Cruzeiro announced this Monday (01), the signing of striker Néiser Villarreal, who was at Millonarios-COL. But who is the player? How much did it cost? When can it debut? Sporting News shows.
MORE: Will Leonardo Jardim leave Cruzeiro? How long does the contract last?
Who is Neiser Villarreal?
Néiser Villarreal is a young Colombian striker, born on April 24, 2005, in the city of Tumaco. He quickly rose to prominence in the youth ranks of Millonarios, the club where he also made his professional debut in 2023.
The big leap in his career came in 2025, when he shone for the Colombia under-20 team, being top scorer in both the South American Championship and the Under-20 World Cup, which made his name circulate among several clubs abroad.
With this performance, Cruzeiro decided to anticipate and signed a pre-contract with him in September 2025. Néiser Villarreal’s contract with Cruzeiro is for five years, lasting until 2030. The striker has already been to Belo Horizonte, visited the club’s facilities and even made his first contacts with the board and technical committee.
Néiser Villarreal yes #ClosedWithCruzeiro 🔵⚪
Let’s go, Kiki! 💪
📸 @ggaleixo / Cruise pic.twitter.com/lIEWyBss25
— Cruzeiro 🦊 (@Cruzeiro) December 1, 2025
When can Villarreal debut?
Even though it is already integrated into the Cruzeiro environment, it only could officially debut in 2026, because of the closing of the transfer window. The expectation is that it will be one of the club’s biggest bets for next season, especially after its international prominence.
Villarreal’s numbers in 2025
- 32 games
- 13 goals
- 9 assists
