Pepê (footballer, born 1997)

Pepê
Pepê during a pre-match interview with Porto in 2023
Personal information
Full name Eduardo Gabriel Aquino Cossa[1]
Date of birth (1997-02-24) 24 February 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Winger, right-back
Team information
Current team
Porto
Number 11
Youth career
2014–2016 Foz do Iguaçu
2016Coritiba (loan)
2016–2018 Grêmio
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Foz do Iguaçu 14 (5)
2017–2021 Grêmio 113 (27)
2021– Porto 97 (12)
International career
2020 Brazil U23 6 (3)
2023– Brazil 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:04, 10 August 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 June 2024

Eduardo Gabriel Aquino Cossa (born 24 February 1997), commonly known as Pepê, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Primeira Liga club Porto and the Brazil national team. Mainly a winger, he can also play as a right-back.

Formed at Foz do Iguaçu, he spent five years at Grêmio, where he made 144 appearances and scored 32 goals, while winning the Campeonato Gaúcho four consecutive times.

Club career

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Foz do Iguaçu

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Born in Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná state, Pepê graduated from the youth academy of hometown club Foz do Iguaçu Futebol Clube and spent part of the 2016 season with Coritiba. Ahead of the 2015 season, he was promoted to the senior team.[2] During the 2016 Paranaense, he scored three goals including a brace against Paraná.[3]

Grêmio

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On 4 April 2016, Pepê joined Série A side Grêmio.[3] On 28 May 2017, he made his Série A debut, coming on as a substitute for Everton in a 4–3 victory against Sport Recife.[4] On 3 December, he scored his first goal for the club in a 4–3 defeat against Atlético Mineiro.[5]

On 8 January 2018, Pepê extended his contract until 2020.[6] On 7 August, he made his Copa Libertadores debut, starting in a 2–1 defeat against Argentinian club Estudiantes.[7] His contract was further extended to 2022 on 26 September.[8]

Pepê scored three goals in eight games as the team from Porto Alegre made the quarter-finals of the 2020 Copa Libertadores, including the only goal of an away win over Grenal rivals Internacional on 23 September in the group stage.[9] In the reverse fixture on 12 March, he came on as a substitute and was one of eight players – split equally between the two teams – to be sent off in a brawl.[10] In the year's national championship, he scored nine times, a personal best, including one in a draw away to Inter on 3 October[11] and two in a 3–1 win over Botafogo eleven days later.[12]

Porto

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On 18 February 2021, Pepê signed with Primeira Liga side FC Porto, on a contract effective from 1 July and lasting until 2026.[13] The €15 million fee was paid 70% to Grêmio and the remainder to Foz do Iguaçu, to be issued in four installments over the following two years; Grêmio would receive 12.5% of a future sale.[14] He made his debut on 8 August, replacing Mehdi Taremi for the last eight minutes of a 2–0 home win over Belenenses SAD.[15] He scored his first goal on 19 September to conclude a 5–0 win over Moreirense also at the Estádio do Dragão.[16]

On 28 November 2023, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 2–1 away defeat against Barcelona.[17]

International career

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Pepê was born in Brazil, and is of Italian descent through his father and Paraguayan descent through his mother.[18] He represented the Brazil U23s for the 2020 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament.[19]

On 6 November 2023, Pepê received his first Brazil senior team call-up, ahead of 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina.[20] He made his debut against the former, on 17 November, coming off the bench to replace Renan Lodi in the 81st minute of a 2–1 away loss.[21]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 10 August 2024[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Foz do Iguaçu 2015 Série D 5 2 0 0 2[c] 0 7 2
2016 Série D 0 0 0 0 7[c] 3 7 3
Total 5 2 0 0 9 3 14 5
Grêmio 2017 Série A 3 1 0 0 0 0 3 1
2018 Série A 20 2 1 0 3[d] 0 4[e] 0 28 2
2019 Série A 32 8 5 0 4[d] 1 10[e] 4 51 13
2020 Série A 31 9 8 0 8[d] 3 10[e] 3 57 15
2021 Série A 0 0 0 0 2[f] 1 3[e] 0 5 1
Total 86 20 14 0 17 5 27 7 144 32
Porto 2021–22 Primeira Liga 28 4 5 0 2 1 7[g] 1 42 6
2022–23 Primeira Liga 34 4 6 0 6 1 8[h] 0 1[i] 0 55 5
2023–24 Primeira Liga 34 4 6 2 2 1 7[h] 1 1[i] 0 50 8
2024–25 Primeira Liga 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Total 97 12 17 2 10 3 22 2 2 0 148 19
Career total 188 34 31 2 10 3 39 7 38 10 306 56
  1. ^ Includes Copa do Brasil and Taça de Portugal
  2. ^ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ^ a b Appearances in Campeonato Paranaense
  4. ^ a b c Appearances in Copa Libertadores
  5. ^ a b c d Appearances in Campeonato Gaúcho
  6. ^ One appearance in Copa Libertadores, one appearance and one goal in Copa Sudamericana
  7. ^ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances and one goal in UEFA Europa League
  8. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  9. ^ a b Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

International

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As of match played 8 June 2024[23]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Brazil 2023 1 0
2024 1 0
Total 2 0

Honours

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Grêmio

Porto

References

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  1. ^ "Promessa da base do Grêmio, atacante Pepê renova contrato até 2020" [Promise of Grêmio base, striker Pepê renews contract until 2020] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Revelações do Foz do Iguaçu FC disputarão a Copa São Paulo" [Revelations of Foz do Iguaçu FC will dispute the São Paulo Cup] (in Portuguese). Portal da Cadide. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2018.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ a b "Grêmio contrata atacante e meia das categorias de base do Foz do Iguaçu" [Grêmio signs striker and midfielder of the youth ranks of Foz do Iguaçu] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Sport 4 x 3 Grêmio - André faz três, Leão vira e deixa a zona da degola" [Sport 4 x 3 Grêmio - André makes three, Leo turns and leaves the sticking zone] (in Portuguese). Futebol Interior. 28 May 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2018.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "Atlético-MG vira sobre Grêmio com golaço e torce pelo Fla por Libertadores" [Atlético-MG turns on Grêmio with a goal and cheers for Fla for Libertadores] (in Portuguese). UOL. 3 December 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Grêmio renova com promessa que se destacou no último jogo do Brasileiro" [Grêmio renews with promise that stood out in the last game of the Brazilian league] (in Portuguese). UOL. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Grêmio faz jogo apático, leva golaço e perde para o Estudiantes" [Grêmio makes apathetic play, takes a goal and loses to Estudiantes] (in Portuguese). UOL. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  8. ^ "Grêmio amplia contrato de Pepê por mais quatro anos" [Grêmio extends Pepê contract for another four years] (in Portuguese). Gazeta Esportiva. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  9. ^ "Pepê brilha, Grêmio vence Internacional na Libertadores e encosta na liderança" [Pepê shines, Grêmio beat Internacional in the Libertadores and close in on the lead]. Gazeta Esportiva. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  10. ^ Wright, Chris (12 March 2020). "After Gremio vs. Internacional, the games where red cards were like confetti". ESPN FC. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Pepê é o artilheiro do Gre-Nal em 2020" [Pepê is the Gre-Nal top scorer in 2020] (in Portuguese). Lance!. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Pepê brilha, Grêmio vence Botafogo e se afasta do Z4 do Brasileirão" [Pepê shines, Grêmio beat Botafogo and distance themselves from the Brasileirão bottom 4] (in Portuguese). Lance!. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  13. ^ "Pepê é reforço para a próxima temporada" [Pepê is reinforcement for the next season] (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Grêmio confirma venda do atacante Pepê ao Porto" [Grêmio confirm sale of attacker Pepê to Porto] (in Portuguese). Agência Brasil. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  15. ^ "Em estreia de Pepê, Porto vence o Belenenses, sem dificuldades, no primeiro jogo do Campeonato Português" [On Pepê's debut, Porto beat Belenenses, without difficulties, in the first game of the Portuguese Championship] (in Portuguese). ESPN Brasil. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  16. ^ "Bis de Taremi e Luís [sic] Díaz embalam goleada do FC Porto" [Braces from Taremi and Luis Díaz wrap up a rout by FC Porto] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. 19 September 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  17. ^ "Barcelona 2–1 FC Porto". BBC Sport. 28 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Pepê, el brasileño que se debate entre Italia y Paraguay". d10.ultimahora.com. 29 March 2023.
  19. ^ "Atuações: Pepê se torna artilheiro do Pré-Olímpico e garante vitória do Brasil sobre o Paraguai". ge. 1 February 2020.
  20. ^ "Fernando Diniz convoca Seleção Brasileira para jogos das Eliminatórias" [Fernando Diniz calls up Brazilian Team for Qualifying matches] (in Brazilian Portuguese). CBF. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Pepê estreia-se pelo Brasil num jogo especial para o pai de Luis Díaz" [Pepê debuts for Brazil in a special game for Luis Díaz's father]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). 17 November 2023. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  22. ^ "Pepê". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  23. ^ Pepê at National-Football-Teams.com
  24. ^ "Palmeiras 2 x 0 Grêmio". ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). 7 March 2021.
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