Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's plans may shorten the national careers of stars ft Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo

The president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has sparked controversy with a bold proposal that has the potential to revolutionize the country's national team.

President's take on who should represent Brazil 

In an interview with O Povo/CBN Radio in Brazil, Lula expressed strong dissatisfaction with the performance of certain established Selecao players in Europe.

Lula made a case for giving more priority to players in Brazil's top domestic league, the Brasileirao when it comes to national team call-ups. He suggested that players abroad should not be automatically considered better than those in Brazil and emphasized the potential of young talents in the domestic league. Lula's comments highlight the need to fairly assess and recognize the talent within Brasileirao.

During a radio interview after Brazil's 2-1 win over Chile, Lula, a dedicated supporter of Corinthians, mentioned that he had proposed the idea of creating a Brazil squad entirely made up of players based in the country rather than stars playing abroad- Vinicius Junior, Raphina, Rodrygo etc. He claimed to have discussed this idea with the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ednaldo Rodrigues, as a way to strengthen the national team. This proposal came at a crucial time, as Brazil aims to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

"I have been arguing for some time that a Brazilian team should be called up with players who compete in the Brasileirao," he said.

 "I was with the president of the CBF in Brasília in recent days, [and] I said to him: 'Why don't you call up a team with only players from the Brazilian championship?' - Luiz said

"Those who are abroad are no better than those who are here. We don't have a lot of people out there, we don't have a Garrincha, a Romario... you have a lot of young people who, God willing, are successful, but they aren't stars yet. You have good players here in Brazil, of the same quality." - The President said.

If implemented, this plan would profoundly alter Brazil's national squad. Nevertheless, it is expected to encounter strong opposition from FIFA and the established regulations for international football, which forbid intervention from national leaders or governments.