Lucas Paquetá

Early career

Lucas Paquetá arrived at Flamengo in 2007 at the age of 10. By 15, he was very technically skilled but did not have the physicality of other players his age (he was only 5 feet (150 cm) tall). By 18, however, he had grown 27 centimetres (11 in). With the Flamengo youth team he won the 2016 Copa São Paulo de Júniores title, the most important youth tournament in Brazil. Alongside other standout players Léo Duarte, Felipe Vizeu, and Ronaldo, Lucas was promoted to the club's professional team right after the competition.

Flamengo

In March 2016, Paquetá got promoted to Flamengo's professional team and signed a contract extension until 2020. On 5 March 2016, Lucas debuted as a starter in a 3–1 win over Bangu in a 2016 Rio de Janeiro State League match. Paquetá scored his first professional goal on 19 February 2017 in a 4–0 victory against Madureira at the Estádio Raulino de Oliveira in Volta Redonda. Paquetá scored in both the 2017 Copa do Brasil final in a 1–1 draw against Cruzeiro at the Maracanã Stadium and in the 2017 Copa Sudamericana final against Independiente, also a 1–1 draw in the Maracanã. In both matches, Flamengo were defeated and were runners-up to their opponents in the competitions. In the Copa Sudamericana final, he was named the best Flamengo player in the match. He finished 2017 considered by fans to be, alongside Juan, the highlight of Flamengo. In the 2018 Campeonato Carioca, Lucas Paquetá was chosen as the best left-winger of…

Under-20

On 1 April 2016, Paquetá was called up for the first time to represent Brazil U20 in two friendly matches in Europe. He scored his first goal in his debut in a 2–1 win against England U20 on 4 September. In October 2016, he was called up for the Quadrangular de Seleções tournament, a friendly round-robin against the U20 squads of Ecuador, Uruguay, and Chile.

Under-23

When he was 18, Paquetá was called to practice with the Brazil U23 team in preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Coach Rogério Micale called some younger players born in 1997 and 1998, including Lucas, to participate in group training in hopes of them eventually competing in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He received his first official call-up to the under-23 team in March 2020.

Senior team

Early senior career

In 2018, Paquetá was selected to be one of the twelve alternatives for the Brazil national team by coach Tite for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Of the 35 players on the 23-man roster and provisional roster, Paquetá was the youngest. On 17 August 2018, Paquetá was called for the first time for the Brazil national team by manager Tite to play in friendly matches against United States and El Salvador in September. On 7 September, he debuted as a substitute to replace Philippe Coutinho in the 71st minute during a friendly match against the United States. On 23 March 2019, he scored his first goal in a 1–1 friendly draw against Panama, wearing…

Club

As of match played 2 September 2026

International

As of match played 29 June 2026

Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Paquetá goal.

Lucas has an older brother, Matheus, who also plays football. His nickname, Paquetá, refers to Paquetá Island and the eponymous neighborhood he grew up in; he is a big fan of funk carioca and sometimes imitates funk dance steps during his goal celebrations. He is married to Maria Eduarda Fournier, with whom he has two sons. He is a Christian. On 18 August 2023, an investigation into potential betting breaches by Paquetá was started. Following this, on 23 May 2024, he was charged with misconduct for alleged breaches of FA Rules E5 and F3. He faced four breaches of FA Rule E5.1 for his conduct during Premier League fixtures against Leicester City on 12 November 2022, Aston Villa on 12 March 2023, Leeds United on 21 May 2023, and Bournemouth on 12 August 2023, where it was alleged that he intentionally sought to receive a card from the referee to influence the betting market for personal profit. Additionally, Paquetá was charged with two breaches of FA Rule F3 related to failures to comply with FA Rule F2. Paquetá denied the charges and said he was "extremely surprised and upset" to be charged. In July 2025, Paquetá was cleared of the charges against him after a regulatory commission found the four charges to be "not proven" following a hearing.