Richarlison

América Mineiro

Richarlison was born in Nova Venécia, Espírito Santo. He joined América Mineiro's youth setup in December 2014, from Real Noroeste. In June 2015, he was promoted to the first team by manager Givanildo Oliveira. He had previously been close to giving up on a career in football, having been rejected by several teams, and spent all his money on a 600-kilometre one-way ticket to Belo Horizonte for his trial. Richarlison made his professional debut on 4 July 2015 in a 3–1 home win against Mogi Mirim. After entering as a late substitute for Cristiano, he scored the last goal of the match. Seventeen days later, he extended his contract until 2018. On 21 November 2015, as América earned promotion to Campeonato Brasileiro Série A with a 1–1 home draw against Ceará, Richarlison was sent off at the end of the match for a foul on Charles.

Fluminense

On 29 December 2015, Richarlison signed a five-year contract with Série A club Fluminense. He made his debut on 13 May 2016 in the second leg of the second round of the Copa do Brasil, contributing to all of his team's goals in a 3–3 home draw (6–3 aggregate) against Ferroviaria. He made his league debut two days later, starting in a 1–0 away win against former club América. His first goal in the division came on 26 June, the winner in a 2–1 success against rivals Flamengo, a game in which he came on as a late substitute but was himself taken off injured. In the 2017 Campeonato Carioca, Richarlison scored…

Richarlison was selected in the Brazil under-20 squad for the 2017 South American U-20 Championship. He made eight appearances and scored two goals in the tournament. On 27 August 2018, he received his first call-up to the senior team by coach Tite, for friendlies against the United States and El Salvador, after Pedro withdrew injured. He made his debut against the Americans on 7 September at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, as a 75th-minute substitute for Roberto Firmino in a 2–0 win, and scored his first goals in the latter match four days later, netting twice in a 5–0 win. In May 2019, he was included in Brazil's 23-man squad for the 2019 Copa América on home soil. In the final against Peru on 7 July, at the Maracanã Stadium, Richarlison came off the bench in the second half and scored from the penalty spot, the final goal of a 3–1 victory. On 9 June 2021, Richarlison was named in the squad for the 2021 Copa América. He scored in a 4–0 group win over Peru as the team finished as runners-up. During the tournament, he also received a call-up for the 2020 Summer Olympics. He scored a hat-trick on his Olympics debut on 22 July, leading Brazil to a 4–2 victory over Germany. He finished the Olympics as top scorer with five goals, despite missing a penalty in the 2–1 final win over Spain.

In September 2022, Richarlison had a banana thrown at him, a form of racial abuse, as he was celebrating a goal during a friendly in Paris against Tunisia. Richarlison was named in the…

Richarlison is primarily deployed as a centre-forward, though he is also capable of playing as a left winger or second striker. He is noted for his strength, aerial ability and off-the-ball movement, frequently attacking crosses and operating inside the penalty area. Richarlison is also recognised for his defensive contribution, regularly pressing opposition defenders and tracking back when required. Previous managers such as Carlo Ancelotti and Ange Postecoglou have utilised Richarlison as a chaos agent to effectively disrupt backlines. His effectiveness is largely derived from positioning, anticipation, and intensity rather than creative playmaking; despite flaws in his game, his work rate has never been questioned. Following his heroics at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including winning the Goal of the Tournament, Richarlison earned positive comparisons to Ronaldo Nazário. Richarlison has gained a polarising reputation for his personality on and off the field. His on-field antics include drawing fouls, getting involved in scuffles and provocative celebrations while off the pitch. He has a strong presence on social media, often involving himself in meme culture and even controversies. He is also known for his distinctive "pigeon" goal celebration which has been featured in the FIFA series of video games.

Richarlison donates 10% of his salary to the Instituto Padre Roberto Lettieri, a home for cancer patients in Barretos, São Paulo state and also supports 100 families in his hometown. In November 2021, he called for his fellow professional footballers to take COVID-19 vaccines and ignore misinformation on the topic, citing the death of his first coach Sebastião José da Silva. Though he did not endorse any candidate or party in the 2022 Brazilian general election, he spoke out on social justice issues such as the environment, police violence and human rights. In March 2024, Richarlison said that he struggled with depression following Brazil's elimination from the 2022 World Cup, and even considered quitting football as a result; he sought counselling to help him cope with his poor mental health. He also urged other players to seek therapy for their struggles with mental illness. Richarlison has been in a relationship with Brazilian influencer Amanda Araujo since 2023. The couple have a child together, born on 15 June 2025. In 2026, Richarlison confirmed he had obtained British citizenship.