Vasco: Vegetti, Cano or Arrascaeta – who’ll rule Rio in 2025? | OneFootball

Vasco's 3-1 victory over Bahia last Wednesday (24) had an international signature. The Uruguayan full-back Puma Rodríguez left his mark and recorded the 34th goal by a foreigner for the club in 2025, reinforcing a trend that has spread among the four big clubs of Rio: the “era of imported artillery.”

So far, 123 of the 333 goals scored by Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Vasco this season have been netted by foreign players, which represents 37% of the total. Among them, three foreigners hold the top scorer positions for their clubs: Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Cano (Fluminense), and Vegetti (Vasco). At Botafogo, the Venezuelan Savarino is the second top scorer, only behind Igor Jesus, who left the club in July for Nottingham Forest.

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Vegetti and Puma embrace after the goal – Vasco vs Madureira — Photo: Aguilar Abecassis/AGIF

Evolution of the “foreign invasion”

The scenario is a direct reflection of the CBF rule change. In 2023, the entity increased the limit of foreigners per match from five to seven. A year later, the number rose again, to nine. Today, the Brasileirão has 153 foreign players registered, 38 more than before the first change.

As a result, the Rio clubs took the opportunity to strengthen their squads with high-profile names, and in the last three years, increased the number of goals scored by foreigners by more than 67%. In all of them, at least one “foreign” player appears among the top three scorers of the season.

The numbers of foreign artillery

Savarino celebrates in Botafogo vs Fluminense — Photo: André Durão

Arrascaeta, De la Cruz, and Varela in Flamengo training — Photo: Gilvan de Souza/Flamengo

Canobbio, Serna, and Cano in training — Photo: Lucas Merçon/FFC

Nuno Moreira and Vegetti celebrate in Botafogo vs Vasco — Photo: André Durão

Imported top scorers

In 2025, three foreigners lead the attack of the Rio giants:

At Botafogo, the Venezuelan Savarino appears as the second top scorer, with 6 goals, only behind Igor Jesus (9).

The outcome shows that with the increased presence of foreigners, the Rio clubs have taken the opportunity to strengthen their attacks and gain more offensive diversity. The future of artillery in Rio de Janeiro has a foreign accent.

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