Murilo Cerqueira

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Cerqueira and the second or paternal family name is Paim.

Murilo Cerqueira Paim (born 27 March 1997) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a central defender or defensive midfielder for Brazilian club Palmeiras.

Murilo Cerqueira

Murilo playing for Palmeiras in 2022
Personal information
Full name	Murilo Cerqueira Paim
Date of birth	(1997-03-27) 27 March 1997 (age 27)
Place of birth	São Gonçalo dos Campos, Brazil
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s)	Centre back
Team information
Current team	Palmeiras
Number	26
Youth career
2012–2016	Cruzeiro
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017–2019	Cruzeiro	50	(0)
2019–2022	Lokomotiv Moscow	52	(4)
2022–	Palmeiras	80	(13)
International career‡
2016	Brazil U20	3	(2)
2019–2020	Brazil U23	5	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 December 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2020

Club career

Cruzeiro

Cerqueira played for the Cruzeiro Youth Teams since 2012. In 2017, he was promoted to the senior team. On March 21, 2017 he made his professional debut for Cruzeiro in the match against Joinville Esporte Clube at the Primeira Liga.^[2][3]

Lokomotiv

Murilo with Lokomotiv Moscow in 2019

On 18 June 2019, Murilo signed a 5-year contract with the Russian Premier League club FC Lokomotiv Moscow.^[4] On 12 May 2021, he scored the last goal in a 3–1 victory over PFC Krylia Sovetov Samara in the 2020–21 Russian Cup final.

Palmeiras

On 12 January 2022, Cerqueira signed a five-season contract with Série A club Palmeiras.^[5]

International career

Cerqueira represented Brazil U20 at youth level. He was one of the sparring players for the Brazil 2016 Olympic team. He was also part of the Brazil U-23 team which won the 2019 Toulon Tournament. He was present for the 2020 Summer Olympics qualifying cycle, but ended up not being called up to the final list for the tournament.^[6]

He was called up for the first time to the senior Brazil national team in March 2024 for friendlies against England and Spain, but remained on the bench in both games.^[7]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 3 December 2023^[8][9]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Cruzeiro	2017	Série A	24	0	5	0	0	0	2[a]	0	31	0
	2018	Série A	9	0	0	0	1[b]	0	10[c]	0	20	0
	2019	Série A	1	0	0	0	1[b]	0	4[c]	0	6	0
	Total		34	0	5	0	2	0	16	0	57	0
Lokomotiv Moscow	2019–20	Russian Premier League	25	0	1	0	5[d]	0	1[e]	0	32	0
	2020–21	Russian Premier League	22	4	2	1	5[d]	0	1[e]	0	30	5
	2021–22	Russian Premier League	5	0	0	0	3[f]	0	1[e]	0	9	0
	Total		52	4	3	1	13	0	3	0	71	5
Palmeiras	2022	Série A	32	5	4	0	8[b]	3	13[g]	3	57	11
	2023	Série A	24	3	2	0	7[b]	0	14[h]	2	47	5
	Total		56	7	6	0	15	3	27	5	104	16
Career total			142	14	14	1	30	3	46	5	232	21

1. Appearance(s) in Primeira Liga (Brazil)
2. Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores
3. Appearance(s) in Campeonato Mineiro
4. Appearance(s) in UEFA Champions League
5. Appearance(s) in Russian Super Cup
6. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
7. Eleven appearances and three goals in Campeonato Paulista, two appearances in Recopa Sudamericana
8. Thirteen appearances and two goals in Campeonato Paulista, one appearance in Supercopa do Brasil

Honours

Club

Cruzeiro

• Copa do Brasil: 2017, 2018^[9]
• Campeonato Mineiro: 2018, 2019^[9]

Lokomotiv Moscow

• Russian Cup: 2020–21
• Russian Super Cup: 2019

Palmeiras

• Recopa Sudamericana: 2022
• Campeonato Paulista: 2022, 2023, 2024
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2022, 2023
• Supercopa do Brasil: 2023
• FIFA Club World Cup Runner Up: 2021

International

Brazil U23

• Toulon Tournament: 2019^[9]

Individual

• Bola de Prata: 2022
• Best Centre back in Brazil: 2023^[10]
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2022, 2023
• Campeonato Paulista Team of the Year: 2024^[11]

References

1. "Серкейра МУРИЛО | ФК Локомотив". Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
2. Macedo, Guilherme; Arruda, Rafael (21 June 2017). "Chance para Murilo: Cruzeiro tem histórico de jovens zagueiros que se deram bem; veja". Super Esportes. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
3. Amaral, Thaynara. "Novo titular, Murilo se inspira em Sérgio Ramos e recebe conselhos de Dedé". Globo Esporte. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
4. "Серкейра Мурило – в "Локо"!" [Cerqueira Murilo is at Loko!]. FC Lokomotiv Moscow. 18 June 2019. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
5. "Palmeiras contrata zagueiro Murilo, campeão pelo Lokomotiv" [Palmeiras hire defender Murilo, champion for Lokomotiv] (in Portuguese). Palmeiras. 12 January 2022. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
6. "Sub-20 convocada para treinos na Granja". CBF. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
7. "Spain v Brazil game report". ESPN. 26 March 2024.
8. "Murilo Ogol Profile". Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
9. "Murilo". Soccerway. Archived from the original on 24 November 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
10. Teixeira, Gabriel Amaral (11 December 2023). "Palmeiras domina seleção do Troféu Mesa Redonda, e Suárez é eleito o craque da temporada". Gazeta Esportiva (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 1 March 2024.
11. "Vice, Santos domina a seleção do Campeonato Paulista; Abel, do Palmeiras, é o melhor técnico" [Runners-up, Santos dominate the Campeonato Paulista Best XI; Abel, from Palmeiras, is the best head coach] (in Brazilian Portuguese). ge. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.

External links

• Cruzeiro profile (in Portuguese)
• Murilo Cerqueira at Soccerway