1. Early life and youth career
Leonardo Nascimento Lopes de Souza was born on May 28, 1997, in Sorocaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Standing at 71 in (180 cm) and weighing 154 lb (70 kg), he spent his formative years developing his football skills in several prominent Brazilian youth academies. From 2010 to 2012, he was part of Red Bull Brasil's youth system. He then moved to Corinthians, playing there from 2012 to 2014, before joining Ituano from 2015 to 2016.
His early professional activities included playing for Santos's youth ranks and later being loaned to the B-team (U-23), where he scored three goals in 16 appearances. In 2017, he also had a loan spell with Rio Verde, making three appearances. Leonardo's decision to pursue a professional career abroad, particularly in Japan, was deeply personal; he sought a peaceful environment to play football, away from areas in Brazil where issues like human trafficking and murder were prevalent. He expressed his desire to play where "the ball is all I need, I want to play football in peaceful Japan," highlighting his dedication to the sport over material gains.
2. Club career
Leonardo's professional football career has spanned across Brazil, Japan, China, and South Korea, marked by consistent goal-scoring and significant contributions to his teams.
2.1. Career in Brazil
Leonardo began his senior professional career in Brazil. After progressing through the youth ranks at various clubs, he officially played for Ituano in 2015 and 2016, though he did not make any appearances. In 2017, he was part of Santos, playing 14 matches and scoring two goals in the Copa Paulista. During the same year, he was loaned to Rio Verde, where he made three appearances without scoring. His time in Brazil laid the foundation for his eventual move to Asian football.
2.2. Career in Japan
Leonardo's career saw a significant rise during his tenure in the J.League. In January 2018, he made a complete transfer to J3 League club Gainare Tottori. His transfer came about after Gainare Tottori's General Manager, Masayuki Okano, and returning player Fernandinho personally scouted him in Brazil. In his debut season with Gainare Tottori, Leonardo became a formidable striker, scoring 24 goals in 31 league appearances, which earned him the J3 League top scorer award for the 2018 season. He notably achieved a hat-trick against Fukushima United FC on October 28, 2018, contributing significantly to Gainare Tottori's highest-ever J3 League finish of third place.
In 2019, Leonardo transferred to J2 League club Albirex Niigata. He continued his prolific goal-scoring form, netting 28 goals in 38 appearances and clinching the J2 League top scorer title for the 2019 season. His exceptional performance earned him the J2 League Monthly MVP award twice in September and October 2019, including a notable four-goal performance against Kagoshima United FC on October 5.
Following his success in J2, Leonardo moved to J1 League club Urawa Red Diamonds in 2020. He made an immediate impact, scoring two goals in his debut match against Vegalta Sendai in the 2020 J.League Cup group stage on February 16, 2020, in a match that Urawa won 5-2. Five days later, he made his league debut, scoring the second goal in a 3-2 away victory over Shonan Bellmare. Throughout the 2020 season, he scored 11 goals in 28 league appearances, making him the team's top scorer.
2.3. Career in China
Leonardo's career then shifted to the Chinese Super League, where he played for multiple clubs. On February 22, 2021, he joined Shandong Taishan. He scored in his debut match for the club in the league opener against Chongqing Lifan, contributing to a victory. However, his initial stint was brief, and on July 30, 2021, he was loaned to fellow Chinese Super League club Hebei FC.
In 2023, Leonardo was again loaned out, joining Changchun Yatai on April 7. He scored his first goal for the club on April 30 in a 1-1 home draw against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger. On May 19, 2023, he delivered a hat-trick in a 4-2 away win against Cangzhou Mighty Lions. His loan with Changchun Yatai was prematurely terminated on June 30, 2023, but not before he scored 10 goals in 12 league appearances, making him the 2023 Chinese Super League's top scorer at the time of his departure.
On July 1, 2023, Leonardo immediately joined another Chinese Super League club, Zhejiang FC, on loan. He quickly made an impact, scoring two goals in a 2-2 away draw against his former club, Changchun Yatai, on July 12. His loan to Zhejiang FC was extended until the end of the 2024 season on February 7, 2024. He continued his scoring prowess, becoming the Chinese Super League top scorer for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
As of January 27, 2025, Leonardo has joined Shanghai Port, another Chinese Super League club.
2.4. Career in South Korea
In 2022, Leonardo had a loan spell with K League 1 club Ulsan Hyundai. He joined the South Korean club on February 24, 2022. During his time with Ulsan, he played a crucial role in their success, contributing 11 goals in 34 league appearances. He also scored 3 goals in 7 appearances in the AFC Champions League. His contributions helped Ulsan Hyundai win the 2022 K League 1 championship.
3. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | State league | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ituano | 2015 | Paulista | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | ||||
| 2016 | Série D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | |||||
| Santos | 2017 | Série A | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 2 | 14 | 2 | |||
| Rio Verde (loan) | 2017 | Goiano | - | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Gainare Tottori | 2018 | J3 League | 31 | 24 | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 33 | 24 | ||||
| Albirex Niigata | 2019 | J2 League | 38 | 28 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 38 | 28 | ||||
| Urawa Red Diamonds | 2020 | J1 League | 28 | 11 | - | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 30 | 13 | |||
| Shandong Taishan | 2021 | Chinese Super League | 8 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 8 | 1 | ||||
| Hebei FC (loan) | 2021 | Chinese Super League | 12 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 12 | 1 | ||||
| Ulsan Hyundai (loan) | 2022 | K League 1 | 34 | 11 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 7 | 3 | - | 43 | 14 | |||
| Changchun Yatai (loan) | 2023 | Chinese Super League | 12 | 10 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | 13 | 11 | ||||
| Zhejiang FC (loan) | 2023 | Chinese Super League | 16 | 9 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 6 | 4 | - | 23 | 14 | |||
| 2024 | Chinese Super League | 29 | 21 | - | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | 31 | 22 | |||||
| Career total | 208 | 116 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 7 | 20 | 3 | 254 | 131 | ||
4. Honours
Leonardo has achieved several team titles and individual accolades throughout his career:
Team
- K League 1: 2022 (with Ulsan Hyundai)
Individual
- J3 League top scorer: 2018 (24 goals)
- J2 League top scorer: 2019 (28 goals)
- J2 League Monthly MVP: September 2019, October 2019
- Chinese Super League top scorer: 2023, 2024