In the autumn of 2024, Douglas Santos, captain and defender of St. Petersburg's Zenit, who had previously obtained a Russian passport, once again changed his sporting nationality and will now represent the Brazilian national team. This information was disseminated by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and confirmed by the player's agent, Tiago Freitas. In September, the Brazilian national team will play qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup against the teams of Chile and Bolivia. The team's head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, has included Santos in the squad for these games. "Douglas Santos has been called up to the most prestigious national team in the history of world football! He is undoubtedly happy. I don't think there's even a need to ask a Brazilian athlete what it feels like to receive a call-up to the Brazilian national team," commented Freitas.