Matheus Pereira

Matheus Pereira is a Brazilian professional footballer known for his flair, dribbling, and creative passing. Currently playing as an attacking midfielder or right winger for Cruzeiro and the Brazil national team, he has built a reputation as a mercurial talent. His standout moment came in the 2019-20 Championship season, where he delivered a league-leading 20 assists and fired West Bromwich Albion to Premier League promotion, earning the club's Player of the Year award. At the international level, he made his Brazil debut in March 2024 and has since become a regular squad member. Fans admire his no-look passes, back-heels, and ability to unlock defenses, a classic Brazilian playmaker in the modern game.[edit]

Matheus Pereira grew up in Belo Horizonte, a city known for producing football talent. As a kid, he played barefoot on concrete pitches and idolized Ronaldinho. His family was football-mad, and his parents supported his dream from the start. At 16, they made a tough decision: send him to Portugal alone to join the youth academy of Trafaria, a modest club in the Almada region. The move was a gamble, Europe offered better opportunities, but it meant leaving everything behind.

He adapted quickly, showing natural flair and dribbling skills honed on the futsal courts of Brazil. From Trafaria, he moved to Sporting CP's youth system, where he completed his football education. The transition to European tactics wasn't easy, he struggled at first with the structured style, but his raw talent kept him in the system. He progressed through Sporting's U-19 and B teams, making his senior professional debut for the B side in 2014 in the Segunda Liga. His first taste of top-flight football came on loan at Chaves in the Primeira Liga during the 2015-16 season, where he made 27 appearances and scored 3 goals, helping the club avoid relegation. A subsequent loan to 1899 Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga didn't work out, just 3 appearances, mostly off the bench, and he returned to Sporting, still searching for his breakthrough.[edit]

Pereira's career changed in July 2019 when he joined West Bromwich Albion on loan. In the Championship, he was unstoppable: 8 goals and a league-best 20 assists, leading West Brom to automatic promotion. He won the club's Player of the Year award and the Championship Player of the Month in January 2020. West Brom made the move permanent for £8.25 million. In the Premier League, he scored 11 goals in 33 appearances, the club's top scorer, but West Brom were relegated.

After a quieter 2021-22 season back in the Championship, he moved to Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia for £10 million in July 2022. There, he won the Saudi Pro League title in 2023-24 and the Saudi Super Cup in 2023. In March 2024, he earned his first Brazil call-up, debuting against Spain on March 26 at the Santiago Bernabéu. In January 2025, he returned to Brazil, signing with Cruzeiro for around €5 million, reuniting with former Sporting coach Leonardo Jardim. As of early 2026, he is a key player for Cruzeiro and competing for a starting spot in Brazil's World Cup squad.[edit]

Pereira is known for his flair, no-look passes, back-heels, and dribbling in tight spaces. His slight, agile build and short haircut are his signature look. Media portray him as a mercurial, creative talent who can be inconsistent, praised for technical brilliance but sometimes criticized for work rate. West Brom fans had a chant for him set to the tune of "He's Magic, You Know." Cruzeiro fans have embraced him as a returning hero. On social media, he is professional and low-key, posting mostly about training and matches, rarely engaging in controversy. His Instagram has around 1.2 million followers.[edit]

Matheus Pereira commands a steady, specialized following within the football world rather than broad global celebrity status. His visibility is concentrated among supporters of Brazilian football and those who track the Championship and Saudi Pro League circuits, where his technical contributions have garnered significant attention. Despite a robust career trajectory that includes promotion-winning performances and international selection for Brazil, he does not currently hold a placement in the published iFANN Global Top 1,000 rankings or any specific Top-100 scope list. The iFANN Global Fame Engine has evaluated his profile as of August 2026 and determined that he remains unranked in these primary tiers of public fame. This absence from the top lists reflects a reputation built on professional merit and club loyalty rather than viral notoriety or mass-market consumption signals that typically drive global ranking placements. While he maintains a substantial social media presence with nearly one million followers on Instagram, this audience is largely an aggregation of general sports fans rather than a dedicated, organized movement centered on the individual. There is no formal name documented for his fanbase, and no evidence exists of a singular, globally recognized group like 'The Pereira Army' engaging in coordinated rituals or campaigns. The support he receives is typical of high-level athletes: loyal but diffuse, attached more to his clubs, Cruzeiro, West Bromwich Albion, or Al Hilal, than to him as a standalone cultural icon. Consequently, his fame is best described as regional and sector-specific, characterized by admiration for his playmaking ability rather than the myth-making events or legendary status seen in pop culture superstars.[edit]

Matheus Pereira holds qualified Portuguese citizenship, a status that allowed him to bypass non-EU player restrictions during his tenure in European leagues. During the 2019-20 Championship season, he recorded 20 assists, marking the highest single-season total by any player since the league rebranded in 2004. He attributes his exceptional close ball control and vision to extensive childhood futsal training. Off the pitch, his musical preferences lean toward Brazilian funk and sertanejo genres. His full legal name, Fellipe Costa, serves as a family tribute, while his first name honors the Brazilian midfielder Matheus. In August 2026, the Cruzeiro forward was awarded the title of Best Player of July in the Brasileirão. That same month marked a reunion between Pereira and fellow midfielder Filip Krovinovic, reigniting their partnership after years apart. Earlier in his career at Al Hilal, he secured victories in the Saudi Cup, the Saudi Super Cup, and the AFC Champions League. These achievements stand as verified professional milestones rather than folklore, yet they underscore his consistent impact across multiple continents.[edit]

Pereira keeps his family life private. He has a close relationship with his parents and siblings, who still live in Brazil. His parents supported his move to Portugal at 16, a family sacrifice he often acknowledges. He does not have a spouse or children, and no public information exists about siblings' names or professions. He currently lives in Belo Horizonte while playing for Cruzeiro.[edit]

Pereira has worked with coaches Slaven Bilić and Sam Allardyce at West Brom, Jorge Jesus at Al Hilal, and Leonardo Jardim at Cruzeiro. Key teammates include Romaine Sawyers and Grady Diangana at West Brom, Salem Al-Dawsari at Al Hilal, and Gabigol at Cruzeiro and Brazil. His agent has been Kia Joorabchian, linked to his major transfers.[edit]

Matheus Pereira is highly private about his romantic life. As of 2026, there are no confirmed reports, credible media articles, or public statements about any partners, dating history, or marriages. He does not post about a partner on social media. Based on all available information, he is currently single and has no publicly known children.[edit]

Per iFANN's editorial analysis, Matheus Pereira's net worth stands at $10 Million as of 2026. This valuation reflects earnings accumulated through football contracts and transfer activities throughout his career. His most lucrative period occurred during his time with Al Hilal, where annual compensation reportedly reached between $4 million and $5 million. His current agreement with Cruzeiro provides an estimated annual income of $1.5 million. Over the course of his professional life, he has generated more than £18 million in transfer fees, though these figures do not directly translate to personal pocket money. No major endorsement deals or significant real estate holdings are publicly associated with his financial portfolio. His wealth has increased steadily since his breakout performance at West Bromwich Albion in 2020.[edit]

Pereira won West Bromwich Albion's Player of the Year award for the 2019-20 season after a stellar loan spell. He was the Championship's top assist provider that same season with 20 assists and won the Championship Player of the Month in January 2020. At club level, he won the Saudi Pro League title with Al Hilal in 2023-24 and the Saudi Super Cup in 2023.[edit]