Over the years, Chelsea have had players from all over the world. The Blues have long been one of the more active players in the transfer market and in an increasingly global world, that is no real surprise. There have been Ugandans, Uruguayans and Albanians, Turks, Thais and Ukrainians – to name just six of the nationalities that have represented Chelsea.
Even though players from over 60 nations have been on the books with the Blues, and it is increasingly normal for footballers from all over the globe to find their way into the Premier League, it is Scotland that has provided Chelsea with more non-English players than anywhere else. Indeed, more than three times as many Scottish footballers have turned out for the club as those from France, which is second on the list (86 versus 26).
Third on this list, however, is Brazil, showing the club’s long and storied connection with the home of joga bonito. A total of 22 Brazilians have been on the club’s books over the years, including a number right now. Not all of these have played for Chelsea, let alone established themselves as stars. However, let’s look at the best Brazilians to ever have played for the Blues.
Thiago Silva
“Chelsea’s Best Brazilian Players” can be interpreted in different ways, but we are going to consider not the Brazilians who did the most for or with Chelsea, nor the Brazilians who were the best during their time there. Instead, we are looking at the whole career of any Brazilian footballer who has played for the Blues at any stage.
On that basis, we believe we have a clear winner, and it is Thiago Silva. The only Chelsea player – as far as we know – with a chart hit named after him, Silva won a massive 113 caps for his country. At just under six feet tall, he is not a towering defender but his pace, reading of the game, intelligence and the fact that he had no apparent weaknesses made him a world-class player at his best.
He moved to the Blues shortly before turning 36, but still managed 155 games – not bad considering he signed on a one-year contract initially. He also helped the club win the Champions League and the Club World Cup, to go with the masses of silverware he won with PSG and the Serie A title he won with Milan. He also helped his nation to success in the 2019 Copa America, and despite being in his 40s, was still good enough to make the 2025 Club World Cup Team of the Tournament.
Joao Pedro and Estevao
We’re going to be optimistic and place two players whose careers are ongoing next. Pedro and Estevao played for Chelsea in the 2025/26 season, and at 24 and just 18, respectively, they hopefully have their best days with both Chelsea and Brazil still ahead of them.
Both are incredibly exciting attacking players who bring a bit of traditional Brazilian flair to proceedings at the Bridge. The latter scored five goals in his first 11 appearances for his country before turning 19, and his ceiling appears to be sky high.
Whether both, or even either, can fulfil their potential and write their names in the lore of both club and country remains to be seen. Pedro is a little further down the road in terms of his career, though he has fewer international caps. Both have a long way to go to match some of the players that follow, in terms of what they achieve in their careers and with the Blues, but the potential is clearly, very, very clearly, there.
Willian
Part of the reason we have plumped for the two current, bordering-on-futuristic picks above is that behind Thiago, there is no obvious choice for who to put next. The Blues have had a few very good Brazilian players, but no real bona fide legends, the great central defender aside.
As such, we opt for attacking winger Willian next. The man from the São Paulo area played 339 times for Chelsea, more than any other Brazilian. His 63 goals for the club are also the most, with both marks well ahead of the next-best Brazilian.
He won 70 caps for Brazil too, scoring nine times, and was part of the 2019 group that won the Copa America. With Chelsea, he won five major trophies, including two Premier League titles and the 2018/19 Europa League.
Ramires
Ramires ranks alongside Willian and some of the players we will mention shortly. He won silverware with three clubs, including the 2014/15 PL title with the Blues. He also helped Chelsea to success in the Champions League, the Europa League, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup, giving him almost a full set of medals.
Capped 52 times by Brazil, the aggressive box-to-box midfielder had a little bit of everything. His dynamism and energy made him a major asset to any team, and of Chelsea’s Brazilians, only Willian made more appearances for the Blues, while just two players scored more goals for the club.
David Luiz
Luiz was always a controversial figure and was often mocked by opposition fans. However, you don’t play for Benfica, Chelsea, PSG, Arsenal and Brazil if you aren’t a very fine player. The big-haired centre back won 57 caps for his country and played 248 times for the Blues, spread over two spells.
He could be reckless, and a mistake never seemed far away, but he was fast, aggressive and capable of magic, as well as being a leader. His Chelsea medal collection is perhaps the most impressive of the lot, boasting the Champions League, two Europa League wins, two FA Cups, and a Premier League win too. As recently as 2022, he won the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo, so he probably deserves more respect than he is afforded by many.
Oscar
Oscar netted 12 times in 48 appearances for Brazil but just 38 in 203 for Chelsea. That still makes him the club’s second-best Brazilian in terms of goals scored, but there is a feeling that he rather wasted his career.
In 2016, when still very much at his peak, he opted to leave Stamford Bridge and sign a mega-contract with Chinese outfit Shanghai Port. Players have their reasons for such moves, and few of “us” would automatically disregard the chance to double or triple our pay.
Even so, one can only wonder how good he might have been, and how many more Brazil caps he might have collected, had he stayed with Chelsea longer. Even so, won four major trophies with the Blues and was named in the 2014 World Cup Team of the Tournament alongside Thiago. He scored Brazil’s goal in the unforgettable 7-1 drubbing the hosts suffered against Germany in the semis. As of 2025/26, then aged 34, he was playing with São Paulo, where his career began.