Old boys' sting: Fagner and Wesley face Corinthians with Cruzeiro | OneFootball

The clash between Corinthians and Cruzeiro, this Sunday (16), at 7:30 p.m. Brasília time, at Neo Química Arena, in the 23rd round of the Brazilian Championship, will feature two figures with direct ties to the black-and-white club. Fagner, one of the players who wore the Timão shirt the most, and Wesley, developed in the youth ranks at Parque São Jorge, are part of the Minas Gerais squad and could face their former club again in Itaquera.

The stories of the two with Corinthians, however, followed very different paths. While Fagner built a long career with the senior team and won five titles before definitively leaving the club, Wesley left young for international football and came close to returning to Parque São Jorge in this transfer window.

Photo: Reproduction / Cruzeiro

Fagner reunites with Neo Química Arena

Developed by Corinthians, Fagner began his professional career with the club back in 2006. After spells in Brazilian and European football, the right-back returned to Timão in 2014 and established himself as one of the longest-serving names in the squad in the following seasons.

Across his two spells, Fagner played 578 matches, 544 of them as a starter, scored 12 goals and provided 70 assists. In total, he was directly involved in 82 goals while wearing the black-and-white shirt.

The defender was also part of five title-winning campaigns: the Brazilian Championships in 2015 and 2017, in addition to the three consecutive Paulista titles won in 2017, 2018 and 2019. With that impressive number of appearances, he ended his stint as the second right-back with the most matches for Corinthians and also as the second player with the most games for the club in the 21st century.

His last match for Timão took place in November 2024, in a 2-1 win over Vitória at Barradão in the Brasileirão.

In 2025, Fagner was loaned to Cruzeiro until the end of the season. As he was still under contract with Corinthians, the deal included a penalty clause if he faced the São Paulo club, a possibility that was not used by the Minas Gerais side in that year’s meetings.

At the end of the loan, the full-back formally returned to Corinthians, but he was not part of the plans for 2026. Later, club and player agreed to terminate the contract, paving the way for his permanent stay at Cruzeiro.

Since then, Fagner has already faced Timão once. In February this year, he came on during the 1-1 draw at Mineirão in the Brazilian Championship. This Sunday’s match, however, marks his reunion with Neo Química Arena after his permanent departure.

Wesley nearly returned to Corinthians in this window

Another familiar face to the Fiel who could be on the other side is Wesley. Developed in the black-and-white youth ranks, the forward arrived at Corinthians as a child and went through different stages of development, from futsal to outdoor football.

His professional debut came in 2022. In the following seasons, the youngster gained space in the first team and ended his spell at the club with 84 official matches before being sold to Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia in a transfer worth around R$110 million.

After losing space in Saudi football, Wesley was loaned to Real Sociedad of Spain, where he had few opportunities in the first half of 2026. Upon returning to the Brazilian market, the forward came very close to wearing the Corinthians shirt again.

Initially, Cruzeiro had already made progress in talks with Al-Nassr for a one-year loan. Wesley, however, at that moment prioritized the possibility of returning to the club where he had come through.

Talks with Timão progressed and the parties reached an understanding. The deal, however, did not move forward because of penalties that prevented Corinthians from registering new players. Unable to complete the signing, the São Paulo club backed away.

Cruzeiro returned to the negotiation and secured the forward on loan until July 2027. Wesley arrived in Belo Horizonte in early August and quickly received opportunities. Just a few days after his presentation, he scored on his debut against Mirassol and earned a place among the starters.

At his presentation for the Minas Gerais club, the player also spoke about his connection with Corinthians and highlighted his gratitude for his formative years at Parque São Jorge.

As a result, just a few days after nearly returning to Timão, Wesley will have the chance to step onto Neo Química Arena again, this time wearing the opposing shirt.

Two reunions at different moments

Fagner and Wesley represent different generations of Corinthians development. The right-back built a long and successful career, while the forward left the club early in his career to continue abroad.

This Sunday, both could play out the traditional “former player’s law” in the Brasileirão clash. On Corinthians’ side, the mission will be precisely to prevent old acquaintances from playing a decisive role in the match.

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