Iago Machado wins place at Corinthians, among round 28's top youngsters | OneFootball

Amid a run of opportunities with Corinthians’ first team, Iago Machado reached a notable milestone in the Brazilian Championship. The black-and-white center-back was the youngest player to start among the Under-20 athletes used from the beginning in the 28th round of the national competition.

Iago was among the 11 players chosen by Fernando Diniz to face Fluminense last Sunday (20) at Neo Química Arena. The defender formed the center-back pairing with Gustavo Henrique in Corinthians’ 3-1 defeat. The opportunity also came amid the problems the coaching staff faced in the defensive sector. Gabriel Paulista was unavailable for the match due to a sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Second straight match as a starter

The clash against Fluminense marked only Iago Machado’s second appearance for Corinthians’ first team. His debut had come in the previous round, against Flamengo, at the Maracanã.

On that occasion, the Terrão graduate also started and remained on the field during the 2-1 defeat. Even with the negative result, the youngster stood out and earned another opportunity from Fernando Diniz in the following round.

Against Fluminense, Iago played the first 45 minutes. According to data from Sofascore, the center-back finished his performance with 97% passing accuracy and three defensive actions. At halftime, Fernando Diniz decided to change the team’s setup and brought on forward Gui Negão in place of the defender.

Iago tops ranking among Under-20 starters

The milestone reached by the Corinthians player appears in a survey conducted by journalist José Gustavo Felix, who specializes in youth categories. In total, 11 Brazilian Under-20 players started in the 28th round of Série A.

Among them, Iago Machado was the youngest. The survey also included another player developed in Corinthians’ youth academy: defensive midfielder André Luiz, born on June 20, 2006.

Thus, even at a time of poor results for the first team, Corinthians once again had club-trained players gaining ground among the youngsters used in the country’s top competition.

From futsal to Corinthians’ first team

Iago Machado’s connection with Corinthians began long before his debut for the main team. The defender arrived at Parque São Jorge as a child to play futsal and later continued his development in outdoor football.

His progress became more evident in 2025, when the center-back was still playing for the Under-17 team. At the start of 2026, Iago played in the Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior and was voted Corinthians’ best player in the competition.

His performances in the youth ranks paved the way for a move closer to the senior squad. Throughout this season, the youngster began taking part in training sessions with the professionals and started appearing among Fernando Diniz’s call-ups.

Now, after the opportunities against Flamengo and Fluminense, Iago has two appearances for the first team, both as a starter. His consecutive use also makes the defender another option for Corinthians’ defensive system for the rest of the season.

Corinthians will have a break from matches during the FIFA international window before returning to the Brazilian Championship. The next fixture will be on October 7, against Internacional at Beira-Rio, in the 29th round of the competition.

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