Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has urged the Brazil Football Federation CBF to consider inviting home-based players to the national team as the Selecao struggle in their 2026 World Cup qualifier campaign.
Brazil lost Paraguay in September with their top Europe based stars Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo, Endrick and Raphinha, but they bounced back beating Chile last weekend with their home-based players prompting Mr. da Silva to make the call.
Goals from Igor Jesus and Luis Henrique, gave the five-time world champions secured a crucial 2-1 win over Chile to keep their qualification hopes alive.
The impressive performances of these local talents have led Lula to argue for greater inclusion of players from Brazil’s league rather than relying on those who play in Europe.
Lula recently met with the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) to discuss this potential change.
According to beIN Sports, Lula urged the CBF to focus more on homegrown talent, emphasising the importance of showcasing local players.