Allan Elias has earned his first senior Brazil call-up, and he has done it with just 10 minutes of Premier League football for Man City to his name.
The 22-year-old was one of five uncapped players in Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad, named on Thursday, for November’s friendlies against Japan and Singapore. That is some going for an attacking midfielder who only arrived from Palmeiras two months ago in a deal worth an initial £32m, potentially rising to around £34m with add-ons.
According to Sports Mole, Ancelotti is using the window to look at a new generation after Brazil were knocked out by Norway in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup. The CBF confirmed the squad on X.
Estes são os convocados para fechar 2026! 🇧🇷
– brasil (@CBF_Futebol) October 29, 2026
Japão e Singapura, aí vamos nós ✈️#BateNoPeito pic.twitter.com/jOPiBkEB56
Allan Brazil call-up: how few minutes has he actually played?
In the league, barely any. Allan’s only Premier League appearance came off the bench for the final 10 minutes of the 3-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield on October 11.
He was an unused substitute against Manchester United and Sunderland before that, watched the 3-2 win over Ipswich Town from the bench and wasn’t in the squad for the defeat at Aston Villa. So if you only look at the Premier League numbers, this call-up looks a bit odd.
The cups tell a different story. Handed his debut against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup on September 17, Allan set up academy youngster Floyd Samba for the opener and then cut inside to score with his favoured left foot in a 5-0 win at the Etihad. He came off after 71 minutes, and Blues fans had already seen enough to get excited.
He then played the full 90 minutes in the 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens on October 20, and he started Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie with Brighton, lasting 61 minutes before Jeremy Doku replaced him. City went through on penalties after a 2-2 draw, as we covered in our report on Rulli’s shootout heroics.
Why Ancelotti picked the Man City youngster
This is a Brazil squad built for the next cycle. Fifteen of the 26 players are under 23, and the target is the 2028 Copa America and the 2030 World Cup. Allan is joined by fellow newcomers Jonathan Jesus of Cruzeiro, Andre Luiz of Corinthians and the Shakhtar Donetsk pair Marlon Gomes and Alisson Santana.
He isn’t the only City player going either. Vitor Reis, who scored his first goal for the club against Brighton, has also been called up, so Enzo Maresca will have two players in Ancelotti’s squad. Allan will be sharing a dressing room with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Raphinha.
At Palmeiras he came through the academy and made his senior debut in January 2025. His ball-carrying, his work between the lines and his knack for creating chances are what caught Europe’s eye, and clearly Ancelotti’s too.
What the Allan Brazil call-up means at City
Brazil face Japan at Singapore’s National Stadium on November 14, then play the hosts at the same ground three days later. Allan could well win his first cap before he has played a full half of Premier League football for City.
It doesn’t guarantee him more minutes under Maresca, though. City are back in the league against Brighton this weekend, and while he started on the left in midweek, our predicted lineup for the Premier League clash with Brighton has him making way as Maresca brings back his stronger side.
Verdict: Allan is ahead of schedule
I love this for him. A £32m signing at 22 isn’t supposed to walk straight into Maresca’s best XI, and he hasn’t. But a goal and an assist on debut, 90 minutes in Europe and a start against Brighton show he’s being trusted more than his league minutes suggest.
A Brazil cap would do his confidence no harm at all. If he comes back from Singapore playing with a bit of swagger, Maresca will have a very good problem on the left of his attack.
