Junior Walter Messias

Junior Walter Messias is a Brazilian forward born in Belo Horizonte on 13 May 1991. After leaving Cruzeiro and playing in Brazil’s lower tiers, he moved to Turin in 2011, where he worked various jobs while continuing to play amateur football. In 2015, former Torino player Ezio Rossi helped him join Casale, beginning a rise through Italy’s lower divisions. Messias later represented Chieri before moving to Gozzano, helping the club secure promotion to Serie C and making his professional debut at 27. In 2019, he joined Crotone and contributed to their promotion to Serie A, where he made his top-flight debut at 29. AC Milan signed Junior Messias in 2021, and he won the 2021–22 Serie A title while scoring a late Champions League winner against Atlético Madrid. He subsequently moved to Genoa, continuing his career as a versatile attacking player.