With five in squad, São Paulo backs fewer foreigners in Brazil | OneFootball

São Paulo was one of the Brazilian clubs from Série A and Série B that voted in favor of a CBF proposal to gradually reduce the limit of foreign players eligible for each match and set quotas for under-23 players in the Brazilian Championship.

The new rules will come into effect starting in 2027 and are expected to transition through 2030, with the goal of slowing the aging of squads and making room for promising homegrown talent.

Tricolor’s decision is somewhat ironic, given that the Morumbi club was one of the main behind-the-scenes drivers, under the management of former president Julio Casares, pushing for the foreign-player limit to be increased to nine, as it is today.

Between 2022 and 2024, for example, São Paulo had to leave foreign players out of matchday squads in order not to exceed the limit.

This year, for example, Tricolor at one point had exactly nine foreign players in its squad. But after the overhaul in the last transfer window, the group currently has five foreigners: Aurélio Buta and Domingos Duarte (Portuguese); Calleri (Argentine); Bobadilla (Paraguayan); and Arboleda (Ecuadorian). In other words, the club already meets the quota set for 2030. That does not include sidelined players such as Cédric Soares and Enzo Díaz, who train separately.

Reduction of Foreign Players

Currently, each team can include up to nine foreign players per game in the Brasileirão. That cap will be reduced annually until it reaches five in 2030, allowing club executives to honor existing agreements without the need for immediate contract terminations.

Under-23 Player Quota

To encourage the transition from youth ranks to the professional level, starting in 2027 clubs will be allowed to register up to 50 players in the competition, a portion of whom must be no older than 23. These young players do not need to have been developed by the club itself.

CBF Assessment and Average Age

According to data compiled by the CBF, the increase in the foreign-player cap in recent years has reduced playing time for developing players, reflected in the higher average age of the Brasileirão compared with Europe’s main leagues:

Behind-the-Scenes Disagreement

Despite the backing of the majority, the vote recorded opposition from Bahia, Flamengo, and Londrina. The opposing side argues that the restriction lowers the league’s technical level and affects the clubs’ international competitiveness, while supporters maintain that it is necessary to strengthen the development of new talent for Brazilian football.

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