 Pereira scoring for1. FC Nürnberg in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matheus Fellipe Costa Pereira[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1996-05-05)5 May 1996 (age 29)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Belo Horizonte, Brazil[2] | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder,winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cruzeiro | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2010 | Trafaria | ||
| 2010–2015 | Sporting CP | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2017 | Sporting CP B | 42 | (17) |
| 2015–2020 | Sporting CP | 15 | (1) |
| 2017–2018 | →Chaves (loan) | 27 | (7) |
| 2018–2019 | →1. FC Nürnberg (loan) | 19 | (3) |
| 2019–2020 | →West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 42 | (8) |
| 2020–2021 | West Bromwich Albion | 33 | (11) |
| 2021–2024 | Al Hilal | 28 | (2) |
| 2023 | →Al Wahda (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2023–2024 | →Cruzeiro (loan) | 34 | (5) |
| 2024– | Cruzeiro | 40 | (7) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Brazil | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:14, 15 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 12:15, 16 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
Matheus Fellipe Costa Pereira (born 5 May 1996) is a Brazilian professionalfootballer who plays as anattacking midfielder orright winger forCampeonato Brasileiro Série A clubCruzeiro and theBrazil national team.
Born inBelo Horizonte,Minas Gerais, Pereira moved to Portugal at a young age, joiningSporting CP's youth system at the age of 14.[3] On 18 January 2014, whilst still a junior, he made his debut as a senior withthe B team, coming on as a 46th-minutesubstitute forCristian Ponde in a 1–1 away draw againstC.D. Trofense in theSegunda Liga.[4] He scored his first goal in the competition on 7 March of the following year, contributing to a 4–3 home win overC.D. Tondela.[5]
Early into the2015–16 season, Pereira was first called to the main squad by newly appointed managerJorge Jesus.[6] His first competitive appearance took place on 1 October, as he started in a1–1 draw atBeşiktaş J.K. in theUEFA Europa League.[7] Late in the same month he scored his first goals as a professional, helping defeatU.D. Vilafranquense in theTaça de Portugal (4–0, away)[8] andKF Skënderbeu Korçë in the Europa League (5–1, home),[9] being subsequently selected for the latter competition's team of the week.[10]
Pereira was loaned to fellowPrimeira Liga clubG.D. Chaves in the2017–18 campaign.[11] He scored seven league goals during his spell (eight overall), helping them to a sixth-place finish.[12]
On 31 August 2018, the last day of the summer transfer window, Pereira joined1. FC Nürnberg on loan until the end ofthe season[13][14] after criticisingJosé Peseiro's choice of not selecting him to the first match againstMoreirense F.C. on social media.[15] He made hisBundesliga debut 16 days later, playing 61 minutes in a 1–1 away draw againstSV Werder Bremen.[16]
Pereira scored his first league goal on 30 March 2019, helping the hosts defeatFC Augsburg 3–0.[17] He was nominated for the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award, but his team suffered relegation after finishing last.[18]
On 8 August 2019, Pereira joinedWest Bromwich Albion on an initialseason-long loan with a view to a permanent move.[19] He scored his first goal in theChampionship on 28 September, in a 2–0 away win againstQueens Park Rangers.[20]
On 20 June 2020, after the player had appeared in the required number of matches, abuyout clause was triggered, obligating the club into Pereira’s purchase.[21] The following month, he won the Supporters’ Player of the Season award after collecting 65% of the votes.[22]
Despite the buyout clause being met months earlier, it took until 17 August 2020 for Pereira to be officially announced as an Albion player, eventually signing a four-year contract.[23] To ensure the player’s focus remained on the field, the board decided to leave the negotiations until after the season had ended.[24]
Pereira made hisPremier League debut on 13 September 2020, playing the entire 0–3 home loss againstLeicester City.[25] He scored his first goal six days later, through adirect free kick in a 5–2 away defeat toEverton.[26]
On 3 April 2021, Pereira scored a brace in first-half stoppage time in an eventual 5–2 win atChelsea; this sealed Albion's first victory atStamford Bridge since 1978, and handedThomas Tuchel his first loss as the opposition's head coach.[27] On 9 May, his tenth goal ofthe season – becoming the first club player to get on double digits sinceSaido Berahino in2014–15 – amounted to nothing because his team lost 3–1 atArsenal and confirmed their relegation.[28]
On 1 August 2021, recently appointed managerValérien Ismaël announced that Pereira would leave the club before the end of the transfer window, accusing him of "not being committed".[29] The following day, the latter released a statement on his social media accounts, confirming that he wished to leave but also expressing anger at the former's comments, branding them "disrespectful".[30]
On 6 August 2021, Pereira agreed to a deal withAl Hilal SFC for an undisclosed fee.[31] He scored his first goal for the club the following 6 February, in a 6–1 rout ofAl Jazira Club in thesecond round of theFIFA Club World Cup.[32]
Pereira was loaned toAl Wahda FC of theUAE Pro League in January 2023, until June.[33]
In July 2023, also on loan, Pereira joinedCruzeiro Esporte Clube.[34] He made hisSérie A debut on 29 July aged 27, in a 3–3 draw atClub Athletico Paranaense.[35] He scored his first goal on 30 November, in the reverse fixture against the same opposition (1–1).[36]
On 17 June 2024, having totalled seven goals and tenassists from 40 appearances until that point, Pereira signed a permanent two-year contract for about€5.5 million.[37][38] In December that year, he was voted Player of the Year at theMineirão after leading his team in goals and decisive passes.[39][40]
On 11 October 2024, Pereira was called up for theBrazil national team to replaceLucas Paquetá, who was suspended for the match againstPeru in the2026 FIFA World Cupqualifiers to be held four days later;[41] he featured 15 minutes in the 4–0 win inBrasília to earn his firstcap.[42]
| 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 | ||
| Sporting CP B | 2013–14 | Segunda Liga | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2014–15 | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||||||
| 2015–16 | 12 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 8 | |||||||
| 2016–17 | 14 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | 8 | |||||||
| Total | 42 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | 42 | 17 | |||||||
| Sporting CP | 2015–16 | Primeira Liga | 8 | 0 | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5[d] | 3 | — | 18 | 5 | ||
| 2016–17 | 7 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 15 | 1 | — | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 3 | — | 27 | 6 | ||||
| Chaves (loan) | 2017–18 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 7 | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 30 | 8 | |||
| Nürnberg (loan) | 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 19 | 3 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 21 | 3 | ||||
| West Bromwich Albion (loan) | 2019–20 | Championship | 42 | 8 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 43 | 8 | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2020–21 | Premier League | 33 | 11 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 12 | |||
| Al Hilal | 2020–21 | Saudi Pro League | — | — | — | — | 4[e] | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2021–22 | 21 | 2 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 3[e] | 0 | 4[f] | 1 | 30 | 3 | ||||
| 2022–23 | 7 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 28 | 2 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 42 | 3 | ||||
| Al Wahda (loan) | 2022–23 | UAE Pro League | 10 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[g] | 1 | 11 | 2 | |
| Cruzeiro | 2023 | Série A | 15 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 1 | ||||
| 2024 | 34 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 13[h] | 2 | — | 59 | 11 | ||||
| 2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0[h] | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 49 | 9 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 13 | 2 | — | 74 | 12 | ||||
| Career total | 265 | 59 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 324 | 71 | ||
Al Hilal
