Colombia today announced their 23-man World Cup squad and Palmeiras’ striker Miguel Borja is in it. The Colombian squad also contains centre-defender Yerry Mina, who left Palmeiras in early 2018 to join Barcelona. Colombia are found in group H and make their debut on 19 June against Japan.
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Borja becomes the 25th Palmeiras player to appear in the World Cup, and the 6th foreigner. The list of previous Palmeiras foreigners in the Cup includes Arce 1998/2006 and Gamarra 2006 (Paraguay); Diogo 1986 (Uruguay); Rincón 1994 (Colombia); and Valdivia 2014 (Chile).
Out of the 24 men whom have played in the World Cup while Palmeiras players, nine were crowned champions of the tournament, all of them serving the Brazilian National Team: Mazzola in 1958, Djalma Santos, Vavá and Zequinha (all three in 1962), Leo and Baldochi (both in 1970), Zinho and Mazinho (both in 1994) and Marcos (in 2002). As you notice, Brazil has never been World Champion without a Palmeiras player in the squad.
Curiously, the list of players crowned World Cup champions and that played for Palmeiras either before, during or after the Cup also contains 25 names.
Check out the lists below.
Palmeiras players in World Cups
1938 – Luizinho Mesquita (Brazil)
1950 – Jair Rosa Pinto (Brazil)
1954 – Humberto Tozzi (Brazil) and Rodrigues Tatu (Brazil)
1958 – Mazzola (Brazil)
1962 – Djalma Santos (Brazil), Vavá (Brazil) and Zequinha (Brazil)
1966 – Djalma Santos (Brazil)
1970 – Leão (Brazil) and Baldochi (Brazil)
1974 – Leão (Brazil), Luís Pereira (Brazil), Alfredo Mostarda (Brazil), Leivinha (Brazil), Ademir da Guia (Brazil) and César Maluco (Brazil)
1978 – Leão (Brazil) and Jorge Mendonça (Brazil)
1986 – Leão (Brazil) and Diogo (Uruguai)
1994 – Zinho (Brazil), Mazinho (Brazil) and Rincón (Colombia)
1998 – Arce (Paraguay)
2002 – Marcos (Brazil) and Arce (Paraguay)
2006 – Gamarra (Paraguay)
2014 – Valdivia (Chile)
2018 – Borja (Colombia)
Palmeiras players crowned World Cup champions
1958 – Mazzola (Brazil)
1962 – Djalma Santos (Brazil), Vavá (Brazil) and Zequinha (Brazil)
1970 – Leão (Brazil) and Baldochi (Brazil)
1994 – Zinho (Brazil) and Mazinho (Brazil)
2002 – Marcos (Brazil)
World Cup champions playing for Palmeiras before, during or after the tournament
Filó, Itália (1934)
Mazzola, Brazil (1958)
Dino Sani, Brazil (1958)
Djalma Santos, Brazil (1958 e 1962)
Vavá, Brazil (1962)
Zequinha, Brazil (1962)
Leão, Brazil (1970)
Baldochi, Brazil (1970)
Zetti, Brazil (1994)
Müller, Brazil (1994)
Viola, Brazil (1994)
Mazinho, Brazil (1994)
Zinho, Brazil (1994)
Cafu, Brazil (1994 e 2002)
Roberto Carlos, Brazil (2002)
Roque Júnior, Brazil (2002)
Edmílson, Brazil (2002)
Júnior, Brazil (2002)
Juninho Paulista, Brazil (2002)
Rivaldo, Brazil (2002)
Edílson, Brazil (2002)
Luizão, Brazil (2002)
Denílson, Brazil (2002)
Lúcio, Brazil (2002)
Marcos, Brazil (2002)
ANYTHING PALMEIRAS 