Defender out of favour at Corinthians joins Vitória on loan

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Central do Timão

·26 Februari 2026

Defender out of favour at Corinthians joins Vitória on loan

By Fabio Luigi / Central do Timão Editorial Team

In the late afternoon of this Thursday (26), center-back Cacá, 26 years old, who lost his place at Corinthians in recent months, was announced as the new signing for Vitória, on loan until the end of the season – check out the post at the end of the article. The northeastern team is expected to cover the player's entire salary and, at the end of the loan, there is a mandatory purchase clause – amounts not disclosed – if Leão remains in the top tier of Brazilian football.

At the beginning of Dorival Júnior's tenure, who was hired at the end of April 2025, the defender had a run of games on the field, mostly as a starter. However, throughout the second half of last year, he gradually lost his place in the squad, in addition to a series of underwhelming individual performances. In 2026, Cacá saw his opportunities decrease even further, especially after the arrival of Gabriel Paulista, who was playing in Turkish football, becoming the last option in the position – Gustavo Henrique, André Ramalho, Gabriel Paulista, and João Pedro Tchoca.

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Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Agência Corinthians

This season, the 26-year-old player was listed for six Corinthians matches, taking the field in only one of them – a 3-0 defeat against RB Bragantino, at Cícero de Souza Marques, in the second round of the first phase of the 2026 Campeonato Paulista. On that occasion, the number 25 played as a right-back and his performance was criticized by the fans.

Cacá was signed by Corinthians in March 2024, coming on a one-year loan with a purchase option from Tokushima Vortis, Japan. During this period, he was a starter during the first half of the year and became a substitute in the second, after the arrival of André Ramalho, who at the time had established himself as a starter alongside Gustavo Henrique. Even so, at the beginning of 2025, the defender had the mandatory purchase clause exercised by Corinthians, since he reached the target of 2,200 minutes on the field with the Corinthians shirt in August 2024.

At the end of the same year, the Alvinegro committed to pay 2 million dollars (R$ 11 million) to the Japanese club, but ended up not paying any of the installments. At this moment, the debt stands at R$ 24 million and the Corinthians board is seeking dialogue with the club to resolve this issue, which could eventually lead to a FIFA sanction – a transfer ban. At the time, the Parque São Jorge club acquired the player for the mentioned amount for 60% of his economic rights, with a contract until December 2028.

In total, wearing the Corinthians shirt, he played 72 matches (65 as a starter), with 28 wins, 25 draws, and 19 losses – a 50.46% success rate. In addition, he scored eight goals and provided one assist. Cacá was part of the Alvinegro's surge in the 2024 Brasileirão (from the relegation zone to the Pre-Libertadores) and contributed to the titles of the Campeonato Paulista (2025), Copa do Brasil (2025), and Supercopa do Brasil (2026).

See this photo on Instagram A post shared by Esporte Clube Vitória (@ecvitoria)

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