Although Paris Saint-Germain took center stage in the last decade, many Brazilians have made their mark throughout the club’s history, whether by scoring many goals or leading from the defense in the club’s greatest achievements.
Today, at Sambafoot, we have compiled a list of some of the best Brazilian footballers who have ever played at the Parc des Princes, featuring legends like Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Neymar, and Ronaldinho.
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The Best Brazilian Footballers in PSG History
Marcos Aoás Corrêa (Marquinhos)
- Period: 2013-Present
- Achievements: 9 Ligue 1 titles (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24), 7 Coupe de France titles (2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2023/24), 6 Coupe de la Ligue titles (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2019/20), and 8 Trophée des Champions titles (2014/15, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2022/23, 2023/24).
Marquinhos arrived at PSG in 2013 as a young promise after a short but intense season of adaptation to European football at Roma, following his formative years at Corinthians, the club where he began his sports career in 2002, joining their youth ranks. More than 10 years later, Marcos Aoás Corrêa has become a living legend of the club, being the player with the most titles and the player with the most matches in the history of Paris Saint-Germain.
Raimundo Souza Vieira de Oliveira (Raí)
- Period: 1993-1997
- Achievements: 1 Ligue 1 title (1993/94), 1 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (1995/96), 2 Coupe de France titles (1994/95, 1997/98), 2 Coupe de la Ligue titles (1994/95, 1997/98), and 1 Trophée des Champions (1995/96).
A player who couldn’t be left off the list is the impressive attacking midfielder Raimundo Souza Vieira de Oliveira, better known as Raí, the brother of the legendary Sócrates Brasileiro. He joined PSG in 1993 from São Paulo and returned to the Brazilian club in 1998 after five illustrious years in Paris. Raí played 215 matches for PSG, scoring 72 goals and winning valuable titles for a PSG not so accustomed to winning at the time. In mid-2020, a club-conducted survey named Raí the best player in PSG history, showcasing his impact and legacy at the club.
Thiago Emiliano da Silva (Thiago Silva)
- Period: 2012-2020
- Achievements: 7 Ligue 1 titles (2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20), 5 Coupe de France titles (2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2019/20), 6 Coupe de la Ligue titles (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2019/20), and 7 Trophée des Champions titles (2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20).
Without any doubt, one of the best Brazilian footballers to ever wear the PSG jersey is Thiago Emiliano da Silva, the legendary defender who will return to Fluminense after a long and successful career in European football. After signing with PSG in the summer of 2012 for 42 million euros, Thiago Silva became a leader and a key figure in the club’s central defense, staying there for eight years until 2020 when he left as a free agent for Chelsea. With Paris Saint-Germain, Thiago Silva won 25 titles, playing 315 matches in which he scored 17 goals and provided seven assists.
Maxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade
- Period: 2012-2017
- Achievements: 4 Ligue 1 titles (2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16), 3 Coupe de France titles (2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17), 4 Coupe de la Ligue titles (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17), and 3 Trophée des Champions titles (2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17).
The second most titled Brazilian player in football history, Maxwell, is also a legend of Paris Saint-Germain. This left-back arrived from FC Barcelona in January 2012 for 3.5 million euros and retired in 2017 after five illustrious years with the Parisian club, playing 214 matches, scoring 13 goals, and providing 25 assists. During those five years, Maxwell won 14 of his 37 titles as a professional footballer, enhancing his legend and PSG’s with performances still remembered in the French capital.
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior
- Period: 2017-2023
- Achievements: 5 Ligue 1 titles (2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2021/22, 2022/23), 3 Coupe de France titles (2017/18, 2019/20, 2020/21), 2 Coupe de la Ligue titles (2017/18, 2019/20), and 4 Trophée des Champions titles (2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2022/23).
After arriving at PSG in 2017 as the most expensive signing in football history, the Parisian fans always expected a bit more from Neymar Jr., an attacker who left the club on bad terms with internal conflicts with players and management. Despite his fruitful tenure in terms of titles, his time in Paris was relatively marred by his exit. With PSG, Neymar played a total of 173 matches, scoring 118 goals and providing 77 assists, making him the fourth highest scorer in the club’s history. Despite reaching a UCL final, Neymar always fell short of expectations during his time in Paris.
Lucas Rodrigues Moura da Silva (Lucas Moura)
- Period: 2013-2018
- Achievements: 5 Ligue 1 titles (2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2017/18), 3 Coupe de France titles (2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17), 5 Coupe de la Ligue titles (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18), and 5 Trophée des Champions titles (2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18).
One of PSG’s first major signings in the early 2010s was the young promise from São Paulo FC, Lucas Moura. The Parisian club bought him in January 2013 for 40 million euros, and he established himself as one of the club’s big stars, being important in the national successes won during those five years in Paris. In total, he played 229 matches with PSG, scoring 46 goals and providing 48 assists. Lucas Moura won an impressive 18 titles.
Ronaldo de Assís Moreira (Ronaldinho)
- Period: 2001-2003
- Statistical Summary: 77 matches, 25 goals, 17 assists
Although he only spent two years and couldn’t win any titles, the reality of PSG back then was very different from today. The Brazilian arrived from Grêmio for 5 million euros in 2001, winning the fans over with his dribbling and goals. His good performances earned him a transfer of just over 24 million euros to FC Barcelona two years later, making it a great deal for PSG. The rest is football history.
Marcos Venâncio de Albuquerque (Ceará)
- Period: 2007-2012
- Achievements: 1 Coupe de France (2009/10), 1 Coupe de la Ligue (2007/08)
In the mid-2000s, winning a local title with PSG was not an easy feat, as the Parisian club did not have the virtually unlimited budget that now allows them to dominate France. Thus, the contribution of the Brazilian right-back Marcos ‘Ceará’ is well remembered at the Parisian club
He arrived at PSG in the summer of 2007 for €2 million from Internacional and stayed with the Parisian team until 2012. During this period, he won two cup titles with the capital club, playing an impressive 195 matches.
Honorable Mentions
- David Luiz
- Nenê
- Alex
- Ricardo Gomes
- Valdo
- Leonardo
