Brazil U17 winner and Copinha runner-up: meet Corinthians striker | OneFootball

Corinthians will face difficulties in putting together its squad for the match against Mirassol, scheduled for this Sunday (3) at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) at Maião Stadium, in the 14th round of the Brazilian Championship. The attacking sector is one of the hardest hit, as head coach Fernando Diniz will be without Kayke, Vitinho, and Memphis Depay. Given this scenario, one of the alternatives was the inclusion of 17-year-old Nícollas Melo in the squad that traveled to the countryside of São Paulo.

Born in Diadema, in the Greater São Paulo area, the forward has been with Corinthians since 2019. He joined in the youth ranks, at the Under-11 level, during a period when he balanced outdoor football with futsal. Since then, he has drawn attention for his performances, which earned him frequent call-ups to Brazil’s youth national teams.

Photo: Rodrigo Gazzanel/Ag. Corinthians

With traits geared toward dribbling and creating plays from the wings, Nícollas has already collected important achievements. In 2023, he won the Under-15 International Quadrangular with the Brazilian National Team and, two years later, also took part in the Under-16 South American Championship.

For Corinthians, the forward stands out mainly for his speed and skill. In the 2024 season, he earned more space in the Under-17 squad, making 34 appearances, scoring six goals, and providing two assists. Even while still eligible for that category, he was used on several occasions by the Under-20 team under Orlando Ribeiro.

The following year, at just 16 years old, he became a regular part of the team that finished as runner-up in the Copinha. During that campaign, he shared the squad with players already orbiting the first team, such as goalkeeper Kauê, midfielders Luiz Gustavo Bahia and Dieguinho, as well as forward Gui Negão.

Still in 2025, Nícollas also took part in training activities with the professional squad at the invitation of Dorival Júnior, although he did not make his official debut. In August of that year, his contract was renewed through 2028, the limit established by FIFA for underage players. The new deal considerably increased his release clause, both in the domestic market, where it had previously been R$ 10 million, and internationally, where it is currently set at 30 million euros (approximately R$ 190 million).

Now in 2026, the youngster remains one of the main names in Corinthians’ Under-20 squad. In the Brazilian Championship for the category, he has one goal and one assist in eight matches, contributing to a campaign that has the team sitting in fifth place, inside the qualification zone for the quarterfinals.

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