We can’t get over the batsh*t Brazilian Serie A top scorers chart: Hulk, Suarez…
The Brazilian Serie A always seems to deliver on the entertainment front and you won’t believe some of the names who make it into the top 10 scorers chart for 2023.
Unlike the majority of European leagues that run from August to May, the Brazilian Serie A runs throughout a calendar year from April to December.
As we now head into the tail end of the 2023 campaign, we thought we’d check in on the top 10 scorers and a few familiar faces make their way onto the list.
Note: when players are tied on the same number of goals we have ranked them by their goals per 90 record.
10. Roger Guedes – 7 goals
Despite leaving Corinthians in the summer, Guedes still makes his way into the top 10 with seven goals in the first half of the 2023 campaign. The Brazilian forward was scooped up by Qatari side Al-Rayyan in August where he now plays alongside former Leeds United man Rodrigo.
9. Pablo Vegetti – 7 goals
The 34-year-old had spent the majority of his career playing in Argentina and he’s enjoyed a prolific spell with Vasco da Gama since joining the Brazilian side on loan in August.
8. Luis Suarez – 9 goals
You’ll be pleased to know that Suarez is still a massive shithouse, even in his later years now playing for Gremio. The 36-year-old is undoubtedly one of the best strikers of his generation and still knows a thing or two about finding the back of the net.
Rumours relating to his future are currently rife as he will soon enter into the final year of his contract with Gremio. A potential reunion with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami could even be on the cards for 2024. We’d sure love to see Suarez’s antics in MLS.
Luis Suarez. Still got it.pic.twitter.com/NbGiqmnaWS
— Planet Football (@planetfutebol) October 9, 2023
7. Jonathan Calleri – 9 goals
Premier League fans might remember Calleri from an unremarkable loan spell he had with West Ham back in 2016–17. The Argentine forward only scored one goal during his spell with the Hammers, although he did have some success in La Liga with Las Palmas and Alaves.
After spending several seasons on loan in Europe, Calleri eventually returned to South America in 2021. Now playing for Sao Paulo, he’s scored nine league goals during this campaign.
6. Hulk – 10 goals
Remember Hulk? The former Porto and Zenit Saint Petersburg star has been going strong in his native country of Brazil since 2021. The 37-year-old has 89 goals in just 162 matches for Atletico Mineiro which is an absolutely insane return.
He’s scored 10 goals in the league this year, but he’s been even more prolific in the cup competitions as he has 25 goals across all competitions. He sure knows how to hit a free-kick too.
HULK 🤯 pic.twitter.com/gt6Iqvu8ap
— Planet Football (@planetfutebol) August 7, 2023
5. Deyverson – 10 goals
The Brazilian forward has had spells playing in Portugal, Spain and Germany and now turns out for Cuiaba on a weekly basis. Prior to this season, Deyverson had never hit double figures in the league, but he’s achieved that feat this year with 10 goals.
4. Paulinho – 11 goals
Paulinho joined Atletico Mineiro on loan at the start of the season, before making the deal permanent in July. The 23-year-old spent four years with Bayer Leverkusen, but he struggled to nail down a consistent spot following his €20million move in 2018.
Despite not living up to the hype in the Bundesliga, Paulinho has found some success back in his native country. Who knows, maybe a return to Europe could be on the cards one day.
3. Vitor Roque – 11 goals
The 18-year-old forward is one of the brightest prospects emerging from Brazil right now. In July, Barcelona managed to strike an agreement with the Athletico Paranaense youngster who is set to join the La Liga outfit ahead of the 2024–25 season.
One quick glance over his highlight reel for the season and you’ll see exactly why the Barcelona fans are so excited to get him on board. The Catalan club will reportedly pay €40million for his services and sporting director Deco can’t wait to get the youngster on board.
“What stands out is his ability to score goals at such a young age. This is something important in a club that wants to be a winner like Barcelona,” Deco told reporters.
“But also the physical ability to move around the area. He is a player who understands the game a lot. In short spaces, he can find solutions to get out and score goals. I think it’s a bit of this mix that made us bet on him.”
READ: 7 wonderkids in South America that are destined to become superstars
2. Marcos Leonardo – 12 goals
A fellow Brazilian wonderkid who has been tipped to make it at the very top is Santos forward Leonardo. The 20-year-old has already scored 53 goals for Santos across 157 appearances across all competitions.
The likes of Arsenal and Man Utd have been linked with the forward of late and we don’t think it will be long until he’s playing in Europe. With 12 league goals so far, he’s not far away from the top spot.
1. Tiquinho Soares – 15 goals
Leading the race for the Golden Boot is Botafogo forward Soares who has 15 goals so far. It’s looking like it could be one hell of a year for the 32-year-old too as Botafogo currently hold a nine-point lead at the top of the table.
Soares already has one Golden Boot in the bag this year as he finished as the top scorer in the Copa do Brasil. With another prize likely to be on the way, this year has undoubtedly been one of the best in his career so far.
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