Nestor’s São Paulo journey: academy product and title hero | OneFootball

The midfielder Rodrigo Nestor will experience a special and, at the same time, challenging moment this weekend. For the first time, the player developed by São Paulo will face the club at Morumbis this Saturday, for the Brasileirão 2025, now wearing the jersey of Bahia.

Even though he is on loan from the São Paulo team, Nestor was cleared to play in the match, which promises to add an extra component to the game.

See also: Read more news about São Paulo

From the youth academy to starting in the professional team

A product of São Paulo's youth academy, Nestor made his debut in the main team in 2020, initially playing as a defensive midfielder, with a strong defensive presence.

As the seasons passed with some ups and downs, his style evolved: the player began to be used as a second midfielder and, on some occasions, even as a midfielder, gaining prominence for his technical quality and vision of the game.

The peak in 2022 and the historic title of 2023

Nestor's best phase with the tricolor jersey happened in 2022, when he played 62 matches, scored 8 goals, and provided 11 assists, establishing himself as one of the main pieces of the squad.

But the most remarkable moment of his career was in the final of the 2023 Copa do Brasil, against Flamengo. On that occasion, Nestor scored the equalizing goal in the second leg, a result that secured the unprecedented title of the competition for São Paulo — one of the most celebrated moments in the club's recent history.

Injury and quiet farewell

At the end of 2023, the midfielder suffered a serious knee injury during training, which kept him off the field for several months. After a long recovery and without the same space, he returned only in 2024, when he played 38 matches and scored 1 goal.

His last game for São Paulo happened in the defeat to Botafogo, in the final round of the Brasileirão 2024.

New chapter at Bahia

Negotiated with Bahia at the end of last season, Nestor meets the club that developed him at a new moment in his career, seeking to regain confidence and a sequence of games.

Even though he is young, the player carries a history of overcoming challenges and winning titles with São Paulo — and his presence at Morumbis as an opponent promises to be marked by mutual respect.

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