Tunisia FA dismisses talk of naturalising Espérance striker Lucas Ribeiro

The Tunisian Football Federation have reportedly dismissed suggestions that Espérance de Tunis forward Lucas Ribeiro Costa could be naturalised to represent the Carthage Eagles.

Speculation emerged last week that the Brazilian attacker was open to acquiring Tunisian citizenship, potentially making him eligible to play for the North African nation.

However, the federation is not currently considering the proposal, according to a report by Erem News, which cited a source within the Tunisian FA.

The source explained that Ribeiro is still at an early stage of his career in Tunisian football and that it would be premature to discuss naturalisation without prior consultations between the national team’s technical staff and federation officials.

Ribeiro joined Esperance in August 2026 and has yet to represent Brazil or any other national team at international level.

Tunisia have previously naturalised several Brazilian-born players, including José Clayton, Adelton Pereira and Silva dos Santos, who went on to represent the national team.

However, any potential move involving Ribeiro also faces a legal hurdle, with Tunisian regulations requiring foreign nationals to have lived in the country for at least five years before qualifying for citizenship.

A similar proposal was previously raised concerning Brazilian striker Rodrigo Rodrigues, but the federation clarified that he was not part of its plans for the national team.

For now, Ribeiro’s possible international future with Tunisia remains uncertain, with the federation showing no immediate intention of pursuing his naturalisation.