Nearly a year on, Pedro Paulo back for Corinthians U20 after ACL recovery | OneFootball

Corinthians Under-20 had a special reason to celebrate beyond the 1-0 win over Sertãozinho last Sunday (5) in the Paulista Championship for the age group. Center-back Pedro Paulo, known as Paulão, returned to the field after being sidelined for nearly a year due to a serious injury to his right knee.

The defender came on in the 67th minute of the second half and took part in the closing stages of the match, which ended in an alvinegro victory thanks to a goal from Luiz Eduardo. The appearance marked the player’s official return since suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in July 2025.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel / Corinthians

At the time, Pedro Paulo was playing for Corinthians Under-17 and was the team captain. The injury happened in stoppage time of the 2-1 win over Internacional in the Brazilian Under-17 Championship at Fazendinha. The center-back was injured on his own, without contact from any opponents, and had to leave the pitch after Timãozinho had already used all of its substitutions.

The injury brought the defender’s season to an early end, and he had to undergo surgery and begin a long recovery process. As a result, Pedro Paulo also missed the 2026 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior.

Even during his time away from the pitch, Corinthians maintained confidence in the player’s potential. In November 2025, the club agreed to a contract amendment with the center-back, significantly increasing the values of his release clause. For the domestic market, the clause went from R$10 million to R$20 million. For clubs abroad, the amount was raised from €30 million to €50 million. The deal remained valid until March 2027.

Before the injury, Pedro Paulo was one of the standout players of Corinthians’ 2008 generation. In 2025, he played 12 matches for the Under-17s, nine of them as a starter, scored two goals, and formed the team’s center-back pairing alongside Iago Machado.

Now recovered, the defender is beginning a new chapter at the club. Integrated into the Under-20 squad, Pedro Paulo is once again getting playing time and looking to earn his place after a long recovery period, strengthening the team for the remainder of the season.

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