Diego Souza (footballer, born 1985)

Diego de Souza Andrade (born 17 June 1985), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a striker.

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is de Souza and the second or paternal family name is Andrade.
Diego Souza
Souza with São Paulo in 2018
Personal information
Full name Diego de Souza Andrade
Date of birth (1985-06-17) 17 June 1985
Place of birth Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Forward[1][2]
Team information
Current team
 Sport Recife
Youth career
2002–2003 Fluminense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005 Fluminense 60 (8)
2005–2007 Benfica 0 (0)
2005–2006 → Flamengo (loan) 35 (7)
2007 → Grêmio (loan) 64 (16)
2008–2010 Palmeiras 130 (34)
2010–2011 Atlético Mineiro 34 (5)
2011–2012 Vasco da Gama 87 (30)
2012 Al-Ittihad 5 (2)
2013 Cruzeiro 22 (7)
2013–2015 Metalist Kharkiv 19 (1)
2014–2015 → Sport Recife (loan) 78 (21)
2016 Fluminense 9 (4)
2016–2017 Sport Recife 95 (36)
2018–2019 São Paulo 59 (17)
2019 → Botafogo (loan) 41 (9)
2020–2023 Grêmio 155 (71)
2023– Sport Recife 1 (1)
International career‡
Brazil U17
2005 Brazil U20 2 (0)
2009–2017 Brazil 7 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:44, 16 September 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 January 2018

In a journeyman career, he played for ten clubs in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, including nine of the Big Twelve, having begun at Fluminense in 2003.[3] He also played for Sport Recife, where he was Série A top scorer in 2016.[4]

Souza also had brief spells in Portugal, Saudi Arabia and Ukraine. He earned seven caps for Brazil from his debut in 2009, scoring twice.

Club career

Early career

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Souza began playing club football for Fluminense in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. In May 2005, he signed a five-year deal with Portugal's Benfica. That July he was loaned to Fluminense's rivals Flamengo – the club he supported as a child – until May 2006, with his wages to be split between Benfica and Flamengo.[5]

Souza was loaned for the year 2007 to Grêmio. In May that year, Benfica set a fee of €4 million (R$11 million) if the move were to be made permanent.[6] In that year's Copa Libertadores, he scored in wins over compatriots São Paulo (quarter-final) and Santos (semi-final) as his team finished runners-up.[7][8]

Palmeiras

In 2008, he moved to Palmeiras (and partner) for €3.75M total fee.[9] He signed a contract until December 2011.[10] Co-currently, along with Lenny, Fluminense transferred its shares on both players' economic rights to Desportivo Brasil (owned by Traffic Group) as part of the deal, made Fluminense gained a profit of R$ 1,320 thousand and R$1,500 thousand respectively.[11] Both players were signed by Palmeiras as part of R$40 million partnership with Traffic, which Palmeiras only owned 10~20% of the rights of Diego.[12]

On 18 April 2009, he received a red card after an argument with Domingos during the state semi finals match against Santos. He later took Domingos down after coming back to the field.

Atlético Mineiro

On 30 June 2010, Atlético Mineiro's president Alexandre Kalil announced the signing of Souza.[13] After the transaction, the club from Belo Horizonte owned 70% of his economic rights and Traffic the rest, with the team having paid reported R$6.6 million (€2.2 million).[14]

Vasco da Gama

On 2 March 2011, Souza signed for Vasco da Gama on a four-year deal. The Rio-based club paid €1.5 million to Atlético who retained 17% of his economic rights, €500,000 to sportswear firm Penalty, and €1.2 million to Traffic.[15] He reached double figures in the national league for the first time with 11 goals, including a hat-trick on 25 September in a 3–0 win at Cruzeiro.[16] The team also won the Copa do Brasil for which he added three more, including one in each leg of a 3–1 aggregate win over Avaí.[17]

Al Ittihad / Cruzeiro

In July 2012, Souza moved back abroad to Al-Ittihad of the Saudi Professional League. He began legal action against the club in October due to unpaid wages.[18] Denied an exit visa from the Middle Eastern kingdom, he sought help from the Brazilian embassy in Riyadh in November.[19]

Cruzeiro signed Souza before the end of 2012, and the transfer was allowed to go through by the following February when FIFA denied an appeal by Al Ittihad.[20] He scored four goals as they came runners-up to his former team Atlético in the Campeonato Mineiro, including two in a 4–0 (5–0 aggregate) home win over Villa Nova in the semi-finals on 28 April.[21]

Metalist Kharkiv / Sport
Souza with Metalist Kharkiv in 2013

In July 2013, Souza moved to Metalist Kharkiv in Ukraine, for a fee of €4 million.[22] In January 2014, he wanted to return to Brazil to escape the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine.[23] A loan deal with Sport Recife was set in September 2014.[24]

At the end of 2015, Souza signed a three-year deal to return to Fluminense after over a decade away.[25] The following 22 March however, he returned to Sport on a deal until the end of 2017.[26] He finished the 2016 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A as one of three joint top scorers with 14 goals in 34 games, equalling a club record from 1984 and becoming only the third Série A top scorer from a northeastern club – the first since Bahia's Charles Fabian in 1990.[4]

Later career

On 7 January 2018, Souza signed for São Paulo on a two-year deal for a fee of R$10 million, with the club obtaining his full economic rights.[27] Seventeen days later, he netted his first goal to open a 2–0 victory against Mirassol in the 2018 Campeonato Paulista.[28] His only national campaign with the Tricolor yielded 12 goals, putting him third in the league's top scorers behind Santos' Gabriel Barbosa and Atlético Mineiro's Ricardo Oliveira.[29]

After losing his place at São Paulo, Souza transferred on 8 March 2019 to Botafogo. This was his 10th Série A club, his 9th of the Big Twelve, and made him the 17th player to represent all four Rio-based members of the latter.[30] His first Série A goal for the club came on 2 June as the only one of a home win against city rivals and former club Vasco.[31]

Souza's contract with Botafogo expired at the start of 2020, and he moved on a free transfer to Grêmio over a decade after leaving the club from Porto Alegre.[32] In the year's Campeonato Gaúcho, he was top scorer with 9 goals in 11 games as his team won the title, including one in the 3–2 aggregate final win over Caxias in August.[33] He scored 13 times in the national league season, four times in the Copa do Brasil and twice in the Copa Libertadores, to end the year as the top scorer in Brazilian football with 28, one more than Flamengo's Gabriel Barbosa.[34]

International career

Souza was part of the Brazil U-23 side in 2007 under coach Dunga. He was in the winning squad of Brazil U-17 at the 2001 South American Under 17 Football Championship in Peru. He played twice in 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship.

In September 2009, Souza was called up for the first time to the senior national team, by coach Dunga for a game against Chile in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.[35] He made his debut against Bolivia on 11 October in another qualifier, being replaced at half time by Alex Raphael Meschini in a 2–1 loss in La Paz; it was the nation's first defeat in 16 months.[36] He did not return to the team until 28 September 2011, when he came on as a 68th-minute substitute for Lucas Moura in a 2–0 win over Argentina in the Superclásico de las Américas.[37]

Following his first two caps, Souza had to wait over five years for another opportunity in January 2017, when Tite selected him for a friendly against Colombia based on his form for Sport Recife, and he retained his place for World Cup qualifiers that year.[38] On 13 June that year he scored his first international goals in a 4–0 win over Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in the eleventh second and in added time.[39]

Career statistics

Club
As of 16 September 2023[40]
Club Season League State League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Fluminense 2003 Série A 70——3[lower-alpha 1]0—100
2004 29312430——447
2005 408163——184
Subtotal 4032059330—7211
Benfica 2005–06 Primeira Liga 00————00
Flamengo (loan) 2005 Série A 215————215
2006 108230——122
Subtotal 2258230——337
Grêmio (loan) 2007 Série A 338166—12[lower-alpha 2]2—6116
Palmeiras 2008 Série A 33619541——5612
2009 349166—12[lower-alpha 2]4—6219
2010 0015771——228
Subtotal 67155018112124—14039
Atlético Mineiro 2010 Série A 285——4[lower-alpha 1]0—215
2011 0020———20
Subtotal 28520—40—345
Vasco da Gama 2011 Série A 321161935[lower-alpha 1]2—5217
2012 93166—9[lower-alpha 2]3—3412
Subtotal 411422793145—8629
Al-Ittihad 2012–13 Saudi Professional League 52—003[lower-alpha 3]1—83
Cruzeiro 2013 Série A 611244200—227
Metalist Kharkiv 2013–14 Ukrainian Premier League 191—222[lower-alpha 4]0—233
Sport Recife 2014 Série A 194——1[lower-alpha 1]0—204
2015 34994223[lower-alpha 1]010[lower-alpha 5]25817
Subtotal 53139422401057821
Fluminense 2016 Série A 008100—1[lower-alpha 6]394
Sport Recife 2016 Série A 3414—111[lower-alpha 1]04[lower-alpha 5]04015
2017 271163726[lower-alpha 1]19[lower-alpha 5]45521
Subtotal 61256383711349536
São Paulo 2018 Série A 3212133402[lower-alpha 1]1—5016
2019 0061002[lower-alpha 2]0—81
Subtotal 32121944041—5817
Botafogo (loan) 2019 Série A 29731204[lower-alpha 1]1—389
Grêmio 2020 Série A 25131196410[lower-alpha 2]2—5228
2021 311087309[lower-alpha 7]7—5124
2022 Série B 3214941100—4219
2023 Série A 008020——100
Subtotal 88373620125199—15571
Sport Recife 2023 Série B 11—00000011
Career total 51414921175662287212513913279
  1. Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana
  2. Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores
  3. Appearance(s) in AFC Champions League
  4. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
  5. Appearance(s) in Copa do Nordeste
  6. Appearance(s) in Primeira Liga
  7. Three appearances and four goals in Copa Libertadores, six appearances and three goals in Copa Sudamericana

International
As of 10 November 2017[41]
Brazil
YearAppsGoals
200910
201110
201752
Total72

International goals
Scores and results list Brazil's goal tally first.[41]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.13 June 2017Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia Australia
1–0
4–0Friendly
2.
4–0

Honours

Club
Fluminense
Flamengo
Grêmio
Palmeiras
Vasco da Gama
Sport
International

Individual

References
  1. Vickery, Tim. "Tite's Seleção entitled to dream of glory in Russia". The World Game. Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  2. Diego Souza Football Statistics, WhoScored.com
  3. "Diego Souza vai para o seu 10º clube no Brasil; relembre o desempenho" [Diego Souza goes to his 10th club in Brazil; relive the achievement] (in Portuguese). Terra. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  4. Zirpoli, Cassio (11 December 2016). "Diego Souza, o artilheiro do Brasileirão de 2016, escreve de vez o seu nome no Sport" [Diego Souza, the top scorer of the 2016 Brasileirão, writes his name in Sport]. Diário de Pernambuco (in Portuguese). Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  5. "Diego Souza: 'Sempre tive um amor especial pelo Flamengo'" [Diego Souza: 'I always had a special love for Flamengo'] (in Portuguese). Gazeta News. 29 July 2005. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  6. "Benfica pede alto por Diego Souza" [Benfica ask a high price for Diego Souza] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 19 May 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  7. "Grêmio elimina 'favorito' São Paulo e avança na Libertadores" [Grêmio eliminate 'favourite' São Paulo and advanced in the Libertadores] (in Portuguese). UOL. 9 May 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  8. Thadeu, Bruno (6 June 2007). "Grêmio perde na Vila, mas chega à final da Libertadores" [Grêmio lose in the Vila, but reach the Libertadores final] (in Portuguese). UOL. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  9. Palmeiras anuncia Diego Souza. (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 12 January 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
  10. "Diego Souza acerta com o Palmeiras". Palmeiras (in Portuguese). 11 January 2008. Archived from the original on 15 January 2008. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  11. "Balanço Patrimonial de 2008". Fluminense FC (in Portuguese). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  12. Costa, Juliano (7 January 2008). "Palmeiras acerta a contratação do meia Diego Souza". Jornal da Tarde. Archived from the original on 25 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  13. "Alexandre Kalil anuncia a contratação de Diego Souza pelo Atlético-MG" [Alexandre Kalil announces the signing of Diego Souza for Atlético-MG] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  14. "Vasco quer Diego Souza, mas Atlético-MG pede muito alto" [Vasco want Diego Souza, but Atlético-MG are asking for a very high fee] (in Portuguese). Terra Brasil. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  15. Huber, Fred (2 March 2011). "Diego Souza é confirmado como o novo camisa 10 do Vasco" [Diego Souza is confirmed as Vasco's new number 10] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  16. "Diego Souza dá show, faz 3, Vasco afunda Cruzeiro e segue líder" [Diego Souza puts on a show, scores 3, Vasco sink Cruzeiro and continue as leaders] (in Portuguese). Terra. 25 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  17. "Em noite de Diego Souza, Vasco passa pelo Avaí e vai à final da Copa do Brasil" [On Diego Souza's night, Vasco surpass Avaí and reach the Copa do Brasil final] (in Portuguese). Aqui Acontece. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  18. "Sem receber salários, Diego Souza tenta liberação imediata do Al Ittihad" [Having not received salary, Diego Souza attempts immediate release from Al Ittihad] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 31 October 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  19. "Governo entra em ação para tentar tirar Diego Souza da Arábia Saudita, diz jornal" [Government begins action in attempt to get Diego Souza out of Saudi Arabia, says newspaper] (in Portuguese). UOL. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  20. Trindade, Bruno (12 February 2013). "Fifa libera Diego Souza para jogar pelo Cruzeiro" [FIFA free Diego Souza to play for Cruzeiro]. O Tempo (in Portuguese).
  21. "Com Diego Souza e Éverton Ribeiro inspirados, Cruzeiro goleia Villa Nova e põe um pé na final do Mineiro" [With inspired Diego Souza and Éverton Ribeiro, Cruzeiro thrash Villa Nova and put a foot in the Mineiro final] (in Portuguese). ESPN. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  22. "Cruzeiro's Diego Souza set to join Metalist". Sambafoot. 13 July 2013.
  23. "Diego Souza revela que vai voltar ao Vasco e não pensa em Seleção". estadiovip.com. 10 January 2014. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  24. "Sport deve esvaziar departamento médico nesta segunda e Diego Souza fica perto da volta". superesportes.com.br. 12 September 2014.
  25. "Confirmado: Diego Souza assina e será o camisa 10 do Flu em 2016" [Confirmed: Diego Souza signs and will be Flu's number 10 in 2016] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  26. "Sport confirma meia Diego Souza: "Embaixador de 87 está de volta"" [Sport confirm midfielder Diego Souza: "Ambassador of 87 is back"] (in Portuguese). 22 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  27. "São Paulo oficializa contratação de Diego Souza por duas temporadas" [São Paulo confirm signing of Diego Souza for two seasons]. Gazeta Esportiva (in Portuguese). 7 January 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  28. Gossi, Bruno (24 January 2018). "Diego Souza marca, São Paulo desencanta e vence a primeira no Paulistão" [Diego Souza scores, São Paulo break the hex and win for the first time in the Paulistão] (in Portuguese). UOL. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  29. "Diego Souza termina temporada como artilheiro do São Paulo" [Diego Souza ends season as São Paulo's top scorer]. Gazeta Esportiva (in Portuguese). 2 December 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  30. "Botafogo oficializa Diego Souza, que agora tem passagem por 9 dos 12 grandes do país" [Botafogo confirm Diego Souza, who has now had a spell at 9 of the country's Big 12] (in Portuguese). Goal. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  31. "Diego Souza marca e Botafogo amplia a crise no Vasco" [Diego Souza scores and Botafogo add to Vasco's crisis] (in Portuguese). Paraná Portal. 2 June 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  32. Rech, Maicon (28 January 2020). "De volta pra casa: Diego Souza é do Grêmio" [Back home: Diego Souza is a Grêmio player] (in Portuguese). Leouve. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  33. Moura, Eduardo (31 August 2020). "Diego Souza cumpre "obrigação" com artilharia do Gauchão e se diz privilegiado por jogar no Grêmio" [Diego Souza completes "obligation" as top scorer in the Gauchão and says he is privileged to play for Grêmio] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  34. Rodrigues, Rodolfo (8 March 2021). "Diego Souza supera Gabigol e termina como artilheiro do Brasil em 2020" [Diego Souza surpasses Gabigol and finishes as the top scorer in Brazil in 2020] (in Portuguese). UOL. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  35. Padeiro, Carlos (7 September 2009). "Dunga chama André Dias, Cleiton Xavier, Diego Souza e Diego Tardelli" [Dunga calls up André Dias, Cleiton Xavier, Diego Souza and Diego Tardelli] (in Portuguese). UOL. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  36. "Brasil perde para Bolívia e vê cair por terra uma invencibilidade de 16 meses" [Brazil lose against Bolivia and see 16 months of invincibility fall to the ground]. Gazeta do Povo (in Portuguese). 11 October 2009. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  37. "Brasil vence Argentina em 28 de setembro de 2011" [Brazil defeat Argentina on 28 September 2011] (in Portuguese). Brazilian Football Confederation. 28 September 2011. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  38. Vickery, Tim (3 March 2017). "Brazil call-up for Diego Souza is curious, but Tite knows what he's doing". ESPN FC. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  39. "Diego Souza at the double as Brazil down Australia". Eurosport. 13 June 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  40. "Diego Souza". Soccerway. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  41. "Diego Souza". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  42. "Hexacampeão, São Paulo domina também o Prêmio Craque Brasileirão" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
  43. "Hexacampeão, Flamengo recebe troféu de campeão nacional" (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 8 December 2009. Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  44. "Os eleitos do Prêmio Craque do Brasileirão!" (in Portuguese). Lance!. 6 December 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  45. "Artilharia - Campeonato Brasileiro de Futebol - Série A 2016" (in Portuguese). Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF). 4 April 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
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