Corinthians near foreign-player match limit after Jesse Lingard arrival | OneFootball

Corinthians have confirmed the signing of Jesse Lingard, leaving the club close to the per-match limit on overseas players in CBF competitions. Lingard was announced on Friday.

According to Meu Timao, he becomes their seventh foreign player, joining Memphis Depay, Zakaria Labyad, Pedro Milans, André Carrillo, Rodrigo Garro and Fabrizio Angileri.

Under CBF rules, up to nine overseas players can be named per match in national tournaments such as the Campeonato Brasileiro, Copa do Brasil and Supercopa. There is no overall squad cap, but only nine may be on the teamsheet. In Conmebol competitions there is no comparable limit.

Despite the new arrival, Corinthians reduced their foreign contingent in the last window. Félix Torres was loaned to Internacional, Héctor Hernández and José Martínez had their contracts terminated, and Ángel Romero departed at the end of his deal.

The number of overseas players has become a talking point in Brazil. UOL Esporte reported in December 2025 that the CBF began talks with Série A clubs over lowering the limit, with discussions set to continue through 2026 and any change likely to be phased in.

Coach Dorival Júnior has argued the Brazilian game should discuss reducing the number of foreigners, citing Italy as a warning for local player development after a 1-0 win over Athletico-PR in round two of the Brasileirão.

Although unveiled, Lingard is not yet cleared to debut as the club awaits paperwork to register him on the CBF's Boletim Informativo Diário, the BID. He has not played since December 2025 and is set for a period of reconditioning.

Source: Meu Timao