São Paulo – Brazilian defender João Gabriel Cardozo Santos Maklouf, 19, could represent Lebanon in friendly matches on Thursday (1) and Sunday (4). Currently a member of Italian club Como 1907’s under-20 squad, João Gabriel has Lebanese and Italian ancestry. In Brazil, he played in Corinthians’ youth academy from 2021 to 2023.
On his Instagram profile, João Gabriel said he was happy to play for a professional team and, especially, to represent a country with which he has family ties. João Gabriel’s mother is of Italian descent, while his father is of Lebanese descent. He was born in Brazil and holds all three nationalities.
After leaving Corinthians, João Gabriel played for Roma in Italy before joining Como 1907. This is his first call-up to Lebanon’s senior national team. According to the Lebanese Football Association, the match against the Maldives will be played on Thursday, followed by a game against Kyrgyzstan on Sunday. Last Sunday (27), the Lebanese team beat Al Sadd in Qatar in a warm-up match ahead of the friendlies. João Gabriel played the first half.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda
