He's the kind of player who didn't dream of becoming a professional footballer as a child. He didn't even like the sport. It was seeing his brother come home so happy from football matches that really sparked his interest in discovering the discipline.

"I wanted to understand his passion and I started playing. I understood everything he felt. At that moment, I decided to provide for my family through the sport I had learned to love," the player told the media a few years ago.

Spotted by Cruzeiro

On the path to his destiny, Igor Thiago will experience very difficult times. At 13, he loses his father and is forced to work as a fruit carrier at fairs or as a mason on construction sites in Brasilia, to help his mother provide for the family.

He uses his free time to accompany his brother to futsal tournaments. Later, the young boy, who always found time to play football, was spotted by Cruzeiro, who had just been relegated to the second division.

Young Thiago made his professional debut on January 23, 2020 against Boa Esporte and scored his first goal.

However, he did not have great seasons at Cruzeiro. In 64 matches played, the Brazilian only scored 10 goals.

From Razgrad to Brentford

Facing financial difficulties, the Belo Horizonte club sold him to Ludogorets Razgrad for 1.3 million euros. He helped the team win the Bulgarian championship and the Bulgarian Cup.

In 2023, the footballer signed with Bruges, then a year later with Brentford in the Premier League for 33 million euros. During the season that just ended, he scored a total of 22 goals and attracted the attention of national team coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian therefore called him up for the 2026 World Cup in America and started him at the forefront of the attack in the first match of the Auriverde against Morocco.

This is how a young man who was a bricklayer at 13 ended up as a starter in the Brazilian team, the country with the most titles in the World Cup.