From mason assistant to Brazil national team, the incredible rise of Igor Thiago

Staff Report: PNN

Stories of rising from poverty and struggle to world football are not new. Many Latin American footballers like Pelé, Diego Maradona, and Luis Suárez have similar backgrounds. Now, Brazilian forward Igor Thiago has joined that list.

After losing his father in childhood, Thiago had to take responsibility for his family. Along with football training, he worked various jobs for survival, including mason assistant, fruit shop worker, delivery man, and car cleaner. Despite hardship, he never gave up on football.

Born in Paraná, Brazil, his football journey began at the local level. From childhood, he loved playing football in the streets and home yards. He was first noticed in a tournament organized by a local NGO, through former footballer Tico, who helped him join a small club named Verê.

Leaving his family and moving to a new city was not easy. However, he quickly proved his talent and hard work. In 2018, he became the top scorer in the Paraná U-17 tournament, which brought him into the spotlight. Later, he joined the U-20 team and attracted scouts from Cruzeiro.

Although he started his professional career at Cruzeiro, he initially struggled mentally due to pressure, expectations, and being away from family. Later, he moved to Europe.

He played for Ludogorets in Bulgaria, Club Brugge in Belgium, and later joined Brentford in the English Premier League in 2024 on a big contract.

In his second Premier League season, he has performed brilliantly, scoring 22 goals this season. He is currently second only to Erling Haaland in the goal-scoring chart.

In March, he received his first call-up to the Brazil national team and has already scored for the national side. His next big target is to prove himself on the World Cup stage.