Taison Barcellos Freda

Taison Barcellos Freda, known as Taison, is a Brazilian midfielder from Pelotas. He developed in Brazil and joined Internacional’s academy after impressing against the club as a teenager, making his senior debut in 2008. At Internacional, Taison helped win the Copa Sudamericana in 2008 and the Copa Libertadores in 2010. He then continued his career in Ukraine before joining Shakhtar Donetsk, where he became an influential attacking midfielder and left-sided player. With Shakhtar, Taison won six Ukrainian Premier League titles and five Ukrainian Cups, while his performances earned consecutive club Player of the Year awards in 2018/19 and 2019/20. He was called up by Brazil in 2016 and included in the 2018 FIFA World Cup squad. After returning to Internacional in 2021, Taison moved to PAOK in 2023 and helped the Greek club win the 2023/24 league title.