Ilha de Paquetá, the roots of Flamengo’s most expensive signing Lucas Paquetá | OneFootball

Lucas Paquetá is back near home in Rio, the Ilha de Paquetá native returning as Flamengo’s most expensive signing.

He featured on Sunday in the Supercopa do Brasil defeat to Corinthians, and could reappear at the Maracanã against Inter on Wednesday at 19:00, though he is not expected to start. According to Globo.com, his island in Guanabara Bay has fewer than 4,000 residents.

As a child he guided visitors for pocket money, and locals say his nickname sends fans to the island after hearing it chanted at matches.

Born in 1997, he gained the Paquetá nickname in Flamengo’s academy. He took the ferry daily for training, his brother Matheus trained mornings, Lucas evenings, and their grandfather Altamiro escorted them, plus four buses.

Friends recall a gifted, determined boy, and his former teacher says he was reading at four and a half. The family left the island at 11 to live closer to the club.

In 2024 a betting investigation alleged dozens of islanders wagered on him receiving yellow cards at West Ham, and suggested his bookings were suspicious. He risked severe punishment including suspension, and endured months of tension before being cleared a year later.

Even after acquittal he struggled, and in late 2025 he asked to return to Flamengo to rediscover joy. He said the club might not have needed him, but he needed it. Now less than an hour from Paquetá, he can reconnect with his past and inspire children.

Source: Globo.com