When Brazil’s World Cup 2026 squad was announced, the inclusion of two-cap Brentford forward Igor Thiago was not a major surprise, as the 24-year-old has been one of the biggest scoring sensations in the English Premier League.
However, his current situation must be a dream come true. At just 13, Thiago lost his father and had to work on a building site in Gama as a bricklayer and do odd jobs to help provide for his family, while his mother worked as a street cleaner.
Joined his brother at Gremio Ocidental
A football career seemed like a pipe dream until he joined his brother at local club Gremio Ocidental. The forward actually started playing futsal rather than the traditional form of the beautiful game.
However, he managed to earn trials with several local football clubs. He was 16 when he joined Vere’s U-17 team. In 2019, he got his big break when he joined Cruzeiro, after which he could dream of playing football professionally.
It wasn’t long before the forward was given his first-team debut in Cruzeiro’s first team, making his debut at 18 in January 2020. He went on to play 64 games for the Brazilian outfit, scoring ten goals in the process.
A big move to Europe
Biser Todorov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Like many young Brazilian players, a move to Europe generally comes with impressing in their homeland. Thiago’s move to European football came in March 2022, when he joined Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets Razgrad.
Thiago scored three times in four games in the Bulgarian second tier for Ludogorets reserve team in the 2021/22 season, but managed just two appearances for the senior team in the same campaign in the top-flight.
His first full season with Ludogorets was far more fruitful, as he fired home 20 goals in 53 appearances across all competitions. His goals caught the attention of Belgian giants Club Brugge, who signed him for a reported fee of €7.9 million in June 2023.
Thiago was once again among the goals, scoring 29 goals in his only season in Belgian football before Brentford agreed a reported club-record fee of around £30m to sign him in January 2024, with a view to the forward joining the Bees in the summer of 2024.
Setbacks and success in England
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Thiago was a relative unknown to Brentford fans, but the club-record fee brought with it an expectation of quality. Unfortunately for the forward, his debut campaign with the Bees was blighted by various injuries, and he made just eight appearances in season 2024/25.
However, the 2025/26 season was a different story, as he burst onto the Premier League scene, scoring 22 goals in 37 top-flight appearances, with only Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland outscoring him with 26 goals.
His scoring exploits didn’t go amiss in his homeland, and in March 2026, he received his first call-up to the Brazilian national team. His first international goal came in a 3-1 friendly win over Croatia.
Thiago’s impressive form for Brentford this season saw the striker earn a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad for this summer’s World Cup. His inclusion has seen his hard work and determination pay off.
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The last 12 months have been a dream for the Brazilian star. No doubt, he will be looking to cap it off by doing his country proud if called upon this summer.
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