João Basso joins Cuiabá after ending Santos deal | OneFootball

João Basso has joined Cuiabá after terminating his Santos contract at the start of March, having struggled for minutes under Juan Pablo Vojvoda.

According to Diario Do Peixe, the 29-year-old centre-back was announced shortly after as a reinforcement for the remainder of the season.

Basso’s 2026 involvement at Santos was limited to two Campeonato Brasileiro outings. In total for the club he made 36 appearances, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

A Paraná academy graduate, he turned professional in 2015 and featured in more than 20 games the following year. That platform led to seven seasons in Portugal with Estoril Praia, Arouca and Real SC.

He returned to Brazil in 2023 to join Santos, taking part in the run-in that ended in relegation. The next season he was loaned for a brief stint at Estoril before returning to the club.

During that period a financial dispute involving Arouca caused friction behind the scenes. The Portuguese club sought his return, but Santos kept him for the Série B campaign and assumed the debt, a situation that later contributed to a transfer ban in 2026.

Source: Diario Do Peixe