Al-Ittihad midfielder was Carlo Ancelotti's big surprise in Brazil squad call-up list
Leaving the spotlight of Europe's top five leagues and a transfer to Asian football can mean for a player the end of a chance with the Brazil national team, but Fabinho has shown that this is possible. The midfielder, who has been at Al-Ittihad for two years, was called up by Carlo Ancelotti for the November international break.
It is the 32-year-old player's first call-up since the end of the 2022 World Cup, still under Tite's command. In the middle of the following year, he left Liverpool, where he experienced the best moments of his career with English and European titles, and arrived in Saudi football in the country's first major transfer window.
Trivela spoke with the Central do Arabao profile from social network X (formerly Twitter), a reference among Brazilians in Saudi Pro League coverage, to understand how Fabinho's two seasons and the start of the current one have been and how he has been performing there.
Fabinho was key piece in Al-Ittihad's title
Fabinho of Al-Ittihad in action
Even though the Brazilian arrived at Al-Ittihad, then national champions, as the biggest signing in the club's history (a year later surpassed by Diaby) along with Benzema and Kante, the team disappointed and finished fifth, 42 points behind champions Al-Hilal.
Fabinho also did not have a great first year, suffering from external problems that caused the dismissal of Nuno Espirito Santo and Marcelo Gallardo and also having an injury that kept him out of the final stretch of 2023-24. The following season, however, saw his peak in the country under Laurent Blanc's command.
Alongside Kante in midfield, the defensive midfielder was a key piece in the team that only lost three times in the last Saudi Championship, playing in 32 of 34 rounds. The Tiger, as the black and yellow team is known, played under Blanc in a 4-2-3-1, with Houssem Aouar as the most advanced midfielder and close to Benzema.
"He was one of the main midfielders of last season and formed a great partnership with Kante, dictating the rhythm of Ittihad's midfield. He was impeccable. The team, which would become champions of the King's Cup and the Saudi Pro League, maintained a highly consistent level throughout the year, as the tactical functioning of midfield went through the duo," he analysed.
Defensively, Fabinho made 84 tackles, the fifth best in the entire league, 39 interceptions and 60 clearances. He also shone in the team's build-up, with 83 successful long balls and as the fifth who completed most passes in the competition (1,891).
Why former Liverpool man returned to Brazil squad
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti on September 4, 2025
With the change of command in 2025-26 to Sergio Conceicao, added to a "hangover", as Central do Arabao defined it, Ittihad, along with the Brazilian player, have been inconsistent and are only seventh in the league.
"It is not exactly a bad moment [for the player], but he is well below the high level he presented in the previous season. I believe this is due to the start of the season and a certain 'hangover' after the super season of 24-25. Practically the entire Ittihad team started below par. In addition, there is the question of adaptation to the new system, with new manager Sergio Conceicao. I believe it is just a matter of time until he returns to best form," he completed.
Fabinho in Saudi football:
2025-26: 13 matches (13 as starter)
2024-25: 37 matches (37)
2023-24: 30 matches (28)
Saudi Arabia's championship is not among the best in the world and the Al-Ittihad player's call-up causes questioning from some supporters, with some mentioning that, in the same position, Ancelotti could have called up Andre and Joao Gomes from Wolverhampton, Ederson from Atalanta, or some name from Brazilian football.
Fabinho's inclusion is linked to his characteristics and how they resemble those of Casemiro, who has become the owner of midfield since the Italian's arrival at the national team.
"I want to find a profile that can fit Casemiro's characteristics. We have very good midfielders. I believe Fabinho has these characteristics, knowledge of the position and experience. He has already played at a very high level in Europe," explained the manager.
It seems to have been a direct indication from the starter in the role himself, as last month, when asked if he was irreplaceable in Brazil, he mentioned the Ittihad midfielder. "If I were to mention a name with similar characteristics, I would mention Fabinho, who is in the Arab world but has a similar playing style," he said at a press conference.
In Saudi Arabia, the Brazilian midfielder has not changed much from what he showed at Liverpool. He remains a defensive midfielder with good covering ability. "The Fabinho everyone knows," Central do Arabao analysed.
"Tactically he is a number five, sometimes a number eight, not very different from what he performed throughout his career. He provides good defensive cover and has excellent reading of the game. He is the one who sweeps the spaces in front of defence, with tackles, recoveries and good anticipation. He drops to form the low block and helps in the connection between defence and attack," he concluded.
This article was originally published on Trivela.
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