Confiança squad for 2027: contracts, loan returns and the SAF decisions still pending

Updated August 31, 2026. Confiança's 2027 squad is not finalized yet — and the public data available does not justify turning the 2026 roster into an automatic list of “who stays.” The strongest confirmed point is that Valdir Júnior is under contract with Confiança through the end of 2027. By contrast, several players joined on loan for 2026, others were publicly announced only for the current season, and some situations have already ended through termination, return to the parent club or transfer.

This distinction became even more important after the SAF said on August 30 that it had started a “deep review” of the professional football process for 2027. Planning now covers the Sergipe State Championship, Copa do Nordeste, Copa do Brasil and Série D. The useful question, therefore, is not simply “who was in the 2026 squad?” but who belongs to Confiança, who is on loan, whose deadline is known and which contractual decision is still pending.

Short answer: who can already be treated as a Confiança player for 2027?

Among the senior-squad names for whom a contract duration was publicly located in this research, Valdir Júnior is the confirmed case extending into 2027. Before he was loaned to Atlético-GO in 2025, Confiança said it had renewed the right-back's contract through the end of 2027. That loan was later ended early and he returned for the 2026 season.

This does not mean Valdir is the only player who may have an internal contract for 2027. It means that, in the public sources checked through August 31, he is the case in which a post-2026 expiry is clearly stated and attributed to the club. Other agreements may exist without detailed disclosure. For that reason, players announced only “for the 2026 season” are not treated here as automatically renewed.

Auditable table: ownership, loan status and the 2027 reading

How to read the table: club announcements and local reporting are used to confirm the nature of an operation; market databases are used only when they add a deadline that was not publicly disclosed. Where information is missing or inconsistent, the status is marked as pending rather than converted into certainty.

Players already out who should not appear as 2027 “holdovers”

Three cases help clean up the list before the SAF review is even completed. Goalkeeper Rafael Pascoal and forward Pedro Felipe had their terminations published in the BID before the final Série C round. Pedro Felipe had been on loan from Noroeste. Both should therefore be treated as confirmed August exits.

Centre-back Lucas Cunha, also owned by Noroeste, had his loan ended early on July 29 and returned to the São Paulo club for injury treatment. Forward Wendel, meanwhile, was transferred to Hoang Anh Gia Lai in Vietnam on July 1. These names should not be placed in the group of players to renew for 2027 as though their 2026 relationship were still active.

Who returns to Confiança from loan?

The clearest public case at the end of August is Sassá. Nacional-AM announced his arrival on loan from Confiança and said the deal would run through the end of Nacional's national campaign. On August 31, Nacional still had a Série D match scheduled for September 3, so the contractual return had not yet taken place.

Adryan requires more caution. In April, Confiança announced his loan to Coimbra. Later, CBF data began listing him with Desportiva Aracaju. Without disclosure of the newer instrument and without a clear term, it would be careless to write simply “returns in December.” The SAF first needs to identify the current underlying contract and whether a mandatory return exists.

Renan is another example of why “loaned out by Confiança” is not the same as “owned by Confiança.” The market database checked identifies him as an Avaí player who had been on loan with the Dragão. The April report records his departure on loan, and CBF now lists him at Desportiva Aracaju. The safe editorial conclusion is that he should not be presented as a Confiança-owned 2027 asset without documentary confirmation.

Players borrowed for 2026 do not automatically form the 2027 squad

A meaningful share of the group was built with temporary loans. PK, João Pedro, Matheus Julião, Gabriel Zeca, João Fernandes, Breyner Camilo and Enzo Rocha all have an identified parent club in the sources. The practical consequence is straightforward: the end of the season does not create an automatic renewal. To keep them, the SAF must exercise an option where one exists, negotiate a new loan or sign the player permanently.

With PK, a purchase option was publicly disclosed. That creates a concrete decision: compare cost, performance, Série D suitability and financial planning before the loan ends. João Pedro was signed permanently by Londrina through 2027 and then loaned to Confiança, so any stay requires a fresh negotiation with the Paraná club. For Matheus Julião and Gabriel Zeca, market databases also show longer contracts with their owners, reinforcing that 2027 does not automatically belong to Confiança.

What about players announced “for 2026” without a public term?

The 2026 list includes several players whose public presentation confirms participation in the season but does not reveal the full contract duration. CBF still registers names such as Matheus Emiliano, Ícaro, Eduardo Moura, Mateus Ludke, Marcelo, Guilherme Nunes, Lorran, Fabrício Oya, Danielzinho, Iago and Maikon Aquino with Confiança in 2026 competitions. That proves registration and participation in the current cycle; it does not, by itself, prove a contract valid in 2027.

This is where a roster based only on “who is on the team page” can mislead. To become a 2027 list, each name needs at least one of these pieces of evidence: a contract term extending into 2027, a renewal announcement, a new agreement, an exercised option, or official confirmation of a loan return with an active underlying contract.

Which contract decisions should the SAF resolve first?

1. Separate owned players from loanees. The first internal sheet needs to distinguish who belongs to Confiança, who belongs to another club and who is currently loaned out.
2. Confirm contracts ending in 2026. A missing public term does not mean the player is free, but it does mean the SAF must quickly define renewals, releases or renegotiations.
3. Decide purchase options. PK is the explicitly disclosed case; other agreements may contain clauses that were never made public.
4. Map loan returns. Sassá is the clearest return; Adryan's current contractual chain must be updated before drawing a conclusion.
5. Do not automatically carry over the cost of a Série C roster. Série D in 2027 changes the competitive level, calendar and roster-building logic. Retention should be a sporting and financial decision, not contractual inertia.

What is fact and what is still a hypothesis?

• Fact: the SAF announced a football review and 2027 planning after relegation.
• Fact: Valdir Júnior's Confiança contract was renewed through the end of 2027.
• Fact: several 2026 players are or were at the club on loan and require a new deal to stay.
• Fact: Rafael Pascoal, Pedro Felipe, Lucas Cunha and Wendel already had their exit situations defined during 2026.
• Not proven: that every other player registered by Confiança in 2026 reaches the end of his contract in December.
• Not proven: that every player returning from loan will be used in 2027.
• Not proven: that the absence of a public announcement means there is no 2027 contract.

So what is Confiança's 2027 squad today?

The rigorous answer today is: there is no closed public list yet. Valdir Júnior is the post-2026 tie clearly confirmed in the sources reviewed. There are loan returns and temporary deals to process, 2026 contracts whose terms need confirmation, and players borrowed from other clubs who will stay only through a new operation.

That is why the SAF's announced “deep review” is not just a performance evaluation. It also needs to be a contract audit: player → owner → agreement type → expiry date → loan → option → 2027 decision. Until the club announces renewals, terminations and returns, any broader list should be treated as provisional, with a source and date on every line.

Main sources

• ge — Confiança SAF starts its 2027 review (Aug 30, 2026)
• CBF — Confiança registrations in 2026 Série C
• ge — Valdir Júnior renewal through 2027 (Jul 13, 2025)
• ge — Volta Redonda loan contracts, including PK (Aug 25, 2026)
• Transfermarkt — squad and public market deadlines, used only as a secondary source