Jesse Lingard opens up on Brazil move, Manchester United and Corinthians goal

Jesse Lingard’s move to Corinthians is already looking like more than a late-career detour. The former Manchester United forward said he had other offers, but chose Brazil because he wanted to "test myself" and believed he could "lift a trophy" in São Paulo, a decision that has quickly put him at the center of a league trying to widen its appeal to globally known names.

Corinthians signed the 33-year-old on 6 March 2026 through the end of 2026, with an automatic extension to the end of 2027 if performance targets are met. The club also made clear how unusual the signing was, saying Lingard was only the second player born in England to represent Corinthians and handing him the No. 77 shirt.

The move also underlines how Brazil is being repositioned in the global football market. For years, players of Lingard’s profile might have been expected to stay in Europe, or to head toward the Gulf or Major League Soccer. Instead, the route took him to Corinthians, one of Brazil’s biggest clubs, after spells with Manchester United, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and FC Seoul. Memphis Depay, a former United teammate, helped convince him to join.

Lingard’s first major interview since arriving in Brazil touched on his new life there, his years at Manchester United and the challenge of adapting to a different football culture. He also spoke about facing Neymar, a reminder that Brazil’s top clubs still offer star-driven football with global resonance, not just a stopover for veterans winding down their careers.

That ambition was reinforced on 22 April 2026, when Lingard scored his first goal for Corinthians in a 1-0 Copa do Brasil win over Barra. The finish sent him into the club’s history books, with reports describing him as the first British player to score in Brazil’s domestic cup and the first Englishman to score in the competition. For Corinthians, it was the kind of moment that validates a bold transfer; for Brazilian football, it was another sign that the league can still draw names once assumed to be beyond its reach.