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France and Brazil: Alexsandro and Andrey Santos join a rich tradition
LOSC Lille defender Alexsandro has received his first call-up for Brazil, along with RC Strasbourg midfielder Andrey Santos. Learn more about the pair's strong seasons and the history linking their country to Ligue 1 McDonald's.
A slow burn and a rapid rise
While Santos, on loan at Chelsea, has been a standout for the Alsatians almost from the moment he arrived, a touted prospect despite having only just turned 21 in May. With ten goals and a stellar season in midfield, his call-up was deserved. That of Alexsandro is a slower rise, as he came up through the ranks in Portugal before breaking through with Les Dogues in recent seasons.
TIME CONVOCADO! 🇧🇷
O treinador da Seleção Brasileira, Carlo Ancelotti, anunciou nesta segunda-feira (26) a lista dos convocados para os jogos contra Equador e Paraguai, pelas Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo 2026.
ISSO É BRASIL! 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/oYWYg7R8mh— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) May 26, 2025
Pioneers
TLigue 1's earliest consistent encounters with Brazilian players would come in the 1980s -- while Argentines like Delio Onnis and Carlos Bianchi had made their mark in the 1970s, more would come of the next decade and the early 1990s. While not household names today, players like defenders Julio Cesar (Brest, Montpellier) and Ricardo Gomes (PSG) attacker Rai would set the table for what was to come.
🇧🇷 @neymarjr & @10Ronaldinho 🤙
Happy 38th birthday to a legend 🎉
📽 @Dugout 👉 https://t.co/88R6XRLzm5 pic.twitter.com/GhHJRdXQ0Y— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) March 21, 2018
Global superstars and Ligue 1 legends
From those early years, France became one of the top destinations for Brazilian players. In Lyon, Juninho dazzled with his free kicks, while the on-the-ball wizardry of Ronaldinho turned heads in Paris. Sonny Anderson and Maicon helped Monaco win several trophies, while Michel Bastos' flair impressed at Lille.
Back in the French capital, a Brazilian invasion would later happen, with the likes of Thiago Silva, Maxwell, Alex and David Luiz proving vital parts of the team's run of success, while Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Guimaraes nearly steered Lyon to a title in 2020/21, while Fabinho did help Monaco to a surprising crown in 2016/17.
A new generation
While the likes of Neymar and Ronaldinho are no longer dazzling the audiences of French football, that hardly means the league is bereft of top-level talent from the country. Captain for his club and country, Marquinhos has been massively important to the Selecao, and this round of call-ups has even seen him joined by his teammate Lucas Beraldo and AS Monaco's Vanderson.
In the Principality, Caio Henrique has also been capped for his country while Lyon's Lucas Perri has been a consistent presence in goal for his club. Luis Henrique was key to Olympique de Marseille's run to the Champions League places this season, while Dante has done likewise with OGC Nice. Can the next generation of Brazilian stars to shine in Ligue 1 be long in the making?
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