Talents Calendar
Brazil is a factory for world-class forwards and has produced the likes of Careca, Romário, Ronaldo, Adriano, and many more. Matheus Nascimento wants to be the next one on the list. The 17-year-old is the most promising forward talent in Brazil and has already worn the number 9 for the U15 and the U17 of the Seleção.
With a market value of €5 million, Matheus is at the top of a promising Brazilian generation that also includes Kaiky (Santos), Ângelo Gabriel (Santos), Vinicius Tobias (Internacional), Giovani (Palmeiras), Matheus França (Flamengo) and Emerson (Athletico). Some have already made their debut for the first teams of their respective clubs.
Gavi, Moukoko & Co.: The most valuable players born in 2004
Matheus’ first game was in September 2020 against Corinthians (2-2). The forward was 16 and six months old at the time. It was just for ten minutes but enough time to leave an impression and to become the youngest player to ever play for Botafogo in the Brasileirão. The league record is held by Ângelo Gabriel, who made his debut aged 15 and 10 months in Santos’ game against Fluminense (1-3) in October 2020. The two now play together for the Seleção. In April, Matheus scored his first goal for Botafogo in the Campeonato Carioca against Macaé (4-0).
Look and type of player: Matheus Nascimento, little Cavani in Brazil
In Brazil, it is typical to give players artist names and, like it is the case for Ronaldinho, often end in -inho. It is a minimization, to make a name smaller: little Ronaldo. That is also the case for Matheus. Because he looks like Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani the fans often call him Cavaninho. The long hair aside Matheus, like the Manchester United forward, is a fast and explosive forward with a strong finish. The striker scored one of his best goals in the U20 against São Paulo when he rounded his opponent with a single touch and then put it away with a clinical finish.
Despite a strong start, Matheus has not fulfilled his full potential in 2021. He played just 15 games and started five of them. After winning the second division, Botafogo has returned to the Série A and the club of Rio de Janeiro will have better options next year. Internally, the decision-makers believe that the forward will have an easier time in the first division than in the lower division because it is less physical and there is less pressure on him. But also the grounds are better and he will be surrounded by more talented players. Another aspect is that there are more spectators in the Série A to support him, which could push him to make the next step.
Clubs from Europe already scout Matheus. One club interested is Shakhtar Donetsk. The Ukrainian first division club has been investing in Brazilian talent for years and has previously signed players like Douglas Costa, Fernandinho, Willian, and Fred. All of them became stars later on. The last signing was Vinicius Tobias, a right-back from Internacional, who was signed for €6 million in February. The Ukrainian club has 13 Brazilians under contract and it would not be a surprise if Matheus would play there in the future as well.
From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2004. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.
