Tuesday, June 2, 2026
World Cup

Lucas Paqueta Form: Why The Former West Ham United Midfielder Will Be An Important Player For Brazil At The 2026 World Cup

Subhadeep Roy · · 3 min read
Lucas Paqueta Form: Why The Former West Ham United Midfielder Will Be An Important Player For Brazil At The 2026 World Cup
RECORD DATE NOT STATED match between the national teams of Brazil and Panama at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro (RJ), 05 31 2026 – Football Brazilian national team, Nationalteam Panama Friendly RJ Lucas Paqueta of the Brazilian national team scores and celebrates his goal in a match between the national teams of Brazil and Panama during an International Friendly, Länderspiel, Nationalmannschaft played at the Maracana stadium, in the northern zone of Rio de Janeiro, this Sunday (31).(Foto: Leco Viana Thenews2 imago images) SPO Copyright: xLecoxVianax

The Lucas Paqueta form is very essential for Brazil at the moment, as the 28-year-old attacking midfielder played and scored against Panama in Brazil’s 6-2 win.

The Lucas Paqueta form is key for the Brazilians in their attempt to win their first World Cup in 24 years.

Paqueta plays for Brazilian club Flamengo after he returned to his homeland following a stint in Europe, but he remains a key player in the setup of the Selecao at the moment.

This is going to be his second World Cup after he played in the 2022 edition of the tournament for Brazil.

Lucas Paqueta Form: An Important Cog For The Selecao

Paqueta has scored eight goals in 24 matches for Flamengo this season. He has also played in 62 international matches for Brazil and scored 13 goals in them. Paqueta has played for European clubs AC Milan, Lyon and West Ham United in his career so far.

He has registered a total of 263 matches for the three European clubs mentioned above and scored 45 goals in them, which shows that he is adequately experienced at the top level of football.

Paqueta can play as a number 10, which means that he should be the back-up to Raphinha in that position in the Brazilian team. As he showed against Panama, his ability to score with shots from distance can be an asset for his team in the upcoming World Cup.

If the Lucas Paqueta form remains top-notch for Brazil, he could also be played as the number 10 in the starting XI, with Raphinha playing as the right-winger, which will allow Brazil to avoid playing an inexperienced player like Endrick on the right flank.

The Lucas Paqueta form will allow Carlo Ancelotti to do those permutations and combinations to make his team tick.

Brazil are a bit light in the midfield, with an ageing Casemiro and Bruno Guimaraes their main players in it; hence, the Lucas Paqueta form is going to be quite important for them in the upcoming World Cup.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Arne Slot’s Sacking: The End Was Inevitable For The Dutchman After A Poor Season

Arne Slot's Sacking
Football – FA Premier League – Aston Villa FC v Liverpool FC BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – Friday, May 15, 2026: Liverpool s head coach Arne Slot applauds the travelling supporters after the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. Aston Villa won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe Propaganda) BIRMINGHAM Villa Park WEST MIDLANDS ENGLAND Copyright: xDavidxRawcliffex P2026-05-15-Aston Villa_Liverpool-123

Lucas Paqueta Form: A Different Option To Raphinha

Raphinha is a much faster player who is adept at playing quick passes to unsettle the opposition defences. Paqueta is slower, but has a silken touch that can create moments of brilliance, which is typical of a Brazilian midfielder.

Moreover, Paqueta is more experienced than Raphinha at the international level. Raphinha has played in 37 international matches so far, which is significantly less than Paqueta’s tally.

In fact, aside from Casemiro, Neymar and Alisson Becker, hardly anyone has played as much international football in the current Brazil team as Paqueta.

Hence, the former West Ham midfielder’s wealth of experience could come in handy for the Brazilian team at the upcoming World Cup.

Now, it remains to be seen whether the Lucas Paqueta form prompts Ancelotti to give him a key role in his team in the upcoming tournament.

It can be said without any doubt that if Brazil are to win their sixth World Cup title, Paqueta will have to play his role in the quadrennial tournament in North America.

Main Photo

Credit: IMAGO / TheNews2

Subhadeep Roy

Subhadeep Roy is an experienced football writer with a particular interest in analysis of matches and club news. He follows the Premier League primarily and has been covering football for various websites since 2018.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.