Defender could reach historic Corinthians milestone this Thursday | OneFootball

Corinthians take the field this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Neo Química Arena to face Barra Futebol Clube in the second leg of the fifth round of the Copa do Brasil. Beyond the battle for a place in the round of 16, the match could mark an important moment in center-back Gustavo Henrique’s journey in the black-and-white shirt.

The 33-year-old defender joined the club at the start of 2024 after a spell with Real Valladolid and is just one match away from reaching the mark of 100 appearances for Timão. So far, he has made 99 appearances, starting 95 of them. During that span, he has been part of 47 wins, 21 draws, and 31 defeats, in addition to winning the Campeonato Paulista and the 2025 Copa do Brasil, as well as the 2026 Supercopa do Brasil.

Photo: Alexandre Schneider/Getty Images

Individually, Gustavo Henrique has also put up notable numbers. The center-back has ten goals and four assists for Corinthians, a record that places him among the highest-scoring defenders in the club’s history. He currently ranks as the 12th defender with the most goals in nearly 116 years of the São Paulo side and leads the position ranking in the decade that began in 2021.

In 2026, the Corinthians No. 3 has stood out not only for his defensive solidity but also for his attacking efficiency on set pieces. With four goals scored this season, he is the team’s second-leading scorer and forms the first-choice center-back pairing alongside Gabriel Paulista under head coach Fernando Diniz.

Among the 32 names in Corinthians’ first-team squad — also counting center-back Renato, who is currently sidelined — only seven players have already gone past the 100-game mark for the club. The list includes Yuri Alberto (230 appearances), Matheus Bidu (147), Matheuzinho (136), Raniele (136), Rodrigo Garro (128), Breno Bidon (127), and Hugo Souza (117).

Besides the possible historic milestone for Gustavo Henrique, Thursday’s clash is worth a place in the Copa do Brasil round of 16. Corinthians come in with the advantage after winning the first match 1-0 at Ressacada on April 21, with a goal by Jesse Lingard.

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