Who Is Marquinhos?
Brazilian central defender Marquinhos is among the best at his position in world football.
Born in 1994, the Paris Saint Germain skipper has already accumulated over 60 caps for Brazil and collected an impressive list of career honours.
Recognised as a promising young player in his teenage years, Marquinhos has attracted praise wherever he’s played. While a teammate of Marquinhos at Roma, Nicolas Burdisso called him ‘a little Thiago Silva’.
Marquinhos played alongside Silva at PSG, aiding his development. He’s been Silva’s successor at the heart of the defence for club and country.
Popular on the back of PSG kits, there’s no question that he has lived up to expectation, delivering on the promise he showed in his teenage years – especially since switching to the French capital.
Marquinhos Career So Far
It all started when Marquinhos joined Corinthians at just eight years of age. Enjoying success through the age groups in the club’s youth system, he earned his senior debut a decade later in 2012.
While kept to just eight appearances in that campaign, Marquinhos made an impression, and was named on the bench for the Copa Libertadores final with Boca Juniors.
Catching the eye of clubs across the Atlantic, Marquinhos was signed by Roma in the 2012 summer transfer window. It was initially a one-year loan.
He used the shirt name ‘Marcos’ to avoid a mix up with a teammate called ‘Marquinho’, and his debut came in September 2012.
Nicolas Burdisso was benched for Marquinhos in autumn. Marquinhos’ mobility was considered a real asset to the defence at that point, and he partnered fellow former Corinthian Leandro Castán in central defence.
His lone season in Italy ended with over 25 appearances and a runners-up medal in the Coppa Italia. It was a disappointing campaign for I Giallorossi, however, finishing sixth with no European football and 10 points off third-placed Milan.
His big-money move to PSG came in the summer of 2013. Les Parisiens splashed €31.4 million on Marquinhos, a fee that resulted in minor contradiction across the reporting of the transfer.
BBC believed it to be the highest-ever fee for a teenager at the time, while others placed it further down the list.
A French news channel claimed it to be the fifth-highest fee for a defender, placing Marquinhos just behind Rio Ferdinand, Thiago Silva, Lilian Thuram and Dani Alves.
Speaking about the move to France, Marquinhos said, “I am delighted to be joining Paris Saint-Germain, a club where so many Brazilians have played and helped write the club’s history.
“I’m going to do all I can to continue that tradition, and take my turn to write some great pages of the club’s history. Paris Saint-Germain is going to allow me to improve alongside some exceptional players with the hope of winning trophies and the hearts of the supporters.”
Despite such a fee, Marquinhos wasn’t immediately a key figure for PSG. He racked up 32 appearances in that first season, but his game time was threatened when David Luiz arrived from Chelsea in 2014.
There was no doubt about Marquinhos’ place in PSG’s project, though, which was confirmed with a one-year contract extension during the 2014-15 season.
PSG picked up trophies relentlessly, including a treble in 2014-15, but transfer speculation followed for Marquinhos.
Chelsea had two bids rejected with Marquinhos no more than a reserve to Luiz and Thiago Silva. Things eventually settled down, and Marquinhos’ ascended to first choice when Luiz was sold back to Chelsea in 2016-17.
Marquinhos was integral as PSG won league titles through the second half of the 2010s. He scored twice on PSG’s run to the 2020 Champions League final, and succeeded his long-time teammate Silva as club captain in September 2020.
- Corinthians (2011-13) – 14 appearances, no goals
- Roma (2012-13) – 30 appearances, no goals
- PSG (2013-present) – 338 appearances, 34 goals
International Career
Marquinhos was eligible for Portugal and Brazil. Despite representing Brazil at youth level, he said publicly that he was open to playing for Portugal.
After those comments, it didn’t take long for Marquinhos to earn a Brazil call-up. He made his debut in 2013 but was left out for the World Cup on home soil in 2014.
His first few years with the national team mirrored his situation at PSG, with Thiago Silva and David Luiz taking most of the minutes. Marquinhos was given a chance at the 2015 Copa America, though, and was named in the Olympic squad in 2016.
He captained his country for the first time in 2017, and was included in the 2018 World Cup squad. A year later, he played a pivotal role in Brazil’s Copa America triumph, winning the first silverware of his senior international career.
Style Of Play
Marquinhos’ role model is Thiago Silva. He has played with the Chelsea defender for club and country, and the impact Silva has had on his development is evident.
While primarily a central defender, Marquinhos has often been utilised at right-back or in central midfield. That versatility has helped him to earn minutes in a loaded PSG squad at times, and allowed room to further develop his skills on the ball.
It’s hard to pinpoint any weakness in his game. He’s quick off the mark and over longer distances. He anticipates well and possesses all the technical ability required in a modern central defender.
The comfort he has on the ball enables him to build attacks from defence, operating as a springboard for counters, too. Along with Nuno Mendes, Marquinhos is one of the most talented defensive-minded players in the Paris Saint-Germain squad.
His prowess at set pieces has been seen throughout his time at PSG, most notably in the Champions League. Marquinhos is only 6’0, but he’s got a great leap and has a knack for timing in aerial contests.
Marquinhos Honours
- Copa Libertadores – 2012
- Ligue 1 – 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20
- Coupe de France – 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21
- Coupe de Ligue – 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20
- South American Under-17 Championship – 2011
- Toulon Tournament – 2014
- Olympic Gold Medal – 2016
- Copa America – 2019
- Ligue 1 Team of the Year – 2017-18, 2018-19, 2020-21
- Champions League Squad of the Season – 2019-20, 2020-21
- Copa America Team of the Tournament – 2021