Corinthians left-back tops defensive stat in this Brasileirão | OneFootball

In recent seasons, left-back Matheus Bidu has established himself as one of the most important pieces in Corinthians’ squad. Since his arrival, the player has stood out in the team’s attacking buildup, but he has improved his defensive numbers year after year, even leading one category in the current edition of the Brasileirão.

According to a survey by the DataFut profile, which usually shares Brazilian football statistics on X, the Corinthians full-back is the player with the most balls recovered in the 2026 Brazilian Championship, with 106 in 16 matches, totaling 1,373 minutes played. In second place is Thiago Mendes, Vasco’s defensive midfielder, who has 105 in 1,422 minutes played.

Photo: Rodrigo Coca/Ag. Corinthians

According to data provided by Sofascore, Matheus Bidu also posts other relevant defensive stats in the Brasileirão. The defender averages 1.2 interceptions, 1.8 tackles per match, 6.6 balls recovered per match, and 2.3 clearances per match, in addition to not having made any mistakes that led to an opponent’s goal.

Having come through the youth ranks at Lemense and Portuguesa, the left-back turned professional with Guarani in 2019. Over the next two years, Bidu established himself in the first team and began to stand out, drawing the attention of Cruzeiro, which signed him on loan in 2022 for its Série B campaign.

During the loan spell, the defender played 39 matches, scored three goals, and provided three assists. An undisputed starter in the team led by Uruguayan coach Paulo Pezzolano, the full-back stood out throughout the season, with strong performances in the Campeonato Mineiro, the Copa do Brasil, and especially in the title-winning Série B campaign in the Brazilian Championship. His performances caught Corinthians’ attention, and at the end of the season, the club completed his permanent signing from Guarani.

In his first season with Timão, Matheus Bidu alternated between good and bad moments until he was close to being transferred at the start of 2024. However, no deal progressed, and the full-back had the chance to turn things around, standing out mainly in the second half of the season, especially during the run of nine consecutive wins that pulled the team away from the relegation zone and secured a place in the following year’s Libertadores.

In 2025, the defender fully established himself and was an important piece in the Paulista Championship and Copa do Brasil title wins, serving as a starter for Alvinegro Paulista for almost the entire season. This year, he also took part in the Supercopa do Brasil triumph over Flamengo. Overall, Bidu has 155 matches, ten goals, and ten assists for Corinthians.

Players with the most balls recovered in the 2026 Brazilian Championship:

1 – Matheus Bidu/Corinthians: 106 2 – Thiago Mendes/Vasco: 105 3 – Nicolás Acevedo/Bahia: 104 4 – Cristian Pavón/Grêmio: 97 5 – Marlon Freitas/Palmeiras: 94 6 – Emiliano Martínez/Vitória: 89 7 – Bruno Gomes/Internacional: 89 8 – Stiven Mendoza/Athletico-PR: 86 9 – Robert Renan/Vasco: 86 10 – Andrés Gomez/Vasco: 83

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