Johnny – as he is commonly referred to- is a player you might not have heard of, but he spent the 2020 campaign making 21 appearances for the top Brazilian League’s (Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A) 2nd place finisher, Internacional. Admittedly until last year we had not heard of him either, but after his call up to the USMNT in 2020 and his Internacional performances, we had to take a closer look.
Born in Denville, New Jersey, in his early childhood Johnny’s Brazilian parents decided to move back home, a decision that seems to have worked in their son’s favor. Soon after the move he joined the Internacional youth academy where he worked his way up to the U20 team before his 18th birthday.
On January 1, 2020 he signed his first professional contract with the club. From there he went on to score a few goals for the first team garnering him the US Men’s National Team call up and his first stint of attention from the North American media. We could go on about his attacking talent and natural confidence on the ball, but why don’t you just watch for yourself!
There is no question that Johnny could be one to watch for the USMNT in 2026, but I would not be shocked to seem him on the international scene much sooner than that.