Mycael

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Pontesand the second or paternal family name is Moreira.

Mycael

Personal information
Full name	Mycael Pontes Moreira [1]
Date of birth	(2004-03-12) 12 March 2004 (age 20) [1]
Place of birth	Porto Velho, Brazil
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) [1]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Athletico Paranaense
Number	41
Youth career
2017–2019	Trieste
2019–2022	Athletico Paranaense
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2023–	Athletico Paranaense	19	(0)
International career‡
2019	Brazil U15
2020	Brazil U17
2021–2023	Brazil U20	11	(0)
2023–	Brazil U23	10	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing   Brazil South American U-20 Championship Winner 2023 Colombia Pan American Games Winner 2023 Santiago
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:39, 17 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 April 2024

Mycael Pontes Moreira (born 12 March 2004), simply known as Mycael, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Athletico Paranaense and the Brazil national under-20 football team.

Early life

From Porto Velho, Rondônia, his father Moisés Moreira recalls Mycael initially played as a left-back when he first trained with local neighbourhood side Seu Zeca. However, the regular goalkeeper didn’t turn up one day and Mycael played in goal and saved a penalty and made a number of other saves. Mycael has a number of amateur goalkeepers in his family. ^[2]

Club career

Mycael signed his first professional contract with Athletico Paranaense aged 16 in 2020. ^[3] In November 2022, the club announced that Maycael would be promoted to the senior first team squad for the 2023 season. ^[4]

Initially a third-choice behind Bento and Léo Linck, Mycael became a backup option after Bento left in 2024, and made his professional – and Série A – debut on 4 July of that year, coming on as a late substitute for Lucas Esquivel in a 2–1 home loss to São Paulo, after Linck was sent off. ^[5] He became a starter after Linck suffered an injury in September, and was kept as a first-choice by head coach Martín Varini after Linck's return. ^[6]

International career

Mycael made his debut with the Brazil under-15 age group team against a Paraguay age group team on 25 July 2019. ^[7] He won the under-15 South American championship that year, and the following year made his debut for the Brazil under-17 team. He was also named goalkeeper of the tournament at the Revelations Cup in Mexico in 2021. ^[8]

Mycael won the 2023 South American U-20 Championship with Brazil. He was awarded man of the match for the final game which secured the title for Brazil, against Uruguay. ^{[9] [10]} He has also saved a penalty in a match for Brazil against Argentina. ^[11] His displays led him to being one of the players singled out from the tournament by South American football pundit Tim Vickery among those who “enhanced their reputations in Colombia [with] careers worth watching”. ^[12]

On 3 March 2023, Mycael was called up to the senior Brazil squad for the first time as interim coach Ramon Menezes prepared a team to play a friendly match against Morocco. ^[13]

Personal life

Mycael joined Trieste, an amateur team from Curitiba, in 2017. There, he lived for two years with teammate and fellow goalkeeper Bernardo Pisetta and his family prior to his move to Athletico Paranaense aged 14. Mycael honours his friend Bernardo, who died in the Flamengo training ground fire in 2019, by wearing an under shirt containing his photo underneath his match day jersey, a practice he has said he will continue throughout his career, saying:

"I'm fulfilling his dream, fighting every day and thinking that there will always be 12 on the field. A goalkeeper down here and a goalkeeper up there.” ^[14]

Career statistics

As of 17 December 2024 ^[15]

Club	Season	League			State League		Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Athletico Paranaense	2023	Série A	0	0	—		0	0	—		—		0	0
	2024		19	0	0	0	1	0	2 [a]	0	—		22	0
Total			19	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	22	0

1. Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana

Honours

Brazil U23

• Pan American Games: 2023

Brazil U20

• South American U-20 Championship: 2023

References

1. "FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Brazil (BRA)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 2. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
2. "Goalkeeper of the under-20 national team, learn about the story of Rondonian Mycael Moreira". Globo.com.
3. "'I slept dreaming about it', says Mycael from Rondônia after signing a contract with Athletico". globo.com.
4. "Athletico promote goalkeeper Mycael to the first team and continue to bet on names revealed at the club". ge .
5. "Goleiro estreia como profissional no Athletico, será julgado e corre risco de suspensão" [Goalkeeper debuts as a professional at Athletico, will be judged and may face suspension] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Bem Paraná. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
6. "Mycael confirma expectativa no Athletico e se firma como titular" [Mycael confirms expectations at Athletico and establishes himself as a starter] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
7. "Rondonian goalkeeper, who defends the shirt of the Brazilian Under-15 Selection celebrates victory against Paraguay". Globoesporye.globe.com.
8. "Mycael, goalkeeper from Rondônia, wears the number 1 of the Brazilian under-20 team". Folhadevilhena.com.
9. "Goleiro Mycael exalta classificação da Seleção Brasileira ao Mundial Sub-20". Lance.com.
10. "Mycael gives Brazil victory over Paraguay". as.com.
11. "Mycael saves important penalty again against Argentina". UOL.com.br.
12. "Brazil are South American U20 champions, but real winners will be known in a decade". ESPN.com.
13. "Neymar, Alisson, Martinelli out of Brazil squad for Morocco friendly". espn.co.uk. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
14. "Fire at Ninho do Urubu completes four years, and Mycael remembers Bernardo: "Making his dream come true"". globo.com.
15. Mycael at Soccerway. Retrieved 17 December 2024.

External links

• Athletico Paranaense profile (in Brazilian Portuguese)