During the 3-1 win over São Paulo, 17-year-old Gabriel Vasconcelos of Flamengo became the youngest scorer in the history of the Campeonato Brasileiro. The teenager had a two-goal haul, among which there was a 35-yard strike that saw the goalkeeper Rafael Cabral nailed to the spot. His performance set the stage on fire at the vast Maracanã Stadium, where 58,000 supporters hailed “Novo Gabigol,” a new name for a club legend, Gabriel Barbosa. Vasconcelos came to Flamengo’s academy at the age of 12 after completely omitting the U-20 squad.
His composure is what made him earn the praise of coach Tite, who had also compared him to Ronaldo Nazário. “He plays without being afraid,” Tite underlined, thus assuring that the prospect will have the starting place in the upcoming Libertadores games. Brazil’s São Paulo’s coach expressed his disapproval of the defense, which had left the young player with the freedom to move. Hence, he gave the player credit for his goal´s beauty. The game experienced the world’s attention due to a tweet from Erling Haaland that reads, “Remember the name!”
Vasconcelos´ initiation into professional soccer was followed by Flamengo´s $12 million investment in youth facilities last year. His €90 million release clause in the contract is the reason why both Bayern Munich and Manchester City are eager to get him. Fans rushed out of the stadium for autographs; some even painted a mural with Zico and Adriano and his face.
The striker was distraught and mourning after he lost his father, who was working as a construction worker and introducing him to futsal. “He showed me the beauty of dreaming big,” Vasconcelos, with tears in his eyes, reminisced. Experts point out that his strong points are both of his legs´ dribbling and the ability to head the ball, which is quite a rare sight to see in teenage forwards.
The victory of Flamengo enchants them to be in third place, reviving their erstwhile hopes of winning the major title. The club president, Rodolfo Landim, called the win a “breakthrough for the Brazilian youth development.” As of now, Vasconcelos´ t-shirt sales have increased by 400%, thereby being a clear sign of the new era in the team´s attack.