Credit: Imago

James Barker

Wed 18 March 2026 8:10, UK Updated Wed 18 March 2026 8:44, UK

Lucas Paqueta hasn’t hit the ground running with Flamengo in Brazil’s Serie A since his £35.5million transfer from West Ham United, but does already have a trophy win under his belt.

It was the transfer saga that defined West Ham’s winter transfer window of 2026, with it not coming to an end until the final days of the window.

However, on 30 January 2026, Paqueta finally completed his reported £35.5m move back to Brazil, returning to the place where he began his career: Flamengo.

Paqueta’s transfer exit marked the end of an excellent three-and-a-half years as a Hammer, but his fairy tale Flamengo return hasn’t quite had the start he would’ve been hoping for.

Lucas Paqueta has struggled to make Flamengo impact so far

Paqueta’s West Ham exit was an emotional one, as the Brazilian had become a fan favourite at the London Stadium, and nobody would deny that he gave everything during his time as a Hammer.

So, despite the fact his move to Flamengo ending up being a rather messy one by the end, the vast majority of supporters sent him on his way with nothing but respect and gratitude for his service to the club.

Unfortunately for Paqueta, however, his dream move back to Flamengo hasn’t quite gone to plan for him so far, as without it being disastrous by any means, he’s not exactly taken Brazilian football by storm either.

As per Sofascore, Paqueta has registered an expected goals (xG) of just 0.48 from his first four Brasileiro Serie A (Brazilian first division) appearances this season, all of which have been as part of the starting XI.

He’s also averaging just 0.5 shots on target per game, has missed one big chance, has created zero big chances and has a passing accuracy of only 76 per cent.

Paqueta’s dribble success rate is currently 60 per cent, whilst he’s conceding possession an average of 13.8 times per game, and has only won 53 per cent of his ground duels.

Paqueta has fared better in Carioca with Flamengo

However, the former West Ham star did make a big impact for Flamengo in their 2026 Carioca campaign, and that’s where he’s really made his mark back in Brazil so far.

The Carioca is an annual cup competition held between January to March, and it comprises of teams from the state of Rio de Janeiro, with the term “Carioca” signifying someone or something from the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Flamengo are the competition’s most successful team, and were crowned champions this year for the 40th time in their history.

Paqueta appeared in five Carioca games since his move to Flamengo in January, scoring three times, two of which came in their 8-0 semi-final second leg thrashing of Madureira RJ.

So, it’s certainly not been a bad start for Paqueta with Flamengo, with a trophy already under his belt, but he will be hoping and needing to start stepping up his league form soon.