Richarlison · Biography

Richarlison de Andrade was born on 10 May 1997 in Nova Venécia, in the north of the Brazilian state of Espírito Santo. He came through the youth ranks at Real Noroeste, a local club where he played from 2013 to 2014. He is a right-footed centre-forward, 1.84 metres tall, who can also play on the left wing or as a second striker. His nickname is Pombo (“pigeon”). He played for América Mineiro, Fluminense, Watford and Everton before joining Tottenham Hotspur in 2022. With Brazil he won the 2019 Copa América and Olympic gold in Tokyo.

Youth football and América Mineiro

In December 2014 he left Espírito Santo to finish his development at América Mineiro in Belo Horizonte. He did not stay long in the youth setup. By 2015 he was in the first team, and he ended the year with 24 appearances and 9 goals. His form caught the attention of clubs in Rio de Janeiro, and on 29 December 2015 Fluminense announced his signing on a five-year contract.

Fluminense and the move to England

He quickly became a regular at Fluminense. The club won the Primeira Liga, an interregional Brazilian tournament, in 2016, and the Taça Guanabara in 2017. That year he was also named in the Campeonato Carioca team of the year. He played for Brazil’s under-20 side between 2016 and 2017. In August 2017 he joined Premier League club Watford on a five-year deal. He scored five league goals in his first season in England and was the only player in the squad to feature in every Premier League game of 2017-18.

Everton

On 24 July 2018 he signed a five-year contract with Everton. He scored twice on his competitive debut and was named the club’s Young Player of the Season for 2018-19. A year later he won Everton’s Player of the Season award for 2019-20. In December 2019 he extended his contract until 2024, and one of his strikes was voted the club’s Goal of the Season for 2020-21. In four years at Goodison Park he made more than 150 appearances and scored more than 50 goals in all competitions.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham announced his signing on 1 July 2022. He scored twice on his Champions League debut, against Olympique de Marseille in September 2022. He was part of the squad that won the 2024-25 Europa League. In August 2025 he scored both of his goals in the opening-day 3-0 win over Burnley, one of them a scissor kick. He finished the 2025-26 season as the club’s top scorer, with 12 goals in 43 appearances.

Playing style

He plays mainly as a centre-forward. He is strong, good in the air and makes sharp runs inside the penalty area. He also works hard without the ball, pressing defenders as they try to play out and tracking back. Several of his managers used his movement and constant pressing to unsettle opposition back lines. He celebrates his goals with a pigeon dance, a nod to his nickname.

Brazil national team

He made his senior debut in September 2018, coming off the bench in a 2-0 win over the United States. At the 2019 Copa América he missed several matches with mumps, but he came back to score a penalty, Brazil’s third goal, in the 3-1 final win over Peru. At the Tokyo Olympics he wore the number 10 shirt for the under-23 side. He scored a hat-trick against Germany in the opening match and two goals against Saudi Arabia, and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals. He missed a penalty in the final on 7 August 2021, but Brazil beat Spain 2-1 to take Olympic gold. That same summer he played all seven matches at the 2021 Copa América, where Brazil finished as runners-up. At the 2022 World Cup he scored both goals in the 2-0 opening win over Serbia. The second, a scissor-kick volley from a Vinícius Júnior cross, was voted Goal of the Tournament and made him a finalist for the 2023 Puskás Award. He scored again against South Korea in the round of 16, before Croatia knocked Brazil out on penalties in the quarter-finals. By October 2025 he had 54 caps and 20 goals for his country. In May 2026 he was left out of Brazil’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.