1. Overview
Miguel Silveira dos Santos, commonly known as MiguelPortuguese, is a Brazilian professional footballer born on March 26, 2003. Primarily playing as an attacking midfielder, he has also been listed as a forward or centre-forward. His career has seen him play for prominent Brazilian clubs such as Fluminense FC and Red Bull Bragantino, and the Russian club PFC Sochi, before his announced transfer to the Japanese J1 League club Albirex Niigata for the 2025 season.
2. Early Life and Background
Miguel Silveira dos Santos was born in Vila Velha, Espírito Santo, Brazil. His early exposure to football began at a young age, leading him to join local clubs and embark on a promising career.
2.1. Youth Career and Development
Miguel started his football journey with the local side Desportiva Ferroviária. At the age of ten, he joined the youth academy of Fluminense FC. In 2015, he briefly moved to CR Vasco da Gama, staying for 11 months before returning to Fluminense in 2016, where he continued his development until 2019. His talent was recognized early, leading to a sponsorship deal with Nike from the age of 13.
3. Club Career
Miguel's professional career began at Fluminense, where he quickly made an impact, and has since seen him play for several clubs in Brazil, Russia, and Japan.
3.1. Fluminense FC
In April 2019, at just 16 years old, Miguel was called up to train with the first team of Fluminense FC by then-manager Fernando Diniz. He made his professional debut on June 6, 2019, as a late substitute for Nino in a Copa do Brasil match, which ended in a 2-2 away draw against Cruzeiro. At 16 years, two months, and ten days old, he became the youngest player to debut for Fluminense in the professional era, and the tenth youngest overall in the club's history.
The day after his debut, Miguel signed his first professional contract with Fluminense, agreeing to a three-year deal. His Série A debut followed on July 15, when he replaced fellow youth graduate João Pedro late in a 1-1 home draw against Ceará.
On May 8, 2021, Miguel initiated a legal action against Fluminense, seeking to rescind his contract due to alleged unpaid wages. On August 11, he was declared a free agent after winning the court action. Fluminense subsequently released an official note stating their intent to appeal the decision. However, in September 2021, Miguel and Fluminense reached an agreement, under which the club retained 30% of the player's economic rights.
3.2. Red Bull Bragantino
Following his departure from Fluminense, Red Bull Bragantino officially announced the signing of Miguel on September 24, 2021, with a contract set to run until December 2022. He made his debut for the club on January 27, 2022, playing the final nine minutes in a 3-1 Campeonato Paulista away loss to Mirassol.
Miguel scored his first senior goal on February 6, 2022, netting the opening goal in a 1-1 draw against Ferroviária. After featuring sparingly for the club, Red Bull Bragantino announced on November 14 that his contract would not be renewed, leading to his departure.
3.3. PFC Sochi
On February 22, 2023, Miguel moved to Russia, joining Russian Premier League club PFC Sochi. He participated in the Russian Premier League during his tenure with the club.
3.4. Albirex Niigata
On January 17, 2025, it was officially announced that Miguel would be joining the J1 League club Albirex Niigata for the upcoming 2025 season.
4. International Career
Miguel has represented Brazil at various youth levels, showcasing his talent on the international stage.
4.1. Brazil U-17
Miguel was part of the Brazil U-17 team and participated in the 2019 South American U-17 Championship. During his time with the U-17 squad, he made one appearance and scored one goal.
5. Personal Life
Miguel's personal life is closely tied to football. He secured a sponsorship deal with Nike at the early age of 13, indicating his promising talent from a young age. He stands 69 in (174 cm) tall and weighs 154 lb (70 kg). His brother, Gabriel Silveira, is also a professional footballer, highlighting a family connection to the sport.
6. Career Statistics
The following table details Miguel's club appearances and goals throughout his professional career.
| Club | Season | League | State League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Fluminense | 2019 | Série A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | |||||
| 2020 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 15 | 0 | ||||
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 20 | 0 | ||||
| Red Bull Bragantino | 2021 | Série A | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2022 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 25 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 17 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | - | 25 | 2 | ||||
| Sochi | 2022-23 | Russian Premier League | 2 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| 2023-24 | 24 | 1 | - | 6 | 1 | - | 30 | 2 | ||||||||
| Total | 26 | 1 | - | 6 | 1 | - | 33 | 2 | ||||||||
| Albirex Niigata | 2025 | J1 League | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Career total | 50 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 4 | ||
- "Continental" column includes appearances in Copa Sudamericana (for Fluminense) and Copa Libertadores (for Red Bull Bragantino).