Paquetá reframes the international break at Flamengo after Brazil snub | OneFootball

Lucas Paquetá should be called up for the final 2026 World Cup squad

At the moment, the domestic calendar is on hold due to the March FIFA international window. With his place at the World Cup virtually guaranteed, Lucas Paquetá was left out of the call-up. In the meantime, the midfielder is trying to make the most of his time with Leonardo Jardim to establish himself even further at Flamengo.

In short, Lucas Paquetá has been playing more since Leonardo Jardim arrived at Flamengo. As a result, the midfielder is looking to adapt even more to the Rubro-Negro and secure his call-up for the World Cup once and for all.

What happened with the call-up?

In the last squad announcement before the final World Cup list, Lucas Paquetá’s name was not included. However, Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti did not rule out the player’s presence in the official tournament.

“Those who are not here today could be in the final squad, without a doubt. Today, a player like Paquetá, who has returned here, is not included. But he could very well be in the squad,” Carlo Ancelotti said at the time.

So, without Lucas Paquetá, Brazil has two friendlies during this FIFA window. The first takes place this Thursday (26) against France at 5:00 p.m. (Brasília time) in Boston. The second match will be against Croatia next Tuesday (31) at 9:00 p.m. (Brasília time) in Orlando, Florida.

And how is Paquetá doing at Flamengo?

In short, Flamengo signed Lucas Paquetá betting on the player’s versatility, as he has already played in more than one position. So far, for example, the player has featured as a ‘number 10’ as well as a deeper central midfielder.

Since Leonardo Jardim’s arrival, Paquetá has started three of the five matches. In addition, the number 20 came on during the other two. In fact, in Flamengo’s most recent Brasileirão clash against Corinthians, the midfielder scored Flamengo’s goal in the 1-1 draw.

It is worth noting that Lucas Paquetá has scored four goals since returning to Flamengo. In addition, the player has made 14 appearances and, so far, has scored more goals than Arrascaeta, who has scored three times in 12 matches.

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