Jesse Lingard had his nickname 'J Lingz' on the back of his shirt for Corinthians' Copa do Brasil victory over Barra on Thursday evening. The former Manchester United star, now 33, joined the Brazilian giants in March after leaving FC Seoul in South Korea at the end of 2025.
Mixed Start in Brazil
The attacking midfielder spent nearly two years in Asia and moved to Corinthians despite interest from several clubs, including West Ham and Wolves. Corinthians, who also feature Lingard's former United teammate Memphis Depay, sit 16th in the league after 15 games, though they have won three of their first four Copa Libertadores matches.
Lingard has been gradually integrated into the team but is becoming increasingly important. He started the second leg of the cup tie against third-tier Barra, with Corinthians winning 1-0 to progress 2-0 on aggregate after Lingard scored the decisive goal in the first leg.
Reason Behind the Nickname
Some British fans were puzzled to see Lingard's usual No. 77 shirt bearing 'J Lingz' instead of his surname. However, there was a specific reason: all Corinthians players wore their nicknames as part of an initiative for Generic Drug Day in Brazil.
This day commemorates May 20, 1999, when the Brazilian Ministry of Health enacted the Generic Drug Act, which revolutionized healthcare by making high-quality medication more affordable and accessible. In a social media post, Corinthians explained: 'In honour of Generic Drug Day, celebrated on May 20th, Hypera decided to highlight the importance of these medications in public health, and the #TimeDoPovo is included to show that the name may be different, but it has the same effect for everyone!'
First Goal for Corinthians
Lingard scored his first goal for Corinthians in the first leg against Barra last month, finishing emphatically on the volley after Pedro Raul headed the ball across goal from a deflected free-kick. His strike was greeted with huge cheers despite the match being away from home, and Lingard celebrated with typical flair.
His goal also made him the first British player to score in the Copa do Brasil. Corinthians held on for a 1-0 victory, setting up a slender lead ahead of the second leg.
Contract and Career
Lingard signed an initial deal with Corinthians until the end of the year, with a further 12 months triggered if certain objectives are met. Upon completing his move, he said: 'First, I saw the fans at the airport saying "Go, Corinthians! Go, Corinthians!" There is a lot of passion from the fans, which is wonderful to see. The players welcomed me with open arms, the coach, the director, it was great to meet them. My first impressions: very happy, I can't wait to play.'
Lingard made 232 appearances for Manchester United and earned 32 caps for England prior to 2022. He finished his last season with Seoul, scoring 13 goals in 41 appearances. His final appearance for the club was on December 10, scoring in a 1–1 draw against Melbourne City in the AFC Champions League Elite.
His time in England ended in 2023 when he left Nottingham Forest after a year. Though he played a key role in England's run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, he has not represented his country since 2021.
