Who is Andrey Santos? Youngster who received a call-up to Carlo Ancelotti's Brazil team

Santos has become one of the most underrated midfielders in recent years.

Andrey Santos, a Chelsea player, is part of Carlo Ancelotti’s inaugural Brazil national team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

This summer, Santos, who is presently on loan at Strasbourg, is expected to return to Chelsea. He may even play for the Blues at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 21-year-old is seen as a component of Chelsea’s long-term midfield aspirations after making an impression during his development in France.

Santos’ performance at the club level has drawn Ancelotti’s attention, who felt he merited the call-up for the June 2026 World Cup qualifiers matches in June. But how has the Chelsea midfielder emerged as one of the underrated players since coming to Europe?

Who is Andrey Santos?

Santos, a Brazilian professional football player, is currently on loan from Premier League team Chelsea to play for Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.

Santos was first exposed to futsal when he was four years old in an attempt to reduce his weight. After falling in love with the game, he started out as a defender in Vasco da Gama’s youth academy before being shuffled to midfield.

Santos earned his professional debut for Vasco da Gama at the age of sixteen, coming on as a substitute in the 85th minute of Campeonato Carioca’s 1-0 away loss to Volta Redonda.

Vasco da Gama declared on January 6, 2023, that Santos had left the team to join Chelsea of the Premier League. However, to continue his progress, the Blues sent him back to Vasco da Gama for his development.

After his loan expired, the midfielder joined the London club for pre-season games, but his parent club felt he needed more development. They sent him on a season-long loan to Nottingham Forest. But with fewer minutes on the pitch, Chelsea decided to call him back and instead sent him on loan to Ligue 1 club Strasbourg.

At the French club, he enjoyed an impressive term that saw him extend his loan spell for another season. His performance helped earn him a call-up to the Brazilian senior team.

Santos’s playing style

This season, Rosenior has mostly set up his team in a 3-4-2-1 or 4-4-2 formation. In that lineup, Santos has mostly played in the left centre midfield position for Strasbourg.

Although he carefully chooses when to advance, the Brazilian spends most of his time in the deeper parts of the field. He does participate in more advanced sections.

He can start assaults after winning the ball in the midfield. He is a good tackler. He can also score goals by making last-minute rushes into the box.

Santos is a strong and capable duelist who excels at winning the ball in the middle of the pitch and tackling cleanly. He is very adept at intercepting passes and screening the defence.

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