Former England and Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has joined Corinthians for the remainder of the season, the Brazilian club announced.
Lingard, 33, had been a free agent since leaving Korean side FC Seoul after his contract expired at the end of last year.
Despite reported interest from MLS, Lingard will continue his career in Sao Paulo, signing a contract with Corinthians until December. He will wear the No. 77 shirt.
“It’s a magical feeling. I can imagine with the fans it’ll be a crazy atmosphere,” Lingard said after his arrival at the club.
“First, I saw the fans at the airport saying ‘Go, Corinthians! Go, Corinthians!’ There’s a lot of passion from the fans, which is amazing to see. The facilities are amazing.
“The lads welcomed me with open arms, the coach, the CEO have been really good to me. My first impressions: very happy, I can’t wait to get going.”
Lingard joined FC Seoul in February 2024 after seven months without a club, having been released by Nottingham Forest the year before.
After coming up through the club’s youth academy, Lingard made 232 appearances for Manchester United and lifted the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League.
He was also a key part of the England side that reached the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, winning 32 caps for his country.
At Corinthians, Lingard will be reunited with former Manchester United teammate Memphis Depay.
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Corinthians, coached by former Brazil manager Dorival Júnior, have taken seven points from their opening four league games.
Lingard is the second British-born player to represent the club after Colin Kazim-Richards, who later played internationally for Turkiye.
