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Legends

Flamengo and Ligue 1: A shared history

Ahead of Paris Saint-Germain squaring off against Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup, we look at some of the players from the Brazilian giants who've made their mark in Ligue 1 McDonald's
E. DEVIN
Published on 12/17/2025 at 01:30
2-minute read
Lucas Paquetá is just one player who's featured in Ligue and for the Brazilian giants

Ahead of Paris Saint-Germain squaring off against Flamengo in the Intercontinental Cup, we look at some of the players from the Brazilian giants who've made their mark in Ligue 1 McDonald's. While the likes of David Luiz and Ronaldinho spent late-career spells with Flamengo, for this piece we've focused on those who came through in red and black.

Lucas Paqueta: Flamengo 2016-19, Olympique Lyonnais 2020-22

A pure product of the Mengão academy, having joined the club at the age of nine, Paquetá helped the Rio club win a state title and earned his first caps for Brazil before decamping to AC Milan in 2019. His spell there was uneven, but in two seasons at Olympique Lyonnais, he was a revelation, being named to the Ligue 1 Team of the Year in his first season as Les Gones pushed hard for the title. 

Alexsandro: LOSC Lille 2022-

The centre back has played little this season because of injury, but he's been a consistent performer since joining Les Dogues in 2022. While he never played professionally for Flamengo, he is a product of their academy, having been a teammate of Vinicius Jr as a youngster. After a spell in Portugal, he moved to France, and has been impressive eve since, even earning his first senior national team call-up

Otavio: flamengo 2020-23, Paris FC 2025-

Another stalwart defender who featured little during his time in Rio de Janeiro, Otavio sparkled on loan with Famalicao, and after moving up a step with Porto in the Portuguese top flight, he arrived in the French capital this summer. While the city's "second team" have struggled with consistency this season, Otavio, who is still only 23 has all the makings of a future rock in defence.

Gerson: Flamengo 2019-21, 2023-25, Olympique de Marseille 2021-23

After a hugely impressive first season at the Vélodrome, Gerson's influence waned in his second season. Nevertheless, playing as an attack-minded number eight under Jorge Sampaoli, he helped Marseille finish second in his first season, marking a historic return to the Champions League. The following season saw increased competition for places with the arrival of Matteo Guendouzi and Jordan Veretout, but Gerson's play will be fondly remembered by fans of Marseille

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