Júnior Moraes

Start and Brazilian period

Moraes was promoted to the senior team of Santos by coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo at the age of 18. He then scored a goal in the 2007 Campeonato Paulista final between Santos and São Caetano, helping his side to the title.

Debut in Europe and Gloria Bistrița

Moraes made an impressive debut in Liga I for Gloria Bistrița, scoring 10 goals in 17 appearances. However, the club itself struggled placing only 11. His good run continued in the first part of the 2010–11 Liga I season as he accumulated 8 goals for 2010-11 season and a total of 18 goals for Gloria Bistrița in both seasons of the Romanian football championship. Placing only 14 among 18 clubs, Gloria Bistrița were denied a licence for the next 2011–12 season because of accumulated debt and were therefore relegated to Liga II.

CSKA Sofia and Metalurh Donetsk

Facing financial crisis on 12 February 2011, Gloria Bistrița announced that Moraes was sold to Ukrainian Premier League squad Metalurh Donetsk, for a reported fee of €1.25 million. However, Moraes never played a game for Metalurh before he rejoined the team in the summer of 2012. Before 2011–12 season Moraes joined Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia. He made his A Group debut on 12 September 2011 in a 3–0 home win over Lokomotiv Plovdiv, scoring a penalty. On 2 October, Moraes scored twice in a 3–0 away win over Svetkavitsa. He scored a hattrick versus Litex Lovech on 19 May. Moraes eventually finished the 2011–12 A Group…

Moraes indicated that he would be likely to accept a call-up for Ukraine national team if asked. On 5 March 2019, Ukrainian journalist announced that Moraes has already filed for citizenship and awaits approval. Right before the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying, it was announced that he received Ukrainian citizenship 13 days later by a decree of President Petro Poroshenko and made his debut as a substituted player in the drawn match against Portugal national team on 22 March 2019. He became the third Brazilian to have been capped for Ukraine after Edmar and Marlos, who made their debut in 2011 and 2017, respectively. Soon after receiving his naturalization, Júnior Moraes became in the middle of international scandal connected with the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying. Following the bleak performance of the Portugal national team in the opening match against Ukraine and loss of the Luxembourg national team from Ukraine in the following round of the tournament, one of the Portuguese media (Mais futebol) came out with an article questioning legality of the Moraes's naturalization. In his article the "Mais futebol" deputy director Sérgio Pereira argued that not only Júnior Moraes does not have any kinship to Ukraine, but he did not even live in Ukraine for the required period of time.

Club

International

As of match played 31 March 2021

International goals

Scores and results list Ukraine's goal tally first. Score column indicates score after each Moraes goal.

Club

Santos

Campeonato Paulista: 2007 CSKA Sofia

Bulgarian Supercup: 2011 Dynamo Kyiv

Ukrainian Premier League: 2015–16 Ukrainian Super Cup: 2016 Shakhtar Donetsk

Ukrainian Premier League: 2018–19, 2019–20 Ukrainian Cup: 2018–19

Individual

A PFG Player of the Year: 2011–12 A PFG Top Scorer: 2011-12 (16 goals) Ukrainian Premier League Top Scorer: 2018–19 (19 goals), 2019–20 (20 goals), Ukrainian Premier League Best goalscorer: 2019-20