Matheus Nascimento de Paula

Matheus Nascimento is a Brazilian forward whose development began in Niterói before he joined Botafogo’s academy at 11. He progressed through Botafogo’s youth ranks and reportedly scored more than 150 goals across the age groups. On 6 September 2020, Nascimento made his professional debut against Corinthians at 16, becoming Botafogo’s youngest senior player. He stayed with the club after its relegation and was part of the side that won the 2021 Série B title and returned to Brazil’s top flight. Nascimento later moved into the Gremio setup, continuing a career that began with unusually early senior exposure. Internationally, he represented Brazil at youth level and won gold with the under-23 team at the 2023 Pan American Games. As a centre-forward, Matheus Nascimento combines penalty-area instincts with dropping movements that help him connect play, while continuing to develop his final-third decisions.