From Hugo Souza to Garro: captain's armband will be rotated at Corinthians in 2026
- By Henrique Pereira / Central do Timão Editorial
The 2026 season began with Corinthians alternating those responsible for the captain's armband. With the arrival of Fernando Diniz as technical command, however, the situation changed. Rodrigo Garro took on the role permanently and became the team's main leader within the four lines.
In addition to the Argentine midfielder, three other players also wore the armband throughout the year: goalkeeper Hugo Souza and defenders Gustavo Henrique and André Ramalho. Each of them achieved this space for different reasons and plays a specific role in the cast's dynamics.
Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians
Among the current captains, Garro and Gustavo Henrique are the athletes with the longest tenure. Both arrived at Parque São Jorge at the beginning of 2024. The Argentine arrived as one of the board's main investments after standing out at Talleres, while Gustavo Henrique was hired to reinforce the defense and add experience to the group during António Oliveira's tenure.
At that time, the leadership of the cast was divided between Cássio, Fagner and Ángel Romero. A few months later, Cássio and Fagner left Corinthians to join Cruzeiro, while Romero remained one of the group's main references.
With the arrival of Ramón Díaz as coach, the Paraguayan striker became the team's main captain, with Fagner as an immediate substitute when necessary.
The scenario changed again during the second half of 2024. Amid the fight against relegation in the Brazilian Championship, Corinthians reformulated part of the squad and hired Hugo Souza and André Ramalho. At the same time, Romero and Fagner lost space among the starters.
In this context, Ramón Díaz chose to hand over the armband to Hugo Souza. The coach saw the goalkeeper as an important leader both due to his performance on the field and the influence he had on the rest of the group. Alongside Romero, Hugo lifted the 2025 Campeonato Paulista cup won against Palmeiras.
A new change occurred in April 2025, when Dorival Júnior took command of the team. After the change in rules promoted by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which now only allowed the captain to speak with the referee during games, the coach decided to transfer the armband to Gustavo Henrique. The justification was to facilitate communication with referees through a line athlete.
During the period in which Dorival remained at the club, which ended at the beginning of March 2026, Gustavo Henrique established himself as one of the main leaders of the squad. Even so, in some matches, he shared responsibility with names with great identification with Corinthians, such as Maycon and Ángel Romero.
In the 2025 Copa do Brasil title campaign, for example, Gustavo Henrique gave up lifting the trophy alone and made a point of sharing the moment with Maycon and Romero after the 2-1 victory over Vasco, at Maracanã.
With the departure of Maycon and Romero at the end of that season, Gustavo Henrique gained even more prominence within the group. Shortly afterwards, alongside Hugo Souza and Rodrigo Garro, he lifted the 2026 Brazilian Super Cup, won over Flamengo 2-0.
Without Romero in the squad, Garro naturally began to assume a leadership role among foreign athletes, especially those who speak Spanish. In addition to being the longest-serving player of another nationality in the group, the midfielder also began to exert influence outside the pitch.
This profile was quickly noticed by Fernando Diniz. Since arriving at Corinthians in April, the coach has promoted Garro back to the starting lineup and appointed the Argentine as the team's permanent captain.
In the 16 games played under Diniz's command, Garro used the armband on 14 occasions. The only exceptions occurred when he started the matches on the bench by decision of the technical committee, when Gustavo Henrique took over the role.
Throughout the season, Hugo Souza was captain in two matches, while André Ramalho received the armband only once. At 34 years old, the defender is treated internally as an important leader due to the experience acquired in European football and usually assumes this responsibility when Corinthians uses alternative formations.
While the interseason is underway, the squad continues to prepare for the friendly against FC Cascavel, scheduled for next Sunday, at 4pm, at the Estádio Olímpico Regional, in Paraná. Following the calendar, Corinthians will have important commitments for the Brazilian Championship and also for the round of 16 of the Copa do Brasil and Libertadores, when they will face Internacional and Rosario Central, from Argentina, respectively.
With Rodrigo Garro consolidated as captain by decision of Fernando Diniz, Timão will end its preparation and return to official commitments on July 23, at 7:30 pm, against Remo, at Neo Química Arena, for the 19th round of the Brazilian Championship.
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Source: Timao Central