 Piazon withChelsea in 2012 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lucas Domingues Piazon[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1994-01-20)20 January 1994 (age 31)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | São Paulo, Brazil | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position | Winger | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Wieczysta Kraków | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 12 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2006 | Coritiba | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | Atlético Paranaense | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2011 | São Paulo | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Chelsea | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2021 | Chelsea | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | →Málaga (loan) | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | →Vitesse (loan) | 29 | (11) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | →Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) | 22 | (2) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | →Reading (loan) | 23 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | →Fulham (loan) | 51 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019 | →Chievo (loan) | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | →Rio Ave (loan) | 27 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Braga | 30 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | →Botafogo (loan) | 29 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | AVS | 30 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2025– | Wieczysta Kraków | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Brazil U15 | 7 | (10) | ||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Brazil U17 | 15 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Brazil U20 | 3 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2015 | Brazil U23 | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 10:33, 14 November 2025 (UTC) | |||||||||||||||||
Lucas Domingues Piazon (born on 20 January 1994) is a Brazilian professionalfootballer who plays forI liga clubWieczysta Kraków. A versatile player, he can play as asecond striker,winger, or as anattacking midfielder.[4]
Piazon spent a decade at EnglishPremier League clubChelsea, though he rarely played for them, having played only appeared three times for the side (one in the Premier League), and was loaned to seven different clubs in six countries.[5]
Piazon was born inSão Paulo, to António Carlos Piazon, a commercial representative, and Marizabel Domingues, a lawyer. He had a financially secure upbringing that allowed him to focus on both school and football at the same time. Both of Piazon's parents took an active role in his career. He grew up with his sister Juliana, who is three years younger than him[6] and was aChelsea supporter from an early age, aspiring to play for them some day.[7][8]
When he was young, Piazon's family moved toParaná. Piazon's football skills began to blossom at the age of eight. He developed an interest infutsal (indoor football) like other Brazilian men's footballers (such asZico andRonaldinho). He began playing forCoritiba. At the age of 11, Piazon made the switch fromindoor to the field.
Piazon began his professional career withCoritiba. He made an impression with them becoming top scorer in every youth tournament he appeared in. In 2007, he moved to neighbouring club,Atlético Paranaense. He again turned out, as Atlético reached the finals of the U-15 Copa do Brasil in 2008, which they eventually lost toSão Paulo. São Paulo became very impressed with his performance and made an offer. At the age of 14, Piazon left his family behind in Curitiba and joined São Paulo. In May, he began to attract the attention of international scouts when he helped guide São Paulo through the Brazilian qualifiers for thePremier Cup (Nike Cup). It was around this time that he was also called up by Brazil's U-15s. In August, São Paulo travelled to Manchester for the Premier Cup finals. In the Group stage, Piazon scored in the 3–0 win versusManchester United. São Paulo then went on to beatWerder Bremen in the final match.
In early 2011, Chelsea secured the services of Piazon by means of a pre-contract, having to fight off the interest from a number of the world's leading clubs, including Italian teamJuventus.[9] On 15 March 2011, São Paulo announced that Piazon could only play for the Chelsea senior team after 20 January 2012 when he became eligible to obtain a work visa, but he would join in the 2011 summer transfer window. Chelsea announced ten days later with Piazon passing a medical in London in early March 2011. It was reported that Chelsea paid in the region of£5 million to acquire Piazon, which could rise to £10 million depending on several clauses.[10][11] He was transferred to Chelsea during the 2011 summer transfer window and started playing for the reserves.[12] In an interview, he stated, "[I chose Chelsea because] I like thePremier League. I think my way of playing and my skills are more suited to the Premier League."[13]
Piazon made his debut for the reserve team againstFulham, thereafter saying, "I am able to play in the Youth Cup now. Everybody knows I am here to play, so my main aims for the season are to play as many youth games as possible and hopefully feature in the reserves as well, and I want to win the Youth Cup." He also stated, "I am enjoying the company ofRamires,Alex and, of course,David Luiz is my best friend here. He is so funny and always joking so it's nice."[14] Piazon scored his first reserve goal in an away victory againstArsenal, just before full-time with a solo effort, inside the box before firing it into the net.[15] He scored twice in five games for the reserves and once in six for the youth team, most notably the winner in theFA Youth Cup tie againstDoncaster Rovers.[16]He won the FA Youth Cup on 9 May 2012 against Blackburn, although failing to score in the match.
On 20 January 2012, his 18th birthday, Piazon obtained awork visa and became eligible to play for the Chelsea senior team. On 26 January 2012, he signed a contract extension that would keep him with the club until 2017.[17] After impressing at Under-18 and Reserve level, Piazon was given the number 35 shirt, which was previously worn byJuliano Belletti. He was an unused substitute on the Chelsea bench, on 31 January 2012, in their 1–1 league draw againstSwansea City[18] and on 5 February 2012, in the 3–3 draw againstManchester United.[19] Chelsea managerAndré Villas-Boas said, after theManchester United game, "He [Piazon] has trained more with the first team, which is very good for him. He's made great progress since arriving and in the last two games was on the bench. Unfortunately, he had no opportunity to enter, but has done a great job in the reserves team. He is a player that we have high hopes for."[20]
On 10 May 2012, Piazon was named Chelsea Young Player of the Year in his first season. He was part of the side that won the FA Youth Cup Final 24 hours earlier. "I am very happy and I didn't expect this. It has been a fantastic week for me. David Luiz and Ramires have helped me a lot here as when I came in I was alone. I hope to be at Chelsea a long time and I will keep working." he said.[21] Later that week, he was named on the bench on the final day of the season, in a home game againstBlackburn Rovers which Chelsea won 2–1, but was not involved in the game.[22] He stated that he was looking forward to continuing his development and would like to make the breakthrough into the senior side, saying "I hope to be in the main group, train with them every day and if I have a chance to play some games." He went on to say that he had "always dreamed of playing for Chelsea."[23]
The pre-season prior to the start of the2012–13 season, Piazon was given a chance to prove himself by Chelsea managerRoberto Di Matteo after being taken on tour in the United States, came on as a substitute in three of the four matches, making his senior debut in the 4–2 win overSeattle Sounders FC.[24] He scored his first goal in his second senior Chelsea appearance, the equaliser to earn Chelsea a 1–1 draw againstParis Saint-Germain atYankee Stadium. Afterwards, he spoke of his delight: "It was good for me, it was special, to score in my second game", said the forward.[25][26] Piazon came on in the 3–2 defeat to the MLS All-Stars in the2012 MLS All-Star Game[27] and was an unused substitute in the following fixture, withFernando Torres taking his place in a 1–0 loss toMilan.[28]
Piazon was named in Chelsea's 22-manChampions League squad, along with fellow BraziliansOscar, David Luiz and Ramires[29][30] and was chosen ahead ofFlorent Malouda.[31] Piazon made his competitive debut for Chelsea, starting in theirLeague Cup fixture againstWolverhampton Wanderers, which ended a 6–0 win for the Blues, also assisting the goal forRyan Bertrand.[32] On 31 October 2012, Piazon played his second game in theLeague Cup against Manchester United, which ended 5–4 win for Chelsea after extra time with Piazon being substituted in the 55th minute forEden Hazard.[33][34] Piazon netted a goal in the U-19's comprehensive 6–0 defeat ofMolde on 8 November in theNextGen Series.[35]On 23 December, he made his Premier League debut in an 8–0 win againstAston Villa, during which he assisted a goal for Ramires and took a penalty kick which he had won, only for it to be saved by Aston Villa goalkeeperBrad Guzan.[36]
During the 2013 January transfer window, Piazon was loaned to SpanishLa Liga sideMálaga until the end of the season.[37] He made his debut for Málaga on 24 January 2013, coming on as a substitute in the 4–2 home defeat in theCopa del Rey quarter-final againstBarcelona. On 16 February, he assistedJavier Saviola's winner in a 1–0 home win againstAthletic Bilbao.[38] On 9 March 2013, Piazon made his second assist for Málaga with a ball from a free-kick that foundMartín Demichelis, who headed to score in a 1–1 draw againstReal Valladolid.[39]
On 9 August 2013, Piazon was loaned toEredivisie clubVitesse until the end of the 2013–14 season.[40][41] On 17 August 2013, he made his debut for Vitesse in a 1–1 draw atRoda JC.[42] On 22 September, Piazon scored his first goals in his professional career and for Vitesse, scoring a brace in the 3–0 win at home toPEC Zwolle.[43] In the following Eredivisie fixture, againstNEC, Piazon scored the winner for Vitesse in the 92nd minute, from outside the box, which ended 3–2 on 29 September.[44] On 19 October 2013, he scored a brace and assistedPatrick van Aanholt's winner, as Vitesse came from 2–0 down to win 3–2 atHeerenveen.[45] On 24 November, Piazon scored two penalties atGo Ahead Eagles in a 3–0 win.[46] In Vitesse's fixture away toPSV on 7 December, Piazon scored another goal as Vitesse convincingly won 6–2 to stay at the top of the Eredivisie table.[47]
On 24 July 2014, Piazon joinedFrankfurt on loan for the2014–15 season.[48] On 2 August, he scored his first goal in a 4–2 friendly win againstSampdoria.
On 23 August, Piazon made his debut in the Bundesliga againstSC Freiburg, a 1–0 victory.[49] His first Bundesliga goal came on 28 September againstHamburger SV; having came off the bench in the 86th minute forStefan Aigner, in the 90th minute he struck a free-kick from nearly 30 yards out to seal a 2–1 victory.[50]
On 31 August 2015, Piazon joinedReading on a season-long loan deal.[51] On 11 September, he made his debut and provided an assist toOliver Norwood in a 5–1 triumph againstIpswich Town coming on as a 77th-minute substitute forMatěj Vydra.[52] Fifteen days later, he scored his first goal for Reading in a 2–1 win againstBurnley.[53] Piazon returned to Chelsea on 28 April 2016, a week before his loan deal was due to expire.[54]
On 31 August 2016, Piazon joined Fulham on a season-long loan, joining Chelsea teammateTomáš Kalas.[55] He made his Fulham debut and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1EFL Cup defeat againstBristol City on 21 September.[56]
On 17 January 2017, Piazon's loan at Fulham was extended until the end of the season.[57] On 14 July 2017, Piazon's loan was extended for a further season.[58]
On 15 August 2017, Piazon suffered a fracture-dislocation of his right ankle after a tackle from Leeds playerConor Shaughnessy in their 0–0 draw at Elland Road. He had successful surgery and rehabilitation.[59][60][61]
In January 2019, he joinedChievo Verona on loan. He played four times before returning to Chelsea.[62]
In September 2019, he joinedRio Ave on loan, until the end of the 2020–21 season.[63]
On 14 January 2021, Piazon signed for Portuguese sideBraga.[64] He agreed to a four-year contract with the club.[5] On 23 May 2021, he scored a goal in a 2–0 win overBenfica in theTaça de Portugal Final.[65]
On 10 March 2022, Piazon returned to his home country after 11 years, as he was announced atBotafogo on loan until June 2023.[66]
On 25 July 2024, Piazon joined newly-promoted fellow Portuguese clubAVS.[67]
On 20 August 2025, Piazon joined Polish clubWieczysta Kraków, signing a two-year contract with the team.[68]
Piazon has represented Brazil at both under-15 and under-17 levels. At under-15 level, he helped his team to second place in theSouth American Under-15 Football Championship of2009 in Bolivia, being the top goalscorer with ten goals.
At the under-17 level, during an international game for Brazil's U17 squad against Paraguay, Piazon scored an extraordinary goal when he kicked the ball with such force that it broke through the side netting of the goals, in a game which they went on to lose 2–1. In the2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, he scored in a 3–3 draw against theIvory Coast.
A tactical player, Piazon is known for hisflair,passing,powerful shooting,free-kicks,penalty kicks, reading of the game andclinical finishing. Piazon commented on his playing style, "I'd say my playing style is different from typical Brazilian forwards. When you think about these, you think about dribbles and flashy moves. My football is simpler and more direct. It's more like a midfielder playing up front. I like to pass quickly. I don't hog the ball and I don't tend to run with it."[69]
The media have often drawn comparisons between Piazon and Brazilian playmakerKaká, as the pair possess similar attributes and natural technical finesse. Piazon also somewhat resembles Kaká. However, Piazon has rejected comparisons saying: "I don't think [we are similar]", Piazon says of Kaká. "My style and his style are different because I am awinger, or asecond striker, and he is acentral midfielder. He went on to say, "I don't think the comparison is because of our style. I think it is because we both played at São Paulo and maybe we can look similar on the pitch sometimes."[4][70]
| Club | Season | League | State league[a] | National cup[b] | League cup[c] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chelsea | 2012–13 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| Málaga (loan) | 2012–13 | La Liga | 11 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Vitesse (loan) | 2013–14 | Eredivisie | 29 | 11 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 31 | 11 | ||||
| Eintracht Frankfurt (loan) | 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 22 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 23 | 2 | ||||
| Reading (loan) | 2015–16 | Championship | 23 | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 5 | |||
| Fulham (loan) | 2016–17 | Championship | 29 | 5 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 33 | 6 | ||
| 2017–18 | Championship | 22 | 5 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 25 | 6 | |||
| Total | 51 | 10 | — | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | 58 | 12 | ||||
| Chievo (loan) | 2018–19 | Serie A | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Rio Ave (loan) | 2019–20 | Primeira Liga | 19 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 24 | 4 | |||
| 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 8 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | |||
| Total | 27 | 4 | — | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 36 | 6 | ||||
| Braga | 2020–21 | Primeira Liga | 20 | 4 | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | — | 27 | 6 | ||
| 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 10 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[e] | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Total | 30 | 4 | — | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 42 | 6 | ||||
| Botafogo (loan) | 2022 | Série A | 17 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 19 | 1 | ||||
| 2023 | Série A | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Total | 18 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 2 | ||||
| AVS | 2024–25 | Primeira Liga | 30 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2[f] | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||
| Wieczysta Kraków | 2025–26 | I liga | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 257 | 34 | 11 | 1 | 23 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 312 | 44 | ||
Chelsea U18
Fulham
Braga
Brazil U17
Brazil U20
Individual
