Lucas Paqueta’s record Flamengo return underlines Brazil’s rising pulling power | OneFootball

Lucas Paqueta has returned to Flamengo for a Brazilian record 42 M€, signing a five-year deal at 28. The move has become a marker of Brazil’s growing clout.

He said Flamengo might not have needed him, but he needed Flamengo, and that he had long dreamed of coming home, according to L'Équipe. It came despite strong interest from Chelsea and Tottenham.

Agency executive Thiago Freitas called the signing a turning point, saying Flamengo aim to be the biggest club outside Europe and to compete on intercontinental stages. Supporters greeted him as a hero.

Filipe Luis’s side had already enticed Danilo, Alex Sandro, Saul Niguez and Jorginho, helped by stricter management since 2013 that restored credibility and underpinned Jorge Jesus’s rampant 2019 team. A huge fan base, rising gates at the Maracana averaging 60,000 and richer TV rights have swelled income.

With strong sponsors, including betting sites, and prize money from three Libertadores, three Brasileirao and an Intercontinental Cup final since 2019, Flamengo reported two billion reais, 320 M€, of revenue in 2025. Sport economist Moisés Assayag says Brazil’s elite can now rival European clubs financially, while Marcelo Teixeira and Claudio Fiorito argue staying or returning now brings high-level football, proximity to the Selecao and financial security.

Source: L'Équipe