Surprising stance: Vasco backs fewer foreigners in Série A, has 12 | OneFootball

Vasco took a clear stance behind the scenes of Brazilian football politics by voting in favor of gradually reducing the limit on foreign players in the Brazilian Championship. In a meeting organized by the CBF with clubs from Série A and Série B, the board at São Januário approved the progressive cut in the quota of athletes born outside the country from nine to five by 2030, even though the club currently tops the national ranking of foreign players with 12 names in its senior squad.

The collective decision sets a yearly reduction of one spot per season starting next year, fixing the limit at eight in 2027, seven in 2028, six in 2029, and finally five at the end of the decade. At the meeting between club officials, only Flamengo voted against the proposal, while Cruz-Maltino and Botafogo, which also has 12 foreigners on its roster, backed the overhaul to encourage the use of local prospects and curb the rising average age of squads in Brazil’s top flight.

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CBF vote and squad outlook

Vasco’s favorable vote stands out because of its direct impact on the current structure of the football department assembled for the season. The team currently has Carlos Cuesta, Agustín Saldivia, Puma Rodríguez, Santiago Sosa, Alan Lescano, Johan Rojas, Andrés Gómez, Nuno Moreira, Facundo Colidio, Claudio Spinelli, Marino Hinestroza and Loide Augusto, surpassing rivals such as Athletico-PR and Fluminense, who each have 11 foreign players.

The statutory change also introduces the division of the squad into two registration blocks, keeping the total at 50 registered players but creating Lists A and B. This second list will be reserved exclusively for players up to 23 years old, gaining more space year by year in an effort to reverse the current Série A scenario, where athletes in that age range accounted for only 14% of the minutes played in this year’s competition.

Santiago Sosa has become a pillar of the midfield – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

Gradual reshaping and Vasco’s youth academy

By backing the collective measure, Vasco’s board is showing confidence in the medium-term transition and in the scouting work of the youth divisions based at São Januário. Since the reduction will be spread over the next four seasons, the club will have enough time to readjust current contracts, manage international signings, and make room for the promotion of young talents to the senior team.

The consensus reached at the assembly brings to an end a cycle of successive increases in the foreign-player quota, which had gone from five to seven spots and later reached a peak of nine names per match. With the new guidelines approved for the cycle through 2030, Brazilian football begins a path toward valuing homegrown players, forcing the main contenders to refine their squad-building plans.

Andrés Gómez is a key name in Vasco’s attack – Photo: Matheus Lima/Vasco

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