Jesse Lingard got off the mark for Brazilian side Corinthians on Tuesday night as he scored the winner in their Copa do Brasil victory over Barra.
Former Man United star Lingard, 33, joined the South American giants last month after leaving FC Seoul in South Korea at the end of 2025.
The attacking midfielder spent nearly two years in Asia and moved to Corinthians despite attracting interest from a number of clubs, including West Ham and Wolves.
It has been a mixed start for Lingard in Brazil, with Corinthians – who also have Lingard’s former United team-mate Memphis Depay among their ranks – 17th in the league after 12 games, although they have won their first two games in the Copa Libertadores.
Lingard has been eased into action, making just one start before their two-legged cup tie against third tier side Barra.
But the 33-year-old made the most of that opportunity by putting Corinthians ahead on the stroke of half-time against their plucky opponents.
Former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard scored his first goal for Corinthians since joining
Lingard finished emphatically on the volley after Pedro Raul headed the ball across goal to him from a deflected free-kick.
His strike was greeted by huge cheers, despite Corinthians playing away from home – and Lingard celebrated with typical panache.
Lingard’s goal also made him the first ever British player to score in the Copa do Brasil and Corinthians held on for the 1-0 victory to give them a slender lead ahead of next month’s second leg.
Lingard signed an initial deal until the end of the year when he joined Corinthians, with a further 12 months to be triggered if certain objectives are met.
‘First, I saw the fans at the airport saying “Go, Corinthians! Go, Corinthians!”,’ Lingard told the club upon completing his move. ‘There is a lot of passion from the fans, which is wonderful to see.
‘The players welcomed me with open arms, the coach, the director, it was great to meet them. My first impressions: very happy, I can’t wait to play.’
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Lingard, who made over 230 appearances for United and amassed 32 caps for England prior to 2022, finished his last season with Seoul having scored 13 goals in 41 appearances.
He made his final appearance for the club on December 10, scoring in a 1–1 draw against Melbourne City in the league stage of the AFC Champions League Elite.
His time in his homeland came to an end in 2023 when he left Nottingham Forest after a year with the club.
And though he played a key role in England’s run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, he has not played for his country since 2021.
