Copinha star Eduardo signs first professional deal with Palmeiras

In partnership with

Nosso Palestra

·9 gennaio 2026

Copinha star Eduardo signs first professional deal with Palmeiras

The forward Eduardo Conceição, 16 years old, and a standout for Palmeiras Under-20 team signed his first professional contract with Verdão on the afternoon of this Friday (9). He turned 16 – the minimum age for a professional contract – in December 2025. The agreement is valid until January 2029.

The negotiation of the agreement between Palmeiras and Eduardo was conducted by the company DSA, owned by Adriano Ribeiro and Douglas Sousa, father of Endrick. The values of the release clause were not disclosed.

OneFootball Video

“I am very grateful for signing my first professional contract, seeing that Palmeiras is valuing me, that I am delivering results in the youth team. It was a special moment, especially with the presence of Leila, our president. I look back and see just a kid who dreamed of being a soccer player, every effort and training is paying off, I am being rewarded,” said the forward.

The signing took place the day after the number 10’s show in the São Paulo Junior Football Cup. With four goals and two assists, he led the 9-0 victory over Batalhão-TO, matching the biggest win in Verdão’s history in the Copinha.

In 2025, the young player shone in Palmeiras’ Under-17 team – scoring 12 goals in 33 matches. In 2024, he was the standout name in winning the Under-15 São Paulo Championship.

The match against Batalhão was the player’s first as a starter in the Under-20. He had already debuted in the Copinha coming off the bench at halftime in the 4-2 victory over Monte Roraima-RR, which was his first game for the Under-20 category. He replaced Antônio Marcos at halftime, attempted shots, but was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper in the two chances he had.

In the position of youth coordinator since 2015, João Paulo Sampaio has witnessed the development of numerous athletes who reached the highest level of football. The director, who followed Eduardo’s entire journey at Palmeiras, spoke about the player’s next steps.

“He must keep in mind that he needs to fight hard every day. As we say here, ‘if the flour is scarce, my porridge first’. Now, he becomes more known, the marking will double, everyone will always expect a perfect score, and he will have to know how to deal with that. He needs to understand that the answer will always be on the field, never off the pitch. We will give him opportunities, but he needs to seize them,” declared the coordinator.

International Highlight

In October 2025, the Spanish newspaper ‘As’ highlighted Eduardo Conceição on its website. According to the publication, the forward has been attracting attention for his performances in the club’s Under-17 team, where he stands out even playing against older athletes.

“Palmeiras has a new diamond in its inexhaustible arsenal of talents,” wrote the newspaper, which compared him to Estêvão, sold in 2025 to Chelsea for about 65 million euros.

Dudu plays as a left winger, although his dominant foot is the right. The “As” highlighted his “tremendous skill in dribbling and finishing.”

The Spanish publication also noted that Eduardo “reminds of what Estêvão offered when he emerged,” and mentioned that “Eduardo’s future seems to follow the same path as the stars recently revealed by Palmeiras.”