Palmeiras: Serie A and B clubs back gradual cut to foreign-player limit | OneFootball

Clubs in Série A and Série B of the Brazilian Championship approved, in a meeting with the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) this Monday (21), a gradual reduction in the limit of foreign players per team. The change will begin to take effect in 2027 and will be implemented progressively through 2030.

Under the approved agreement, the maximum number of foreign players each club may include in the matchday squad will be reduced in stages:

The measure is part of discussions led by the CBF with clubs to shape the Série A and Série B regulations for the coming seasons. The governing body has been holding meetings with participants to define changes in Brazilian football.

Palmeiras already has eight foreign players

The change will have a direct impact on clubs with squads that feature a strong presence of foreign players. At Palmeiras, for example, players from outside Brazil include names such as Gustavo Gómez, Piquerez, Jhon Arias, Emiliano Martínez, Flaco López and Ramón Sosa, in addition to other players who may be included in the squad depending on roster composition.

It is important to note that the approved limit վերաբക്കhar concerns foreign players named in the squad for each match, and not necessarily the total number of foreign players under contract with the club.

In this way, a team may keep more foreign players in its squad, as long as it respects the established limit when naming the squad for each game.

The rule will be reduced year by year

The change will be gradual to allow clubs to adjust their sporting and contractual planning.

In 2027, the first year of the new rule, up to eight foreign players may be named in the matchday squad. The limit will fall to seven in 2028, six in 2029, and reach five starting in 2030.

The drafting of the new regulation has been led by the CBF together with clubs from the country’s two main divisions. The governing body says the goal of the process is to establish more predictable rules for the competitions.

Flamengo was the only dissenting vote

In the vote held this Monday, Flamengo was the only club to vote against the reduction. The other participants approved the change presented at the meeting.

The stance comes at a time when foreign players are playing an increasingly larger role in Brazilian football. A survey published this Monday shows that, since the end of the World Cup, foreign players scored 105 of the goals counted in the analyzed period, representing 28.2% of the total. At Palmeiras, foreign players accounted for 46% of the goals in the period, according to the survey.

What changes for the clubs?

The main consequence will be squad planning. Clubs that work with a large number of foreign players will need to manage how many athletes are available for each match, especially during congested fixture periods and when players are called up by their national teams.

The rule, therefore, does not necessarily prevent a club from having more than five, six, seven, or eight foreign players in its squad. The key point is how many may be named for each match, according to the limit corresponding to each season.

The reduction is also expected to influence future signings and contract renewals, especially for clubs that traditionally turn to the South American market in search of reinforcements.

Limit of foreign players per match

The CBF has been carrying out a series of changes in Brazilian football for the coming years. In addition to reformulating the regulations, the governing body has already announced changes to the calendar and national competitions, with measures planned for the following seasons.

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