PH Neto leads Palmeiras' 'golden generation' at U12 worlds in Spain | OneFootball

Regarded as one of the biggest prospects in Brazilian football, forward PH Neto is Palmeiras’ standout player in the La Liga FC Futures, an international Under-12 competition that brings together some of the biggest clubs in the world. The green-and-white side arrived in Madrid this Sunday (22), carrying high expectations for a generation internally considered one of the most talented in the club’s recent academy history.

Born in João Pessoa, PH Neto joined Palmeiras in 2023, still at the Under-9 level, and quickly stood out thanks to his impressive numbers. In a short time, he has recorded 206 goals and 116 assists in 163 matches, in addition to winning 19 titles in 22 competitions played between futsal and football. At 12 years old, the youngster already has a contract with adidas and has collected individual awards, including the Best Player prize at the 2025 Leme Cup, one of the most important tournaments in the category in the country.

The forward is seen as the leading name of his generation and is already beginning to be compared to other gems developed by the club, such as Endrick and Estêvão, reinforcing the tradition of the Crias da Academia.

Organized by La Liga since 1996, La Liga FC Futures is considered the world’s top Under-12 tournament. The competition takes place from March 25 to 29 in Brunete, in the Madrid region, and brings together 20 teams from different continents. Played in a 7-a-side format, with high-intensity matches split into two 12-minute halves, the tournament has already showcased major names in world football, such as Lamine Yamal, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Iker Casillas and Gerard Piqué.

Palmeiras are in Group A alongside Flamengo, Boca Juniors, River Plate and Inter Miami. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarter-finals.

In their first match of the tournament, Verdão beat Boca Juniors 6-0.

In addition to PH Neto, the green-and-white squad features other promising talents, such as midfielders João Vitor Dias and Antônio Zorzi, and forward Nicolas Alexandre, cementing the “golden generation” status within the club’s academy.

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