Foreign Influence Grows in Brasileirão 2025 as Record Number of Imports Join Clubs

The 2025 Brasileirão is kicking off with a noticeable uptick in foreign talent. A total of 137 players born outside of Brazil are registered across the 20 clubs in Brazil’s top flight, marking an 11% increase from the 124 international players that started the 2024 season. The figures were published by GZH.

Grêmio and Vasco lead the league in foreign presence, each fielding 11 non-Brazilian players. Grêmio’s squad features athletes from seven different countries, including three Argentinians and two Uruguayans.

Vasco has players from eight nations, with standouts like French veteran Dimitri Payet and Angolan forward Loide Augusto. Corinthians, Fluminense, and Fortaleza follow closely with 10 foreigners each.

Mirassol stands out as the only club in the competition without a single foreign player, a rare occurrence in today’s increasingly international league.

South Americans dominate the scene, with 121 of the 137 foreign players hailing from the continent. Argentina leads the way with 46 representatives, followed by Uruguay (26) and Colombia (16). The European presence has tripled compared to last year, now totaling 12 players, with Portugal contributing six. Additionally, four African players are taking part, with two from Angola, one from Nigeria, and one from the Democratic Republic of Congo.