The Brazilian media have adopted a much tougher tone when assessing Crystal Palace loanee Matheus França’s spell at Vasco da Gama. The criticism intensified after the club’s defeat in the Brazilian Cup final on Sunday.
The youngster entered the match in the second half, again away from his natural attacking role, and delivered a poor display that reinforced existing doubts about his trajectory.
“Risky decision” and growing scepticism
Journalist Venê Casagrande offered a blunt assessment of the situation. In his view, the midfielder made a “risky decision” by returning to Brazilian football on loan with Vasco.
Casagrande added that the chances of success were always slim and argued that França now risks returning to Crystal Palace even more devalued.
That criticism came immediately after the cup final, which added weight to the analysis. França came on during the second half and once again played as a central midfielder.
Brazilian coverage described the performance as symbolic of his constant struggles throughout the season.
Fitness struggles didn’t help
There is also an important context behind his difficulties. França returned from a very serious injury and did so in a team coached by Fernando Diniz.
In Brazil, Diniz is known for his intense focus on physical performance. He demands constant movement, pressing, and tactical discipline. He also regularly reshapes players to fit his ideas. For a player still rebuilding fitness and confidence, this environment has proved unforgiving.
França’s loan can be seen a mix of bad timing, physical setbacks, and tactical instability. Crystal Palace likely expected him to regain sharpness in offensive roles. Instead, Vasco tested him deeper in midfield during a turbulent phase for the team.
Now that the Brazilian season ended, the assessment has become increasingly clear. Even though his loan deal is until July 2026, Vasco fans want him gone immediately.
So it’s fair to say França will struggle to have space at Crystal Palace once he returns. With confidence low and development stalled, his future in London looks uncertain at best.
