Jose Paulo Bezerra Maciel Junior Brazilian footballer, midfielder Date of Birth: 25.07.1988 Country: Brazil

1. Early Career and Rise to Stardom
2. Corinthians Triumph and International Debut
3. Time in China and Return to Europe

Early Career and Rise to Stardom

Pauliño began his football journey playing futsal for Portuguesa Santista's under-17 team. In 2006, he joined Clube Atlético Audax, then known as Clube Atlético Pan de Açúcar. The same year, he transitioned to the senior team and was promptly loaned to FK Vilnius. After an impressive season in Lithuania, Pauliño moved on to ŁKS Łódź in Poland. He featured in 17 league matches for the Polish club before returning to Audax, who were then competing in the fourth tier of the São Paulo state league.

In 2009, Pauliño found a new home with CA Bragantino, a club playing in the Brazilian Série B. His performances there caught the attention of Corinthians, one of São Paulo's biggest clubs. The transfer to Corinthians materialized in 2010, and Pauliño quickly established himself as a first-team regular.

Corinthians Triumph and International Debut

With Corinthians, Pauliño helped secure the 2011 Brazilian Serie A title. His impressive displays earned him interest from Italian clubs Roma and Inter Milan. However, Pauliño opted to stay with Corinthians for the 2012 Copa Libertadores campaign. His decision proved fruitful as Corinthians lifted the prestigious South American club title for the first time, defeating Boca Juniors in the final. Pauliño contributed significantly, playing in all 14 matches and scoring three goals, including the lone winner in the quarterfinal against Vasco da Gama.

On September 15, 2011, Pauliño made his debut for the Brazilian national team in a Copa Roca match against Argentina. In 2013, he transferred to Tottenham Hotspur for a reported £17 million.

Time in China and Return to Europe

After a brief stint with Tottenham, Pauliño signed for Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015 for €14 million. He made a notable impact, scoring a hat-trick against Uruguay in a March 2017 international match.

In August 2017, Pauliño secured a move to FC Barcelona for a fee of €40 million. Despite fan backlash over his signing, Pauliño proved his worth, making his debut against Alavés and scoring his first goal as a substitute in a match against Getafe.