Holder of Cruzeiro and isolated scorer of the Brazilian Championship, with 13 goals, Kaio Jorge had to overcome a serious injury to live the best phase of his career. He also had to leave Gabriel Barbosa behind, Gabigol, today his reserve, the club’s hottest hiring for the season.
“This has a great weight for me,” said the player, thrilled, just after scoring three goals in the 4-1 win over Grêmio last month. “Two and a half years ago, I was in a wheelchair, with my knee operated, not knowing if I would play again.”
“I have my personal goals in the club: selection is also one of them. I want to keep scoring my goals, helping the companions, because I know the call will arrive,” he added.
In early 2022, during an adaptation period at Italy’s Juventus, playing in a match for the under-23 team, the striker broke the patellar tendon of his right knee. It was 16 months until the return.
“I thought to stop for a while. I tried, tried, and my knee inflamed, swelling … I went to the field and, in a minute, crashed. Then it starts to beat the despair. You do everything right, train two, three periods, have a good diet, sleep well, and, at the time of let’s see, the knee again …”, recalled the striker, in an interview with Radio Itatiaia.
Purchased by Cruzeiro in June 2024, in a negotiation that could reach 7.2 million euros (R $ 45.9 million for the current price) with the fulfillment of goals provided for in the agreement, Kaio Jorge was the second signing of the club’s SAF assumed by Pedro Lourenço. The investment was surrounded by suspicions.
Between 2021 and 2024, the Pernambuco made only 35 matches in Italian football, 11 of them for the Juventus main team, two for the U23 and 22 borrowed to the modest frosinone. He left the reserve bench in most of them and scored only three goals in the professional games.
Cruzeiro’s bet, therefore, was based on the previous achievements, with the Santos shirt. In Vila Belmiro, the attacker has always been treated as a small phenomenon. In 2018, he became the youngest player to score a goal for the São Paulo club in a São Paulo Junior Cup, with only 15 years, equaling Neymar’s feat ten years earlier.
“I had some problems regarding the assembly of the cast that would play that cup because of players who climbed to the professional, including Yuri Alberto and Rodrygo, as well as four other names. So I made the decision to get three 15 -year -old athletes, and one of them was Kaio. We already realized that he had a bright future ahead,” said coach Aarão Alves, who directed Santos.
Even at his young age, he drew attention for the personality. In the knockout, he asked to be responsible for closing the penalty kick series after a 1-1 draw with Mirassol. “People in Santos wondered if it was not much responsibility for age, but he was different. He went to the last penalty and converted with calm,” recalled the coach.
Years earlier, Kaio Jorge needed less than ten minutes to impress Santos evaluators and approved a test to integrate the grassroots categories.
“He had already taken a test in Sao Paulo and came to Santos to try. We didn’t have much knowledge about him, but he didn’t even need ten minutes to approve it. It was very fast and talented, had an area and an unusual perception of goal,” said coach Luciano Santos, today at the São Bernardo under-20, one of the present assesses.
A native of Olinda, the young man had been successful playing futsal at Náutico and Sport before trying his luck in Sao Paulo alongside his father, Jorge Ramos. At Santos, the difficulties with a “transfer ban” – saving imposed by FIFA (International Football Federation) that prevent hiring – caused Kaio to subsect the professionals and gain space among the holders.
Between 2020 and 2021, he unleashed once and for all after the arrival of coach Cuca, establishing himself as a key piece in the team that would be defeated by Palmeiras in the Copa Libertadores final in Maracanã.
Without an agreement to renew contract, he was released months later for only 3 million euros ($ 19 million at the time), leaving Santos for the dream of playing with idol Cristiano Ronaldo in Juventus.
“I think they have accelerated the processes a lot. Technical quality he always had, it would be a matter of time until he reached the current level. But they are market situations, there was a higher expectation than the reality that happened. It is more mature now,” said Luciano Santos.
In Cruzeiro, the 15 goals mark in the year is already the best of the career. He also distributed five assists, the last of them on Sunday (3), in a beautiful play completed by Matheus Pereira in a 2-0 win over Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro.
Kaio Jorge attributes success to the demanding Portuguese technician Leonardo Jardim, with whom he had meetings for technical and tactical improvements. The dedication and goals of shirt 19 have already convinced the boss. The player expects the next to be Carlo Ancelotti.
Kaio Jorge’s career
2018: Santos: 1 game, no goal
2019: Santos: 7 games, no goal
2020: Santos: 48 games, 9 goals
2021: Santos: 28 games, 8 goals
2021/22: Juventus-ta: 11 games, no goal
2021/22: Juventus -ta under-23: 2 games, 1 goal
2023/24: Frosinone-Ita: 22 games, 3 goals
2024: Cruise: 23 games, 7 goals
2025: Cruise: 25 games, 15 goals
