The dominance of just two major groups in managing Brazil national team players highlights the concentration of power dictating the path of national talent in the global market.
The Brazil national team’s recent World Cup elimination at the hands of Norway has left wounds open, but the debate over the future of our football goes far beyond what happens on the pitch. The leading roles are not just in the feet of the stars, but in the offices that manage their careers. A detailed survey reveals that influence over the Amarelinha is centralized: nearly 50% of those called up report to just two major conglomerates.
Agent Giuliano Bertolucci and the global giant Roc Nation Sports—which counts iconic rapper Jay-Z among its shareholders—control 11 of the 26 players named for the tournament. This scenario of concentration raises crucial questions about how the agency market currently shapes the hierarchy of elite football and the national team’s own shop window.
Giuliano Bertolucci’s Empire
With nearly three decades in the business, Giuliano Bertolucci has consolidated a prestige that is difficult to challenge. He is the name behind pillars such as Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, and Bruno Guimarães. His influence is so vast that if we were to add players who flirted with a call-up, such as Andrey Santos and Pedro, the agent’s reach would be even more staggering.
“The focus is on providing total support so that the athlete can concentrate their efforts exclusively on performance on the pitch,” reinforced Bertolucci’s press office, highlighting that personal attention is the secret to keeping his talents at the top of the European pyramid.
Roc Nation and the Spectacle Culture
Unlike the traditional model, Roc Nation Sports brought a cosmopolitan and modern vision to Brazil. By acquiring the former TFM Agency, the company that manages stars like Vini Júnior, Endrick, and Lucas Paquetá bets on transforming the athlete into a global brand. For the company, football is just the foundation of an ecosystem that involves marketing, entrepreneurship, and image.
“We combine talent identification with rigorous planning, enhancing not only sports performance but also the commercial opportunities for our players,” says Thiago Freitas, the agency’s director of operations in the country.
The Impact of this Concentration
The strength of these groups creates a domino effect: the more top-tier stars that feature in their portfolio, the easier it becomes to attract the next generation of prospects. In addition to legal and financial support, these agencies hold the “keys to the kingdom” for Europe’s giants, ensuring that Brazilian players are positioned where there is the greatest visibility and return.
Meanwhile, figures like former players Ricardo Scheidt and Hugo are carving out their own space, proving that the market is at once an exclusive club and fertile ground for those who understand the dynamics of the locker room. For the fans, the warning remains: the passion that drives the Brazilian supporters must now coexist with the cold and relentless logic of the major companies that decide the destiny of our greatest idols.
