Former Palmeiras defender Pedrão returns after 394 days as Maccabi Haifa win 4-1 | OneFootball

After 394 days out with a serious meniscus injury sustained in April 2025, former Palmeiras defender Pedrão returned for Maccabi Haifa, coming on late in a 4-1 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv in the 35th round on Tuesday 19.

According to Nosso Palestra, the 29-year-old centre-back ended a long lay-off and resumed his first-team career in Israel.

He called the lay-off extremely challenging, said life without matches and training was hard, but he never stopped believing and worked daily to return stronger.

He thanked medical staff, family and friends for their support. Before the injury he made 16 appearances in the 2024/25 Israeli league and cup, helping Haifa finish third and take the cup runners-up spot.

This season, which began in August 2025, Tuesday's outing was his first. He had been an unused substitute against Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Petach Tikva. Haifa are fifth in the table.

Before joining Haifa in 2024, he spent four seasons in Portugal with Nacional and Portimonense. His August 2024 move brought Palmeiras R$ 2 million, after they had sold him to Portimonense in 2021 for 600 thousand euros.

Pedrão was part of Palmeiras' 2018 title-winning squad after arriving from Água Santa for the under-20s in 2017. Loans followed to América-MG in 2019 and Athletico-PR in 2020, when he won the Campeonato Paranaense. Since 2020/21 he has played six straight seasons outside Brazil.

Source: Nosso Palestra