Brazil U23 Flag Football Team Holds Historic First Training Camp in São Paulo

The first-ever men’s Under-23 national flag football team in Brazil opened a crucial two-day training camp at Parque CERET in the Tatuapé district of São Paulo, PORTAL MATO GROSSO reported. Forty athletes representing 27 clubs nationwide gathered for the weekend sessions running from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time on October 10 and 11, 2026, marking an unprecedented milestone for the sport’s development pipeline as it prepares for future international competition and the upcoming Los Angeles 2028 Olympic program.

Beyond simply introducing the inaugural roster, the camp serves as an immediate filter for the squad’s competitive future. At the conclusion of the weekend drills, the coaching staff will trim the 40-player pool down to a finalized group of 25 athletes who will form the core of the project’s next phase. Head coach Lucas David emphasized that evaluations look beyond standard box scores to identify players capable of making the eventual jump to the senior national team.

Evaluations at Parque CERET Shape the Roster

The coaching staff designed the closed-door sessions at Parque CERET to test mental sharpness, positional versatility, and technical execution under pressure. Forty prospects from across Brazil reported to the Tatuapé facility, including quarterbacks such as Miguel Seleme of BH Wolves and Lucas Chade of Caniballs, alongside wide receivers, defensive backs, and blitzers from regions spanning Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Distrito Federal, Mato Grosso, Sergipe, and international representation from Playa Del Carmen Sharks in Mexico.

“We are excited and eager to work with the group we managed to assemble, which brings together the best we have in the sport within our age group,” Lucas David stated regarding the talent pool. “As a transition team, we are evaluating aspects that do not appear on statistical tables, but give us the security to identify who can make the leap to the principal selection.”

Road to the Torneio de Seleções Estaduais

Following the cuts at the conclusion of the São Paulo training camp, the surviving 25 players will enter a structured developmental pathway managed by the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol Americano (CBFA). The organization, affiliated with the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB), oversees both tackle and flag football programs.

The primary benchmark for the newly formed group will arrive in February 2027, when the CBFA hosts the Torneio de Seleções Estaduais. From the 25-player pool established this weekend, 12 athletes will be chosen to represent the Brazil Onças at the tournament. Once that competition concludes, the coaching staff will re-evaluate the roster to adjust the 25-player list and officially launch the 2027 competitive cycle for the Under-23 selection.

“The State Selections Tournament will be, in fact, our first major test,” Lucas David explained. “After this weekend’s camp, we will reach the final group of 25 players. In February, out of these 25, we will select 12 to represent Brazil Onças in the tournament. After the competition, we will make the necessary adjustments to the list of 25 and, then yes, we will start the 2027 cycle of the Under-23 Selection.”

Complete Roster of Convocados

The inaugural training camp roster features players from diverse clubs and age groups:

• Miguel Seleme — 18, QB, BH Wolves (Minas Gerais)
• Pablo Hatzfeld — 17, OD, Blumenau Flag (Santa Catarina)
• André Sapolnik — 20, OD, Caniballs (São Paulo)
• Felipe Teles — 23, OD, Caniballs (São Paulo)
• Lucas Chade — 20, QB, Caniballs (São Paulo)
• Nicolas Alves Guiné — 16, SN/WR, Caniballs (São Paulo)
• Nilo Duarte — 23, OD, Carlos Barbosa Ximangos (Rio Grande do Sul)
• Luan Horn — 20, WR, Corinthians Steamrollers (São Paulo)
• Sanka Salomão — 20, WR/DB/QB, Corinthians Steamrollers (São Paulo)
• Arthur Claret — 19, DB, Coritiba Crocodiles (Paraná)
• Guilherme Cheicoski Lisboa Lourenço de Pontes — 17, BL, Coritiba Crocodiles (Paraná)
• Lucas de Albuquerque — 20, ID, Coritiba Crocodiles (Paraná)
• João Flausino — 22, BL, Flag Kings (Rio de Janeiro)
• Enzo Filipin — 22, SN/WR, Gators (São Paulo)
• Arthur Lemos Guissoni — 17, QB, Goiânia Queixadas (Goiás)
• João Guilherme Lucas Rossito — 16, OD, Istepôs (Santa Catarina)
• Kauan Ventura — 20, ID/OD/BL, Juazeiro Raptors (Ceará)
• Yago Alves — 19, SN/WR, Juazeiro Raptors (Ceará)
• Mateo Zanotta — 23, WR, Leme Lizards (São Paulo)
• Fernando Pagani Montenegro — 17, WR, Locomotiva (Minas Gerais)
• Pedro Lucas Lisboa — 22, WR, Locomotiva (Minas Gerais)
• Felipe Sano — 16, OD, Magic (São Paulo)
• Francisco Roberto Souza — 20, BL, Parnamirim Scorpions (Rio Grande do Norte)
• Nicolas Vives — 17, WR/DB/QB, Playa Del Carmen Sharks (México)
• Nicollas Gabriel Cavalcanti de Lima — 16, WR, Recife Mariners (Pernambuco)
• João Pedro Rocha — 22, OD, Rebeldes do Cerrado (Distrito Federal)
• Breno Pessanha de Goes Hinrichsen — 17, ID/OD, RFA (Rio de Janeiro)
• Leonardo Pessanha de Goes Hinrichsen — 17, SN/WR, RFA (Rio de Janeiro)
• Lucas Gabriel Souza da Silva — 17, BL, RFA (Rio de Janeiro)
• Samuel Velasquez — 20, WR, RFA (Rio de Janeiro)
• Arthur Vilarva — 20, WR, Rondonópolis Hawks (Mato Grosso)
• Claudinei Fontes — 22, BL, Rondonópolis Hawks (Mato Grosso)
• Lucio Santos — 20, WR/DB, Sergipe Carcarás (Sergipe)
• Felipe Pegoraro — 21, ID, Sorriso Hornets (Mato Grosso)
• Pablo Santiago Ricardo — 17, QB, Sorriso Hornets (Mato Grosso)
• Otávio Moura — 18, WR, Sorocaba Braves (São Paulo)
• Pedro Barletta de Oliveira — 17, ID/OD, Sorocaba Braves (São Paulo)
• Miguel Alves — 17, BL, Taubaté Football (São Paulo)
• Kaique Koetter — 19, ID, T-Rex (Santa Catarina)
• Arthur Rocha — 23, WR/QB, Vasco Almirantes (Rio de Janeiro)

Event Logistics and Accreditation

The training camp is closed to the general public, restricted strictly to the 40 invited athletes and coaching personnel. Journalists seeking coverage access must complete media accreditation through the CBFA press office.

Following the finalization of the 25-player roster this weekend, the selected athletes will prepare for the February 2027 Torneio de Seleções Estaduais under the oversight of the CBFA.