongest odds to advance from the group stage, supported by recent major-tournament success and talent-rich rosters.
All five nations are heavily favored at -10000 to advance to the knockout round.
The Spaniards are the defending European Champions while the Argentinians are looking to win back-to-back titles. Germany has not made it out of the group stage in the last two World Cups, but has always been a perennial contender— having won four titles in its history. And then of course there’s Brazil, which has more titles than any country with five.
Now, after the conclusion of the first day of the World Cup, Mexico has joined the group at the top. El Tri has surged to -10000 to advance to the knockout stage after initially being just -1400. Mexico’s huge leap up the oddsboard is a direct result of its dominating 2-0 win over South Africa.
With that in mind, let’s dive into the odds for each team to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as of June 12.
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Odds to Advance to Knockout Stage
Spain: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Argentina: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Brazil: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
England: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Mexico: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Germany: -10000 (bet $10 to win $10.10 total)
Portugal: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
France: -5000 (bet $10 to win $10.20 total)
Belgium:-3500 (bet $10 to win $10.29 total)
South Korea: -2500 (bet $10 to win $10.40 total)
Switzerland: -1800 (bet $10 to win $10.56 total)
Netherlands: -1400 (bet $10 to win $10.71 total)
Morocco: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Colombia: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Uruguay: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Canada: -1000 (bet $10 to win $11 total)
Ecuador: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
Norway: -900 (bet $10 to win $11.11 total)
United States: -750 (bet $10 to win $11.33 total)
The U.S. men’s national team is currently -750 to advance from Group D (Photo by Omar Vega/USSF/Getty Images).
Croatia: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Austria: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Türkiye: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Ivory Coast: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Japan: -500 (bet $10 to win $12 total)
Egypt: -340 (bet $10 to win $12.94 total)
Algeria: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Scotland: -310 (bet $10 to win $13.23 total)
Senegal: -230 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Sweden: -230 (bet $10 to win $1435 total)
Bosnia and Herzegovina: -220 (bet $10 to win $14.55 total)
Paraguay: -205 (bet $10 to win $14.88 total)
Iran: -200 (bet $10 to win $15 total)
Czechia: -165 (bet $10 to win $16.06 total)
Ghana: -140 (bet $10 to win $17.14 total)
Australia: -110 (bet $10 to win $19.09 total)
DR Congo: +100 (bet $10 to win $20 total)
Raúl Jiménez helped propel Mexico to a 2-0 win over South Africa in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup (Photo by Yair Gonzalez/Jam Media/Getty Images).
Saudi Arabia: +105 (bet $10 to win $20.50 total)
Tunisia: +140 (bet $10 to win $24 total)
New Zealand: +150 (bet $10 to win $25 total)
Uzbekistan: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
Cape Verde: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Panama: +200 (bet $10 to win $30 total)
Qatar: +275 (bet $10 to win $37.50 total)
South Africa: +320 (bet $10 to win $42 total)
Jordan +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Iraq: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Haiti: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Curaçao: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)
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