*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:09, 22 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 02:41, 16 September 2022 (UTC)
Ângelo Gabriel Borges Damaceno (born 21 December 2004), known as Ângelo Gabriel (Brazilian Portuguese:[ɐ̃ʒelogabɾiˈɛw]) or simply Ângelo (Brazilian Portuguese:[ɐ̃ʒelo]), is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr.
Club career
Santos
Born in Brasília, Federal District, Ângelo joined Santos' youth setup in 2015, aged ten.[2] In July 2020, aged only 15, he started to appear for the under-20s,[3] being subsequently promoted to the main squad in October by manager Cuca.[4]
On 23 October 2020, Ângelo agreed to a professional pre-contract deal with Peixe, effective as of his 16th birthday.[5] He made his professional debut two days later, coming on as a second-half substitute for Lucas Braga in a 3–1 away loss against Fluminense for the Brazilian Série A championship;[6] aged 15 years, 10 months and 4 days, he became the second-youngest ever player to debut for the club, only behind Coutinho, and overcame Pelé by 11 days.[7]
Ângelo made his Copa Libertadores debut on 9 March 2021, starting in a 2–1 home success over Deportivo Lara;[8] aged 16 years, 2 months and 16 days, he became the youngest Santos player to appear in the competition, surpassing Rodrygo.[9]
Ângelo scored his first professional goal on 6 April 2021, netting his team's third in a 3–1 Libertadores away win against San Lorenzo; aged 16 years, 3 months and 16 days, he broke Juan Carlos Cárdenas' record and became the youngest player ever to score in a Libertadores match.[10] On 10 December, after featuring regularly, he renewed his contract until December 2024.[11]
Chelsea
On 16 July 2023, Ângelo agreed to join Premier League side Chelsea,[12] signing a long-term deal for a fee in the region of £13 million.[13]
Loan to Strasbourg
On 8 August 2023, Ângelo was loaned out to Ligue 1 club Strasbourg until the end of the season.[14]
He made his debut as a substitute in a league game against Lyon, where his team eventually won 2–1 in the opening game of the season.[15] Ângelo made his full 90 minute debut on 17 September in his fourth league game against Montpellier.[16] In a follow-up league match against FC Metz, he assisted the only goal where his team won the game 1–0.[17] After the match, Ângelo was named Man of the Match by the Strasbourg's supporters.[18] On 4 October 2023, he was announced as the club's Player of the Month for September.[19]
Ângelo then also contributed two more assists for Strasbourg, including setting up a winning goal against Lillem on 20 December 2023.[20] Having initially trouble settling in since joining the club, he became a first team regular, playing in the winger position.[21] However, Ângelo was out on two separate occasions, due to injuries, including one that saw him out for the rest of the season.[22] At the end of the 2023-24 season, he went on to make 21 appearances in all competitions. Following this, Ângelo returned to his parent club.
Al-Nassr
On 3 September 2024, Ângelo completed a transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.[23] The fee was reported by The Athletic to be in the region of £19.4 million (€23 million).[24]
On 6 March 2020, Ângelo was called up with the under-16s for the year's Montaigu Tournament,[28] but the competition was later suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October, he was called up to the under-17s for trainings in the following month,[29] but tested positive for COVID-19 during that period.[30]
Personal life
During his time at Strasbourg, Ângelo began taking French lessons, learning the language.[31]
^"Racing-Montpellier HSC : 2-2". RC Strasbourg Alsace (in French). 17 September 2023. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
^"FC Metz-Racing: 0-1". RC Strasbourg Alsace (in French). 24 September 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2024.