Brazil forward's Corinthians youth path highlighted on FIFA site | OneFootball

FIFA’s official website published a special report on Gabriel Martinelli and highlighted the forward’s time in Corinthians’ youth academy. Scorer of Brazil’s 2–1 win over Japan, which secured Carlo Ancelotti’s team a place in the World Cup round of 16, the player had his development in Corinthians’ futsal setup recalled by the organization.

In the report, FIFA spoke to Daniel Magalhães, Martinelli’s coach during his time in Corinthians’ youth ranks. The coach recalled an episode that illustrates the forward’s competitive personality even as a child.

Photo: Rafael Ribeiro/CBF

“We were winning by something like 4–1 and I took him off near the end of the game. He got really upset. I remember saying, ‘You’ve already done your part, let’s give the others a chance.’ He wouldn’t accept it. I had to talk to him during the week. He didn’t like coming off,” he said.

Gabriel Martinelli joined Corinthians at the age of six and stayed at the club until he was 13 or 14, playing futsal before switching to outdoor football. According to Daniel Magalhães, the forward always stood out for his speed and eye for goal.

“Gabriel arrived at Corinthians when he was six and stayed until he was 13 or 14. He played futsal with us his whole life before moving to the field game. Besides winning many titles, he was the top scorer in every age group. He was a very quick boy, very fast for futsal, which made him a different kind of player,” he said.

After leaving Corinthians, Martinelli moved with his family to Itu, where he began playing in Ituano’s youth system. At the club from the São Paulo countryside, he drew attention for his performances in the lower divisions, made his professional debut in 2018 and, the following year, was named the breakout player of the Paulista Championship.

In 2019, Arsenal signed the forward for around five million euros. In FIFA’s report, former Gunners sporting director Edu Gaspar recalled that Martinelli was initially set to play for the under-23 team, but quickly convinced then-manager Unai Emery that he was ready to join the first-team squad.

Now established at Arsenal, where he won the Premier League and finished as runner-up in the Champions League in the 2025/26 season, Martinelli has also earned more space in the Brazil national team under Carlo Ancelotti. Coming off the bench, he scored the winner against Japan and secured Brazil’s place in the World Cup round of 16. The campaign, however, ended in the following round after a 2–1 defeat to Norway.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.