crystal Palace Forward Matheus Franca has reached the end of his Vasco da Gama loan today, and the Brazilian's verdict is clear: the move failed.
globo esporte It is reported that the 22-year-old has already been released by Vasco and is no longer training with the team.
His contract with the Rio club expires this Tuesday, June 30, bringing to an end a period that began with real enthusiasm and ended as a great disappointment.
From celebration to despair
Mattheus França arrived at Vasco on loan from Crystal Palace in August last year. At the time, the deal had strong support inside the club. The directors, coaching staff and supporters all saw him as a high-profile signing, even with his Flamengo background.
Expectations never translated into performance. França played 27 matches for Vasco. He started only four times and came off the bench 23 times. His only goal came in the Copa Sudamericana win over Audax Italiano, when he looked capable of briefly changing the narrative.
From that moment nothing else happened.
ran out of patience
Globo Esporte explains that the lack of rhythm and mental side of the situation Both of them put pressure on France in the beginning. Injuries in England had slowed his development even before the loan, and Vasco initially considered his adaptation to be natural.
Fernando Diniz, Renato Gaucho and club president Pedrinho all asked for patience at different points.
"You praised Matthias Franka a lot when he was signed, so we ask the supporters to support Matthias. He is a player with great potential." Pedrinho said in March.
Still, football never came consistently. Franca entered 2026 at the back of the line for the starting spot. Diniz still hoped for his recovery, but the plan failed. Despite the Flamengo connection, not much changed with the arrival of Renato Gaucho.
return to the palace
Matheus Franca was also not included in Vasco's squad for their final two Brazilian League matches. He played only three times in the league, always from the bench.
His exit also freed up space in Vasco's budget, as the club was covering 100% of one of the highest salaries in the team.
For Crystal Palace, the loan is now over with more questions than answers. Franca was sent back to Brazil to regain confidence, rhythm and attacking intensity.
Instead, he returns after a disappointing period, with little impact and no clear indication that his development has progressed.
🇪🇸Yeremy Pino | Test brings positive news for Crystal Palace star after injury fears https://t.co/yhvFncpS0f #cpfc
- Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) 30 June 2026
