July 31, 2025 will be marked in the memory of Brazilian midfielder Lucas Paquetá, of West Ham. Incounted on this date of investigations that pointed to him as a suspect in participation in the English Championship match handling scheme, the player was free of weight.
Announced this week by Carlo Ancelotti as one of the calls for Brazil’s matches against Chile and Bolivia, on September 4 and 9, respectively, in the rounds ending the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, Paquetá now wants to start over.
“It was a huge weight taken from his back. He tasted that with a brilliant goal scored against Chelsea,” said English journalist James Sharpe, responsible for West Ham’s day-to-day coverage for the Daily Mail Sports, referring to a beautiful kick from outside the second round of the English. “It’s not in its best way, but it plays like a free man now.”
Paquetá, who turned 28 this week, was almost ten months away from the national team – the previous call had been in November last year for the matches against Venezuela and Uruguay – and lived a difficult period in the last two years, a time that lasted the investigation conducted by FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION (FA).
In May of this year, just before the verdict on the case, the player’s wife, the influencer Duda Founier, used social networks to vent publicly. He said she and her husband lived a nightmare and asked for respect, “People are bad and unfair, they know nothing.” Shortly thereafter, the two posted a photo in a religious service.
“I can’t say anything else now, but I can’t express how grateful I am grateful to God and how much I look forward to playing football with a smile on my face,” said the player, just before the release of the trial outcome.
Paquetá was charged in August 2023 of forcing yellow cards in four matches valid for the English championship during the 2022/23 season. The attitude would have the motivation to benefit gamblers.
The information caused Manchester City to give up its signing – a 70 million pound agreement was very close ($ 437 million in the quotation of the time). The complaint was formalized by FA in May 2024.
“All of her last season was affected, even when she had a place on the starting lineup in January 2025. [O técnico David] Moyes was about to sign a new contract with the club, but that didn’t happen, and it seems his performance worsened, “said The Times journalist Gary Jacob.
Moyes, currently at Everton, was a shield. Paquetá’s personal enthusiast, made constant public praise to shirt 10. Subsequently, he still helped him as one of the witnesses in the process.
Last season, Paquetá has made his fewer games and goals in all seasons played by West Ham –36 and five – and have not contributed to any assistance. He spent most of the second half of 2024 being replaced and even as a reserve, having returned to the 11 most frequent holders in January alone.
Now, free from the accusations, the Brazilian has scored two goals in the early three matches of season 2025/26. However, they were not enough to the team, who lost their two commitments in the English Championship (Sunderland and Chelsea) and was also surpassed in the English League Cup (Wolverhampton).
“Paquetá has not yet experienced its best moment, and there is still doubt if it will return to its best level, but the goal against Chelsea was a sign of its inexhaustible quality. They do not help the difficulties experienced by West Ham,” said Nizaar Kinsella, BBC journalist.
The player, according to Radio Talksports, became the target of Tottenham, who tries to deal with the loss of English midfielder James Maddison, removed from serious ligament injury to his right knee. The London club also lost the dispute for Eberechi Eze, hired by Arquirrival Arsenal.
Other possibilities, according to The Guardian, are Crystal Palace and again Manchester City.
“It’s possible, but it would be very difficult at the moment because the transfer window is in the final stage, and the more restricted movements,” said Gary Jacob. “West Ham fans would revolve if they sold Paquetá to Tottenham,” he added.
Paquetá will defend West Ham this Sunday (31), against Nottingham Forest, for English, and will then travel to Brazil to perform Carlo Ancelotti. Back to the national team’s shirt will be an important step after a difficult time. And the return is in time to look for a place in the World Cup.
“It’s an honor to be back,” he said.
