West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta has been cleared to play for Brazil in the Copa America despite his Football Association (FA) spot-fixing charge.
Paqueta is facing serious FA charges of allegedly getting booked deliberately and the 26-year-old faces a potential lengthy ban.
But the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed on Thursday night that it had spoken to the FA and would not be withdrawing Paqueta from their Copa America squad.
Paqueta is accused of intentionally getting himself booked in four games for West Ham in 2022 and 2023, in order that others might profit from betting on that outcome.
He is also facing two further charges for allegedly failing to comply with the investigation into him. Paqueta denies all the charges.
CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues said he had approached FA chief executive Mark Bullingham “in a cautious manner, with the aim of ascertaining the player’s current situation” to ensure there were no legal obstacles to Paqueta playing this summer.
Paqueta has until Monday to respond to the FA charges, which will go in front of an independent regulatory commission.
The CBF also established that there would be no decision made before the Copa America final in Miami on July 24.
"Given the facts reported by the English Federation, the CBF, supported by the joint opinion from the Legal and Governance and Compliance Directorates and the Integrity Unit, has decided to maintain the player's call-up," the CBF said in a statement on Paqueta signed by president Rodrigues.
"Based on the information provided by the FA, it is categorically concluded that the player Lucas Paqueta, despite the behaviour for which he was accused authorising preventive removal (from the squad) ... has not been penalised to date by the prosecuting body authorised to sanction him.
"It is right to say that the player is free to perform his professional job until the present moment, the source of his livelihood and that of his family, in a full and unrestricted manner, whether for his club or his country's national team."
