It is not hard to imagine a parallel universe in which Lucas Paqueta spent the last few days celebrating the first league title of his career.
The Brazilian was widely tipped to join Manchester City last summer after a breakout 2022-23 season for West Ham United. Instead, he stayed in east London, City seemingly having been spooked by an FA investigation, launched last August, into alleged breaches of betting relegations.
That investigation has resulted in charges. Paqueta, 26, stands accused of “intentionally seeking to receive a card from the referee for the improper purpose of affecting the betting market in order for one or more persons to profit from betting”. The charges relate to four Premier League matches: one in 2022 and three in 2023.
Paqueta, who was due to play for Brazil at this summer’s Copa America, denies the charges and has until 3 June to formally respond to the FA. But the prospect of a significant ban now hangs heavy over his career.
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The midfielder, born Lucas Tolentino Coelho de Lima, grew up on — and gained his nickname from — Paqueta, a small island in Rio de Janeiro’s Guanabara Bay. He played academy football for Flamengo, Brazil’s biggest club, graduating to the first team in 2016.
There were, initially, a few doubts over Paqueta’s physique. He was a late developer and did not always seem to have the strength to thrive in central midfield. But his technical quality shone through, as did his knack for making his mark in big games: Paqueta scored in the 2017 Copa do Brasil and Copa Sudamericana finals, becoming a fan favourite in the process.
Paqueta was a fan favourite at Flamengo in Brazil (Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images)
Like most talented young Brazilians, Paqueta made his way to Europe. His destination was AC Milan in Italy in 2019, who hoped he might replicate the success of Kaka, a fellow Brazilian. But despite showing the odd flash of inspiration, Paqueta was unable to nail down a starting berth and was sold to Lyon for a loss only one year after his arrival in Milan.
It proved to be the fresh start he needed. “I put myself under a lot of pressure in Milan,” Paqueta told the French newspaper L’Equipe. “Too much even. When I moved to France, I told myself I didn’t have to put myself through that again. I just had to do my best.”
In Ligue 1, his best was more than good enough. Paqueta became the league’s great entertainer — his repertoire of nutmegs, through balls and insouciant celebrations enchanting supporters in the Rhone Valley and beyond.
Paqueta had made his Brazil debut as a Flamengo player in 2018, but it was his form for Lyon that helped him to become a regular at international level. He appeared 26 times for the Selecao in 2021 and 2022, playing in a variety of positions and going to the World Cup as an undisputed starter.
Paqueta with Brazil team-mate Neymar (left) at the 2022 World Cup (Nelson Almeida/AFP via Getty Images)
His telepathic understanding with the team’s star player, Neymar, made him particularly indispensable; it was no coincidence that the best goal scored in Qatar — Neymar’s strike in the quarter-final against Croatia — was the result of a combination between the two players.
By that point, Paqueta was already starting to establish himself as a Premier League star. Some had questioned whether West Ham — or English football in general — would be a good fit for his mercurial skill set when he joined the club in August 2022, but they soon fell silent. Paqueta settled well and proved that he could put in the hard yards as well as perform conjuring acts with his left boot.
He finished that first season with five goals and seven assists in all competitions. Those numbers swelled to eight and seven respectively in 2023-24. The ongoing investigation did not seem to affect his performance. It did, however, cost him his Brazil place: interim coach Fernando Diniz was unwilling to pick him due to the uncertainty.
“I consider Paqueta to be one of the best players of this generation,” Diniz said. “I really admire him. But there’s an investigation ongoing, with no new details. I have to be coherent and ethical.”
Paqueta returned to the Brazil setup earlier this year when Diniz was replaced by Dorival Junior, his former coach at Flamengo. He started against England at Wembley, putting in a commanding performance, and was widely expected to be one of the Selecao’s key players at the Copa America.
Now, though, it is unclear whether he will be authorised to play — or, indeed, what the future holds in the longer term.
“I am extremely surprised and upset that the FA has decided to charge me,” said Paqueta in a statement on Thursday. “For nine months, I have cooperated with every step of their investigation and provided all the information I can. I deny the charges in their entirety and will fight with every breath to clear my name.”
A West Ham statement read: “Lucas categorically denies the breach and will continue to robustly defend his position. The club will continue to stand by and support the player throughout the process.”
(Top photo: George Wood/Getty Images)