Botafogo’s Connection to Ligue 1 McDonald’s
If you’re not familiar with Botafogo, there are no worries; here’s a list of the players who have played for the club while also stopping to play in France’s top flight during their playing career.
Thiago Almada
Let’s start with a current player at Olympique Lyonnais, Thiago Almada, who joined Les Gones this past winter transfer window. In July 2024, Almada joined Botafogo for half a season, and it turned out to be a successful short stint, with the Argentine helping the club win the Copa Libertadores and the league title.
Almada made 26 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals and recording two assists. After spending the rest of 2024 with Botafogo, he made the jump to Europe, joining OL in January 2025 on a loan deal.
Lucas Perri
The 27-year-old Lucas Perri played two years with Botafogo, from 2022 to 2023. Perri signed with Botafogo in August 2022, arriving as a backup to Gatito Fernández. When the Paraguayan veteran picked up an injury in November, manager Luís Castro gave Perri the nod to start. Perri made 67 total appearances for Botafogo, recording 31 clean sheets.
He joined Lyon in January 2024 with the expectation of serving as Anthony Lopes’ understudy during the league campaign. Perri made his debut a month later in the Coupe de France last 16, helping secure a 2–1 home win over Lille. He remained the starting goalkeeper throughout the tournament, which ended with a 2–1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the final. While at OL, Perri has appeared in 49 total matches, recording 15 clean sheets.
Jeffinho
The 25-year-old winger joined Botafogo on loan in April 2022, and then a few months later, the Brazilian club made his stay permanent. In January 2023, Jeffinho joined Lyon, making 21 appearances while scoring three goals and recording three assists. OL loaned Jeffinho to Botafogo in January 2024 before making the move permanent in December 2024. He would also be part of the squad that won the Copa Libertadores and the league title last year.
Rafael
From 2015 to 2020, Rafael was at Lyon, making 139 total appearances while scoring two goals and recording 11 assists. The defender joined OL after spending eight years with Manchester United. Once his career in Europe was over, Rafael joined Botafogo in 2021, playing for the club until 2024, after which he retired from football. He would make 40 total appearances while winning the Copa Libertadores and the league title last year.
Fernando Marçal
Fernando Marçal played the 2016-17 season on loan at Guingamp and he would remain in France’s top flight as he played for OL from 2017 to 2020. Marçal made 75 appearances for Les Gones, recording five assists. The veteran defender would join Botafogo in 2022 and be part of the squad that won the Copa Libertadores and the league title last year.
Valdo
PSG and Botafogo will face each other on Thursday, but the two sides have a connection through Valdo, who wore the colors for both teams during his career. The Brazilian midfielder played in the French capital from 1991 to 1995, winning Ligue 1 McDonald’s in 1993–94, the Coupe de France in 1992–93 and 1994–95, and the Coupe de la Ligue in 1994–95 with PSG. Valdo wrapped up his playing career playing for Botafogo from 2003 to 2004.
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