Football Manager 2021 Wonderkids: Best Young Brazilian Players to Sign

It seems like every season, Brazilian players command the headlines, and at each World Cup, Brazil are the ones to watch.

While the Brazilian pool of talent is unquestionable, the national team hasn’t been to a World Cup Final since 2002, when the likes of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, and Lúcio led the way to a 2-0 triumph over Germany.

Now, with yet another star-studded squad, the Brazil team is both rather young and being continually challenged by breakout wonderkids.

In Football Manager 2021, developing a Brazilian wonderkid is, once again, one of the most sought-after achievements of the game. Right here, we’ve compiled all of the best young Brazilians for you to sign, arranged by their potential ability ratings.

Choosing the best Brazilian wonderkids of FM 21

In order to make it onto this page as one of the best Brazilian wonderkids of Football Manager 21, the player had to be 21-years-old at the oldest, have Brazil selected as their nation, and boast a high potential ability (PA) rating.

The best young Brazilian wonderkids here all have a PA of at least 140, or a negative PA of -85. The negative PAs of FM 21 each translate to a range of potential ability ratings that the player can load with in any save, as follows: -10 (170-200), -95 (160-190), -9 (150-180), and -85 (140-170).

Due to how negative PA players can load with any of the PA ratings within their given range, they’ve been ranked by their lowest possible PA for this list.

Using these criteria, you’ll find all of the game’s best Brazilian wonderkids to sign, sorted by their potential ability ratings.

Matheus Cunha (140 CA / 165 PA)

Team: Hertha Berlin
Age: 21
Best Positions: ST
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 140 CA / 165 PA
Value: £8.75 million
Wages: £52,541
Best Attributes: 17 Dribbling, 17 Flair, 17 Technique

Having moved from Coritiba to Europe in 2017, Matheus Cunha has finally landed in a system that utilises his natural striking talent. He jumped from FC Sion to RB Leipzig, leaving the Red Bull Arena for Hertha Berlin after nine goals in 52 games.

While the Brazilian forward struggled to get starts in Leipzig, he almost immediately won a starting place for Die Alte Dame. Since joining in January 2020, Chunha has featured in 22 games, scoring 12 goals and six assists to date. At the 11-game mark this season, the 21-year-old had already notched 11 direct goal contributions.

While others with negative PA ratings could climb above the striker in any given save, you can guarantee that, with the right training and game time, this young Brazilian will hit that hefty 165 PA. As such, he stands as the best Brazilian wonderkid of FM 21 in these rankings.

Chunha’s 14 finishing doesn’t suggest that he’s a potent sharpshooter right now. However, with 17 dribbling, 17 technique, 17 flair, 16 determination, and 15 agility, the Brazilian wonderkid certainly knows how to work his way into the box.

Ibañez (138 CA / 165 PA)

Team: Roma (on-loan with a transfer arranged)
Age: 21
Best Positions: DC
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 138 CA / 165 PA
Value: £7.5 million
Wages: £35,500
Best Attributes: 16 Anticipation, 16 Tackling, 15 Marking

Roger Ibañez seems to be a player in demand, having swapped clubs six times in the last four years. Starting his career path at a rather late 18-years-old, he joined Grêmio Atlético Osoriense, then switched to PRS Futebol Clube, and was then loaned to CS Sergipe-SE.

A later loan to Fluminese of Série A led to a £135,000 transfer, just 11 months before Atalanta paid £3.56 million to bring Ibañez to Italy’s Serie A. A constant bench warmer with Atalanta for a year, AS Roma, somewhat surprisingly, swept in with a loan deal that’s set to convert into a permanent transfer this summer. The young centre back almost immediately broke into the starting XI and continues to hold down his place.

With a 138 CA, Ibañez places just behind Matheus Cunha and his 140 CA, but the two boast assured 165 PA in every save of FM 21. So, Ibañez ranks as the second-best Brazilian wonderkid in FM 21. It shouldn’t be difficult to warrant giving the Canela-native game time, with him having high ratings in all of the right areas from the start.

The top young defender enters the game with the player traits Dives Into Tackles and Brings Ball Out of Defence, with his 16 tackling, 14 passing, 15 bravery, and 16 anticipation suiting these tendencies. Bundle in Ibañez’s 16 determination, 15 marking, 14 heading, 15 pace, and 14 positioning, and you’ve got the makings of a solid centre back.

Evanilson (134 CA / 162 PA)

Team: FC Porto
Age: 20
Best Positions: ST
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 134 CA / 162 PA
Value: £7.5 million
Wages: £18,127
Best Attributes: 15 Pace, 14 Finishing, 14 Strength

FC Porto have a penchant for finding and developing top-class South American talents, with Evanlison being one of their current projects. The Brazilian striker arrived from Tombense, having spent much of his career in the Fluminese system prior. However, Porto isn’t Evanilson’s first crack at European football; he spent four months on-loan to STK Samorin in Slovakia as a teenager.

Still in his first season at the Estádio do Dragão, the Brazilian wonderkid is being eased into the line-up. Injuries have hampered his progress, but Evanilson has been given Liga NOS starts, even scoring in a 1-0 triumph over Gil Vícente, and minutes in the Champions League.

Football Manager 2021 sees a bright future for Evanilson, giving him a 162 PA to make him one of the best Brazilian wonderkids in the game. While he doesn’t have any standout attribute ratings just yet, the foundations are there for him to develop into a well-rounded striker.

The Fortaleza-native enters FM 21 with 14 finishing, 14 dribbling, 12 heading, 14 technique, 14 flair, 14 off the ball, 15 pace, 14 strength, and 14 acceleration. Given his 134 CA, as he develops towards his 162 PA, these key attributes should fill-out to create a potent forward.

Gabriel Martinelli (134 CA / 161 PA)

Team: Arsenal
Age: 19
Best Positions: AML, ST
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 134 CA / 161 PA
Value: £19.5 million
Wages: £35,000
Best Attributes: 16 Acceleration, 16 Work Rate, 15 Pace

In the summer of 2019, Arsenal landed a true gem. Found playing for Série C side Ituano Futebol Clube, Arsenal snapped at the opportunity to land Gabriel Martinelli for around £6 million, amidst interest from several other elite clubs in Europe.

Having broken through as a futsal star, Martinelli possesses all of the skill expected from creative Brazilian players. Still, what helped to make this Brazilian wonderkid so appealing to Europe’s finest was his Italian passport, allowing clubs to bypass pesky work permits. He enjoyed a superb ten-goal, 26-game showing last season, but a serious knee injury held him out towards the end and for the beginning of the 2020/21 campaign.

With a 134 CA and 161 PA, Martinelli narrowly falls short of third-place on this list of FM 21 Brazilian wonderkids. Having already been signed by a club in an elite league, Arsenal, the left winger also commands a higher value and, subsequently, a heftier asking price.

As he’s only 19-years-old, there’s plenty of time to develop the Guarulhos-native’s key attributes. That said, Martinelli is already a serviceable player in the AML role. His 14 dribbling, 14 first touch, 14 technique, 15 determination, 15 flair, 15 pace, and 16 acceleration make him an exciting player to deploy down the left flank.

Vinícius Júnior (146 CA / 160-190 PA)

Team: Real Madrid
Age: 20
Best Positions: AML
Current Ability/Potential Ability: 146 CA / -95 (160-190) PA
Value: £18.75 million
Wages: £197,162
Best Attributes: 18 Determination, 17 Dribbling, 17 Acceleration

Many already consider Vinícius Júnior to be among the most exciting players of Real Madrid, despite only turning 20-years-old over the summer. Having signed for £40.5 million from Flamengo in 2018, expectations were high, but his efforts weren’t helped by the rotating door of managers from the moment that he arrived in Spain.

Under returning manager Zinedine Zidane, who had left mere months before the winger from São Gonçalo arrived, Vinícius Jr has been given a mix of starts and appearances off of the bench. So, he’s been getting plenty of game time, primarily on the left wing, to further his development into a potential superstar.

With a -95 PA, Vinícius Jr could start any FM 21 game as a 160 PA prospect or an almighty 190 PA wonderkid. Regardless of where his PA lands in the range, the Los Blancos youngster will stand as one of the best Brazilian wonderkids to sign.

However, signing Vinícuis Jr will prove to be easier said than done. The winger who already boasts 17 acceleration, 16 agility, 16 pace, and 17 dribbling is already on wages of £197,162 per week, and the club doesn’t want to sell the Brazilian.

All the best Brazilian wonderkids in FM 21

In the table below, you can find all of the best young Brazilians to sign in FM 21, with the wonderkids being sorted by the PA or the lowest potential ability in their range if they have a negative PA rating.

If you’re up to the task of developing a Brazilian wonderkid into the nation’s next football sensation, pick-up one of the best young Brazilians of FM 21 from the table above.