How naturalisation works in Brazil, Flamengo have 3 eligible players | OneFootball

Pulgar and 2 other Flamengo players are eligible

The CBF approved a rule that will gradually reduce the number of foreign players allowed on matchday squads over the coming years. As a result, naturalization has become an option available to clubs to keep players from abroad. With that in mind, Coluna do Fla explains how the process works.

HOW DOES THE NATURALIZATION PROCESS WORK?

Brazilian law requires continuous and uninterrupted residence in the country for at least four years. This is the central requirement of ordinary naturalization, the formal name of the process. The application begins by filling out a form with the Federal Police, and the request is then sent to the Ministry of Justice for review.

WHAT ARE THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR THE APPLICATION?

In addition to the length of residence, applicants must be 18 years old or older. At the same time, they must prove they can communicate in Portuguese, and the person interested cannot have a criminal conviction, unless they have already been legally rehabilitated.

TIMEFRAME FOR NATURALIZATION MAY BE SHORTER

The law provides for situations in which the required period drops to just one year of residence. This applies to foreigners with a Brazilian child or those married to a Brazilian citizen. The same reduced timeframe also applies to citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Portugal and Angola.

WHAT HAPPENS IF A FOREIGN PLAYER IS LOANED OUT AND LEAVES BRAZIL?

The period of residence must remain uninterrupted throughout the four years. Even so, the law allows up to one year outside Brazil within that period without affecting the application. However, if the athlete left the country to play abroad and stayed more than one year at the new club, the count starts over.

WHICH FLAMENGO PLAYERS CAN BECOME NATURALIZED?

Three Flamengo players already meet the criteria to apply for Brazilian citizenship: Arrascaeta, Guillermo Varela, and Erick Pulgar. The number 10 began the process in 2023 and has lived in Brazil since 2015, when he joined Cruzeiro. The full-back and the defensive midfielder, meanwhile, have lived in the country since August 2022, meeting the minimum four-year period required by law.

HOW WILL THE NUMBER OF FOREIGN PLAYERS CHANGE?

Starting in the 2027 season, each team will be allowed to register up to eight foreign players in its squad. From there, the number will keep decreasing year after year until 2030. So, by the final deadline set by the new rule, four years from now, clubs will be allowed to have only five players from outside Brazil.

It is worth noting that Flamengo, Bahia, and Londrina were the clubs that voted against the change. Aside from them, all teams in the top divisions of Brazilian football supported the new rule.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.